Sweeney Todd: Bloody good!

After the success of Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the pairing of film director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp continues to work wonders with their new film,  an adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's beloved musical Sweeney Todd. 

Burton is probably the most suitable director for this adaptation.  After all, Sweeney Todd is not your average musical.  Who else but Burton could adapt a musical about a murderous barber who seeks revenge on those who wronged him and sent him to prison?  Burton allows the macabre elements of the piece to shine, but he also captures the humour and tragedy of the story as well, shot in stunning cinematography.

Because it is a musical, audiences will get a chance to hear Depp sing.  He does a fine job, I must admit, much better than co-star Helena Bonham Carter, who plays Mrs. Lovett, an eccentric baker who goes into "business" with Todd by grinding his victims' bodies into her meat pies.  Carter is very good in her role, capturing the eccentricity and loneliness of Lovett, even if she stumbles when she opens her mouth to sing.  Alan Rickman, playing Depp's nemesis, is also excellent, and his singing voice is pretty good.

The music from Sweeney Todd is some of Sondheim's finest and the highlight is definitely Depp and Rickman's duet of "Pretty Women". 

Sweeney Todd is very much in the tradition of Burton and Depp's other collaborations in that it is not for everyone.  Many will be put off by the violence and grim nature of the story, but those willing to stick with it will be engrossed by the story, music, and cinematography.  Along with Hairspray, Sweeney Todd is a good example of how a stage musical should be adapted to the screen.