Sweeney Todd Movie Review Thread — Page 14

I'm going to see it again tomorrow, so I will probably have more to say (as far as little intricacies are concerned).


Her timing is exquisite – from the crunching of a roach to pounding the daylights out of a piece of dough.

Actually I didn't find it extraordinary at all. Almost all of the character's jokes fell flat.

And those 2 examples are literally written into the lyric, so I don't think it was too difficult to smack a roach with a rolling pin when, in the lyric, it says "No you don't!- Goodness knows I try..."

It should be noted, my dear, that I was in an radiant mood when writing out that review. Ergo - because I was so immediately taken with the film a lot of what I wrote tended to be lenient on the positive side. Since I am going for a second viewing, I can guarantee I will have much more thought out opinion.

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Updated On: 12/26/07 at 12:24 AM

HBC's singing was distracting.

Alan Rickman was fantastic, these are the roles he's made for.

I was delightfully surprised with Depp's vocal abilities.

Overall I enjoyed the film.

I saw that thread before it disappeared. Someone was pulling legs. He was never involved with it.

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He wasn't even attempting an Irish accent.

That was East End Cockney comin' out of Borat, just like Sweeney and Lovett!

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Johnny Depp would probably be my favourite flavour of pie, artscallion.

Upon further reflection, I wanted to say that I loved the way the 'Johanna' reprise (where Sweeney and Anthony are singing) was filmed, but it lessened the impact of the end... however, I don't know how they could have avoided those delightful spurts of arterial blood. Ah well.

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2 things i keep thinking about:

by not allowing Johanna to show any personality & keeping her in a victim role, Burton himself is keeping her caged.
she's almost become a prop rather than a character.

when Toby is locked in the dark bakehouse, with the horrors created by Sweeney & Mrs Lovett, Burton means to show us what a traumatic experience this is for the boy... yet, we, the audience have been locked in a dark room with the horrors created by Burton for the past or hour or so.

I went to see it a second time today. I did the 10am showing and was surprised, and pleased, to find that I was one of twenty-five other people seeing it that early.

The reason for this second 'review' is to suggest to people, like myself, who were not thrilled with it on first viewing, to see it a second time.

I loved it this time. All of my picky complaints and quibbles from the first time fell away this time and I just loved it. Why? I think there are two reasons:

Firstly, I went to a different theatre that had the volume turned up much higher. It made a complete difference in the excitement level of the whole thing. None of the numbers felt flat. I could understand every word, whereas I felt everyone was mumbling the first time I saw it. It just brought everything up a notch and it brought the intense moments to whole new heights of intensity.

Secondly, I think I went into my first viewing with a ton of anticipation and expectations, all fueled by clips and trailers and discussions. I spent the whole movie noticing what was there and what wasn't. All these thoughts had the added distraction of whether or not each element exceeded, fulfilled or was a disappointment in relation to my anticipation and expectations.

This time I already knew what it was, what was missing, changed, disappointing, etc.. I had no anticipation or any need to even think of the film in relation to anything outside of itself. I was able to focus, lose myself in it and actually see it for what it was. I found no fault with it at all, this time.

I think to enjoy this film you really, really need to let go of the stage version, the missing ballad, the absence of Kiss Me, all that chatter. You can't wonder how old is Toby and why isn't Anthony like a real sailor. All that chatter is based on things we know from knowing the stage show. None of it applies to this animal. And all of it takes away from your being able to appreciate this movie.

As an example, for the first time today, I was able to see Anthony, not as a the Sondheim character I'd been carrying around, but as the surreal, odd, Tim Burtonesque character, who is good but just off/odd enough to make you nervous. It made all the difference.

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Artscallion, excellent post. You have highlighted 2 very important points.

1. As I have said in another thread, I strongly encourage everyone to see this movie in a theater with a state-of-the-art sound system. This is the most thrilling orchestration and sound that I have heard in a movie theater in recent memory. Those opening organ chords really get my heart pounding, in a big way!!

2. I had read very few reviews before I saw it the first time, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. I allowed myself to see only a few clips. I had never seen Sweeney Todd in any form on the stage. I think this lack of exposure definitely helped my enjoyment of it. I had no preconceived notions about how this movie should be. Therefore, I didn't nit-pick about cast choices, song choices, blocking, etc. I just allowed this incredible film to unfold before me and I enjoyed it immensely.

Did I mention how AMAZING this movie sounds?

Finally saw the film tonight. Despite some minor problems, I absolutely loved it. Helena was astonishing.

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I saw the movie tonight and dragged one of my friends along with me. I was a little nervous about seeing it with her because she's not into musicals (we were talking once and she said,"Musical theatre-you call it passion, I call it crap"). But it turns out that she loved it! So that makes me happy.

About the actual movie, I don't really know what to say. I've never seen the stage version so I really have nothing to compare the movie to, but I really liked it.

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I'm one of those people who was cautiously enthused about HBC the first time -- with niggling reservations about her vocals --, and felt blown away at the 2nd viewing (which was at the Ziegfeld, the best place in the world to see and hear this film -- and frankly, HBC.) I agree with Artsc. above about letting go of expectation on 2nd viewing. The film just happened in front o me, without my analysis and held-breath (this time, I didn't pause to miss "Kiss Me"). And I felt transported immediately, that wall of Sondheim sound and that extraordinary art direction and cinematography (I disagree -- the sameness of the palatte, save "By the Sea" -- was a unifying artistic decision rather than monotonous.) I feel as I ultimately did the first time: for those of us who've been fans of this material for 25 years or more -- I saw an early preview at the "Uris" -- this is the movie we might've hoped for, so true to the original vision in many ways, yet translated into cinematic terms. I cannot wait to see it again.

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You forgot to mention how the blood's singing voice was...

I found myself taking advantage of every single non-singing moment Helena Bonham Carter had to enjoy her performance. It wasn't the vocal ability I had a problem with, it was the vocal quality and the quietness. I saw it more as a direction problem, because I think she performed it to the best of her ability. None of my family (only one of whom is familiar with the score) had a problem with her, so I don't technically feel she did badly.

I liked the chance it gave me to see Sweeney more forefront, since I always focused more on Mrs. Lovett before the movie forced my attention in another direction.