Sweeney Todd Movie Review Thread- Page 6

[xoxRogue]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:29am

Absolutely f*cking loved it. Every single minute.

Yeah, what you said.

OH MAN. Johnny in "By the Sea"? Can we discuss how amazing that was? Yes?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:29am

Oh, I almost cried like fourteen times during the movie. Stephen Sondheim, you have made me into a CRIER.

Updated On: 12/21/07 at 03:29 AM

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:30am

I am seeing it in 9 hours. WEEEEEEEE!!!!!

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:31am

I really enjoyed Helena Bonham Carter's take on Mrs. Lovett.

I was surprised nobody in our audience broke out into a Borat voice during "The Contest"

[Color and Light]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:31am

"Stephen Sondheim, you have made me a CRIER."

I have to agree with this one. And they say his shows touch the head and not the heart...



"By the Sea" was wonderful, and got huge laughs out of the audience. How wonderful was the show of the two of them sitting on the porch? Tim Burton really did do quite a wonderful job with that song, which really did seem quite unfilmable before.

And while I missed the ballads (though the reality is they wouldn't have worked in the film), I think the last shot of the film was really chilling. It doesn't give you the same sort of closure that the Final Ballad does, but it was quite tragic and worked well for a film.

Updated On: 12/21/07 at 03:31 AM

[Mythus]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:31am

Just got back from a midnight showing (took a while to get back with the snow, then I talked with my friends afterwards). SPOILERS, obviously.

It was amazing. I'm a hardcore fan of Sweeney Todd (specifically the original production), so I've been worrying about my "baby" since it was rumored that there might be a movie made. I was incredibly impressed with what I saw.

I'm going to be brief, because I've been up since seven AM and I'm exhausted.

I was very anxious about the singing, since I've been weaned on Broadway voices. While some like Timothy Spall - "Ladies In Their Sensitivities" should've been traded for "Kiss Me", frankly - were underwhelming, I was impressed with several of the actors' singing abilities. I'm too lazy to look up names, but Anthony, Johanna, and Toby stood out as pleasant surprises. I don't include Johnny because I'd heard plenty of clips of him. Although his passion was definitely surprising (and welcome!). He really put himself into his singing, even if at times (to me) it came across as a little too rock-ish. But those times were far and few between.

What else...oh, the gore. Jesus Christ! I'm not squeamish about blood - but seeing the razor cut into the throats was so disgusting and realistic. I'd read articles about the gore and how it was extreme, but I didn't think it would be so bad. But that wasn't even the worst - what really got me was when the victims would fall down the chute to the backhouse. They fall head-first onto a cement floor. Realistic skull cracking sounds and brain and blood-spattering abound. I almost couldn't watch.

I'm so tired. I would I could be more...able to...think right now. What else did I want to mention? The suspense. I clearly knew every line, every thing that was going to happen - but I holding my hands over my mouth, shaking, gasping at things. Like during the first Pretty Women, when Sweeney keeps almost slitting the Judge's throat - I knew he wasn't going to, but I was just waiting for it to happen. And the whole Final Sequence...ugh. Terrifying.

Oh, that reminds me...that was one of the things I didn't like. That and the beginning of A Little Priest. If I knew nothing about the play, I feel like I wouldn't have gotten that the Beggar Woman is Lucy. I don't recall her ever saying her name, just the "you lied to me" lines and "don't I know you, she said". It wasn't really clear that she was Lucy. And in A Little Priest, if I hadn't known, I don't think I would've understood that Mrs. Lovett wanted to bake people into pies. I can't quite put my finger on it. The audience wasn't really given time to think about it. Mrs. Lovett had barely gotten "if you got it" out before Sweeney realized what she meant. And he just kind of tossed the line of realization, whatever it was.

Uhhh...what else...Sacha Baron Cohen was really good. I was worried he'd be almost too silly (even though he's Pirelli) but the toned-down counterpart that shows up at Sweeney's parlor later completely balanced it out. Uhh...I'm sorry, guys, I can't think. I need to go to bed. But - oh, when I left, I was shaking. I mean, for something I've seen countless times to have that kind of effect on me...it was impressive.

ETA: By the Sea was HILARIOUS. I have the shot of Sweeney in his stripes, brooding, in my head. God. I love it.
Updated On: 12/21/07 at 03:31 AM

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:34am

I also have to say, for the first time ever to me, the death of the judge was satisfying dramatically. Onstage, where can you really go after a bunch of killings? It was just another one, if the victim was more important.

In this...obviously...that was not the case. I think everyone in my theater was totally shocked. So intense. And it only spiraled from there...

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:37am

I went with someone who wasn't familiar with the story, and she turned to me and asked if the Beggar Woman was his wife. So, clearly there was enough of an understanding for the question to be asked, but not enough to be 100% sure.

Even without saying the name, though, that camera shot of her on the ground with the blond hair is a pretty dead (no pun intended) giveaway.

ETA: The porch shot! With Lovett twiddling her feet. Loved it.

Also, that Sweeney kills Lucy while the three (Lucy, Sweeney, Johanna) are all in the same room? So heartbreaking, with such a strong effect. That was one of the things that was captured so well on film.

Updated On: 12/21/07 at 03:37 AM

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:39am

The only person with me who hadn't seen the show guessed it by the Beggar Woman's second appearance.

[Color and Light]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:43am

Honestly, I always thought it was quite obvious that the Beggar Woman was Sweeney's wife from the first time I listened to the OBC recording, but judging by the reactions of the obnoxious couple sitting in front of me at the movie theater, apparently it's not that way for some people. ::shrug::


ETA:
Also, as someone pointed out before, my biggest gripe with the movie centers around the way "A Little Priest" was underplayed. While I don't think the big, barking HAW HAW HAWs from Sweeney Todds of yore would have worked, it lacked a certain punch to it. I can see how someone unfamiliar with the show wouldn't quite get what the hell was going on. It also sort of made what little of "God, That's Good" less amusing/horrifying as I suppose it should have been.

Updated On: 12/21/07 at 03:43 AM

[xoxRogue]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:45am

SPOILER?

Interesting turn when Sweeney let Johanna go, eh? Rather than having her run away, that is.

[j'aime_le_theatre]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:46am

LOVED IT!


I loved Toby, he was my favorite part.

Although, it was graphic and I couldn't watch the killings...too much for me, but i'm VERY squeamish.

[Color and Light]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:51am

xoxRogue, I agree. That was quite unexpected, and a choice that I'm not sure that I liked. However, judging by the cries of "No!" and "Oh sh*t!" when he drags Johanna to the chair, I'm sure it came much to the relief of most of the audience.

Updated On: 12/21/07 at 03:51 AM

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 4:35am

"Helena Bonham Carter is so animated, from the tips of her Bride of Frankenstein hair to the toes of her scurrying feet, you’d be forgiven for mistaking her for her stop-motion surrogate from Burton’s 2005 Corpse Bride."


Did the LA Reviewer and I watch the same movie? Not to say that I didn't enjoy it...

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 4:45am

I agree that A Little Priest was a little TOO underplayed. No one in my theater laughed. I mean, the revival was underplayed compared to the original, but still very funny and (I think) worked as well. This just fell flat. I got bored. During A Little Priest. I couldn't believe it.

I LOVED HBC during Not While I'm Around. She was brilliant in that whole scene. I wished she was that alive during most of the previous scenes.

[asyoulikeit]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 6:11am

I agree with you buffyactsing.
I too wish she would have been more alive during previous scenes
before that one.

overall i thought it was great adaptation of the stage musical.

[lovinlovett]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 7:02am

*Spoilers*

I thought Johnny's 'Epiphany' was amazing! He really made the movie come alive! I really don't think many mainstream actors today could have pulled it off. He just nailed this part!

I was also pleasantly surprised by 'Worst Pies in London'. I was expecting that part to stink but it really was quite effective and funny.

Overall I think the interaction between Sweeney and Lovett is handled very well. I love the moment during 'My Friends' when she rubs her face up against his hair.

I too was *not* pleased with 'A Little Priest' and 'God, That's Good'. They were way too toned down IMO.

There was also a moment when Anthony gets back up after being beaten up by the Beadle, he jumps right up and continues with a reprise of Johanna and everyone in the audience snickered a little bit (including me). That was a little uncomfortable.

[Albin]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 8:29am

13 1/2 hours until I see it. Can't wait! I too am a bit on the squeamish side, so thanks for the heads up about Lovett burning in the oven.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 9:43am

So far this is my favorite pull quote from the reviews:

" "Sweeney Todd" is ... well, I was going to say, even more satisfying than a hot meat pie made out of your dad."

Roger Ebert

[soapguy17]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 10:18am

"By The Sea" is arguably the most awesome moment in any modern musical movie moment ever. That is all.

Helena Bonham Carter did it for me, By The Sea and Not While I'm around made up for any other missteps she may have made.

[Jimmy_B]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 11:46am

OK...so I went to the midnight screening last night

But let me say first off that I was not a big fan of the whole Sweeney Movie with JD and HBC from the beginning.... and BOY WAS I RIGHT

So I am not going to go into details, and have people shoot me down.

I was just expecting a lot more out of it...

The fact that there was no "depth" to the characters...especially Turpin. The Beadle seemed more "greasy and underhanded" than Turpin. Sweeney had no passion! Go watch the Concert version with George Hearn and then go watch Johnny butcher Epiphany...yea that's right...I said it

I did like some parts. Pirelli and Toby were the highlights for me. Worst Pies was great...the cockroaches were a nice touch.

It's just my opinion...so please don't hate me

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 12:05pm

This is spoilerific, but I'm curious and not seeing the movie until after Christmas when my sister visits, so can you indulge me?




Toby doesn't kill Sweeney? How does he die, then?

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 12:16pm

No one said Toby doesn't kill SWEENEY. He just doesn't go insane. Not that we see, anyway.

[WiCkEd BaCcHaE]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 12:16pm

Saw it last night. Brilliant. As slightly odd as this sounds, the film is beautifully made. Completely seamless... there wasn't a moment when I felt awkward about the characters breaking out into song.

"Priest" was interesting since the humor was really downplayed. It seemed like the characters were actually making a "menu" rather than playing off each other's puns. I think I prefer it with more humor but this way was still very interesting.

"My Friends," "By The Sea," "Not While I'm Around," and "Epiphany" were all especially fantastic. The only song I really missed that was cut was the Judge's "Johanna," since it finished the trio of songs about her and developes the Judge's character.

I did find it odd that Tobby, at the end, seemed to end up more cruel and knowingly violent, rather than crazy. I think I like the original way more, since the insanity blurs the line between what is intentional on Toby's part and what is not.

On the whole, still a beautiful, near perfect film. Hopefully it will begin a new chapter in movie musicals.

[gumbo2]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 12:23pm

I think the whole take on Toby's character was quite interesting. Because we've never seen him played by such a young kid before, it was very different. Rather than a...how should I put it...mentally slow kid of like, 16 or 17 (that's how I always pictured Toby), in the movie he comes across as actually pretty clever and street smart (and a bit of an alcoholic? that was hilarious). It was so different from any production I've seen, and I thought it worked equally well. So when he comes back at the end, he knows pretty much exactly what's been happening, and *spoiler, I guess?* kills Sweeney, justifiably. Man, I loved this movie.