Why couldn't they have hired good singers for the SWEENEY movie?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 8:11pm

Not even halfway finished with "Poor Thing" yet and can't take Helena Carter anymore. I guess now that the novelty of seeing a film version has worn off, it's time to nitpick.

But, seriously. It couldn't have killed them to hire a Lovett who could sing?

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 8:14pm

Helena acted her face off, darling. She's also Tim's lover. what did you expect?

neither Anthony nor Johanna could sing either (in my opinion) but they were lovely actors. in an interview, Sondheim seemed pleased with the casting.

I don't see a big problem with it... still a great movie.

[zooxanthellae]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 8:19pm

Well, it didn't really go along with their theme.

If only Meryl Streep was able to play Lovett....

[BkCollector]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 8:21pm

Actually, I think HBC did an excellent job, using a more Lotte Lenya type ever-so-off-pitch but still musical performance. I prefer it to *gasp* all the other performances on record.

[luvcaroline]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 8:24pm

TooDarnHot, I must agree with you on Helena's performance. I think that whe was amazing when it came to acting the part. In fact, she is in my Top 10 favorite performances from a movie musical in another thread. HOWEVER, after watching it on DVD this week, I couldn't help but wish that she had tried to sing a little better. I still love her take on the role.

I might get a lot of flack for saying this, but I actually prefer Depp's Epiphany to Cariou's on the OBC album. Play the 2 back-to-back and see what you think (I thought Depp brought a little more drama to the song). And this is coming from someone who truly LOVES LOVES LOVES the OBC recording.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 8:27pm

It TANKED, too!

[lakezurich]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 8:43pm

oh snap, them be some fighting words!

Updated On: 4/9/08 at 08:43 PM

[Gobstopper]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 8:49pm

Helena really does act in every nook and cranny of that role. I thought she was absolutely snubbed at Oscar time. Loved loved loved her performance.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 9:19pm

Well to give her credit- she DID try to learn to sing she hired her own vocal teacher. I also think a lot of the vocal deficiencies were due to her directors choices.

[elphabelle07]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 9:36pm

Apparantly they couldn't get singers. but they got damn good actors. Helena's performance is one of my favorites...ever and was totally robbed of an oscar nod. Johnny Depp was very good as well. i have a feeling that Tim Burton didn't want to make it Broadway musical-ish. Hence no chorus, big songs, or big voices. He wanted the characters to be real (well...as real as sweeney todd characters can be) and lets face it, if Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett were real people, they would not have good voices. But that's just what I think he was going for.

[H.Higgins]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 9:41pm

"Helena really does act in every nook and cranny of that role. I thought she was absolutely snubbed at Oscar time. Loved loved loved her performance."

Amen, Gobstopper. She was so deserving of that nomination. I still find it offensive that they felt the need to give Kate Blanchett a SECOND acting nomination in one year (for a character she was already nominated for playing, no less) before acknowledging Helena Bonham-Carter. It was just wrong.

Helena Bonham-Carter's immensely HUMAN portrayal of Mrs. Lovett was so nuanced and real. I mean I BELIEVED her. I was watching the film thinking, "This woman could absolutely exist." As much as I love the performances of the actresses I've seen play the role on stage, I've never felt that way before.

[elphabelle07]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 9:43pm

Amen Higgins!

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 9:43pm

"Helena really does act in every nook and cranny of that role. I thought she was absolutely snubbed at Oscar time. Loved loved loved her performance."

A big AMEN to that. I really don't care that she couldn't sing becaus eshe acted the role brilliantly.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 9:47pm

Having not seen the film on DVD yet, I will say that I LOVED Helena's performance in the film when I saw it.

[Pippin]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 10:00pm

I'm really over this argument.

If you don't like it, DON'T watch the film, and stick with the Hearn/Landsbury version.

Simple fix.

[mywonderwa11]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 10:24pm

I'm sorry, but a pretty voice is NOTHING if it can't act a song.

[Pippin]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 10:29pm

amen!!!!!

Linda Eder- please.

[Tom148502]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 10:30pm

Higgins said: "Helena Bonham-Carter's immensely HUMAN portrayal of Mrs. Lovett was so nuanced and real."

I thought she acted like she was on something

[wickedfan]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 10:45pm

You could claim all portrayals of Mrs. Lovett are women on something.

[shh282]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 10:50pm

I think you're alone - I loved the movie


and no one said you had to watch it if you're crawling in your skin just to do so

[WhoCouldBeBlue]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 10:55pm

I loved the movie and the concept. The acting was fantastic and Helena did one heck of a job portraying Mrs. Lovett.

The problem I had was definitely with her singing. Whenever she sang, it practically "broke" her character for me. The weak voice (and at times flat or sharp) really affected her overall portrayal.

I still think the role should have gone to Tracey Ullman. Now there's a woman who could have acted AND sang the part.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 11:12pm

Once I got over that this Mrs. Lovett did not have the big booming blowsy voice they usually have, I really enjoyed Ms Bonham-Carter.
Let's give her props, she did have to sleep with Mr. Burton.

I agree that they went with good unusual looking actors rather then accomplished singers as a visceral choice and for me that worked.

It's the genius of Sondheim that the score still sounded amazing.

[caitlinette]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 11:59pm

Why couldn't they have used dubbing? That's what I wondered, although it was cool to hear Helena and Johnny sing and I liked their characterizations. However, my big problem with Helena is that I simply couldn't understand her. Her voice was very soft. Annunciation really should have been stressed more.

It's amusing that Jayne Wisener, Meryl Streep, Imelda Staunton, Cyndi Lauper, Emma Thompson, Annette Bening, and Toni Collette all were in the running for Mrs. Lovett but lost out to Helena. It's like, why even audition other actresses when it's obvious who Burton wanted?

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 12:02am

I enjoyed the Movie overall. I agree that HBC should have at least been nominated for her role in Sweeney. I loved her costumes but to me, they took me more out of the character than anything else. Too ritzy for a woman living on the edge for me.

I also would have liked to see Tracey Ullman play the part. Then again, I wouldn't mind seeing Carol Burnett play it also.

Should we add Cher also for good measure?

[Tom148502]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 12:04am

Caitlinette said about HBC's voice: "Annunciation really should have been stressed more."

Annunciation is the revelation to Mary, the mother of Jesus by the archangel Gabriel that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God. ...

I fail to see how that would have improved bonham Carter's vocal performance