Premise: Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) wrongfully imprisons Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) in order to get to Barker's wife (Laura Michelle Kelly). 15 years later, Barker returns to London as Sweeney Todd with the assistance of the sailor, Anthony (Jamie Campbell Bower). Todd discovers that Turpin is raising his daughter, Johanna (Jayne Wisener), and vows revenge with help from his landlady, Mrs. Lovett (Helene Bonham Carter).*Tim Burton should teach a master class in how to adapt stage for screen. I realize that John Logan, who wrote the screenplay, should get some credit here as well, but come on. I think we know Burton when we see it, don't we?
Listen, this isn't just a filmed version of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's musical. This is something else entirely. Logan and Burton don't just open it up. Under Burton's deft hand the movie has room to soar. He fills his Gothic masterpiece with whirling, twirling fantasy sequences and fantastic bloodletting. Raoul would be proud. A number of songs get dropped (most notably "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd"), but it's all in the service of making a better film. If you can show, why would you tell?
Burton is aided ably, as always, by long time collaborator Depp. Only Depp could play these deranged levels of blood lust and destruction and still let heartbreak bleed through his performance. He's not a singer, and he didn't train as one for the role, but he can sing nonetheless. He doesn't have pipes, per se (if this were Broadway, he'd never hit the cheap seats). He is good enough to let a snarl creep into his voice when necessary, and, with his powdered complexion, Rogue-streaked fright wig, and deep eye liner, his face does the rest.
Bonham Carter makes a lovely Mrs. Lovett, equally deranged but not as equally driven. When they hit upon their plan to bake his victims into her pies and begin waltzing around the shop with weapons behind their back, they make the perfect pair. She plays slightly obsessive, unrequited love so very well.
Rickman is wonderfully menacing, Sacha Baron Cohen a brief delight, Campbell Bower has the best voice in the house, and Kelly looks like Kate Hudson. My favourite, though, is probably little Ed Sanders as Toby, the nipper Mrs. Lovett takes on to help her around the shop. Kid's got a big career ahead of him. His Toby is grown-up, naive, sweet, mean, too big for his britches, innocent, and protective. He's the mixed up jumble that real kids tend to be, and that's tough to play. And he can sing. Love him.
With additional music by Sondheim himself, it feels like a stamp of approval on the whole production. And why shouldn't it? It moves along at a good clip, trust its audience not to be stupid, and showcases amazing performances. It's a morality tale with an antihero at its centre that features cannibalism. It's got something for everyone. A
Now, where can I get that bitchin' leather jacket?
*Do we still have to put director here? I feel like everyone should know that by now. You guys, Tim Burton is a director. I'm glad we had this talk.
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