Bloody Good

In a word, bloody. If you are not comfortable watching someone’s throat sliced open and seeing blood spurting from the carotid artery with pulsating life-like accuracy, Sweeney may not be for you. I suggested seeing the movie on Christmas day with the family until my sister, Trish, prudently advised against it, citing mom’s delicate sensibilities. I thought it would be a nice way to spend the holiday with the family, seeing a big movie musical together. She was right, I was way wrong.

Tim Burton has created an incredible adaptation, successfully translating the operatic scope of the stage work to film. I was never jarred out of the moment by the singing nor did the singing ever feel forced or out of place - unlike in Dreamgirls where even I had to hold back some awkward laughter at that first sung dialogue sequence. Future movie musical directors (and current for that matter) take note - you must set up the musical “rules” at the onset in order to acclimatize the audience to the world you are creating. Mr. Condon, you should have known better after the success of Chicago. If the characters don’t sing dialogue until half way through the film, it is startling when all of a sudden they do.

Though typically Burton-esque, the sepia-toned cinematography and depressive gloom is tailor-made for Sweeney. The contrasting “By the Sea” sequence is an enlightened change of pace and much needed relief from the surrounding darkness.

Although I truly miss the booming baritone of a Hearn or Cariou, Depp acquits himself quite nicely and his nuanced acting, perfect for the big screen, makes up for his more pop-inflected vocal interpretation. It took me a bit longer to warm up to Bonham Carter’s Lovett. But once you let yourself stop comparing her to Lansbury or ever LuPone, you start warming up to her more sexily manipulative Lovett. Die-hard Angela fans will never be satisfied, but it is refreshing to see a new take on an iconic performance. My only complaint is that Carter’s light vocals made it very difficult to understand the clever Sondheim lyrics, often swallowed up by the gorgeous orchestrations. Many chat boards complained that Burton and his cohorts drained the comedy from the work, specifically citing "A Little Priest." I disagree, I think most of the comedy played very well and fit in stylistically with the generally more naturalistic acting throughout. Playing specifically for laughs wouldn’t have fit this version - it would have read too wink, wink, elbow, elbow - here’s the punch line, aren’t we funny.



















Borat - I mean, Sacha Baron Cohen - was hilarious, at least for the few moments I was able to pry my eyes from his bulging (prosthetically enhanced) nether regions. Anthony and Joanna were fine, nothing extraordinary. Although I understand the vocal choice for Joanna, it was still a disappointment to hear “Green Finch” sung with the same pale and anemic coloring as the actress portraying her. Anthony fared better vocally, but was a bit too wispy and androgynous for my taste. Conversely, Burton casting Toby as a young boy worked surprisingly well, heightening the relationship between Toby and Lovett. The mother-son dynamic truly humanizes Lovett. The stage Toby is more of a mentally challenged adult and Lovett’s pity reads less sympathetically. I’m willing to bet some theater companies will adopt this convention for the stage.

The musical cuts made complete sense, and only theater fans and Sondheim fanatics will miss hearing these sequences. I admit I missed them, but mainly for the loss to Sondheim neophytes in hearing the brilliant “Kiss Me” quartet and frightening “Ballad of Sweeney Todd.”

On a side note, we arrived half an hour early and the line wrapped around the theater lobby. When we exited, they had barricaded areas for the Sweeney crowds to wait. Seems like a hit - at least in musical-friendly NYC. Just the adrenaline boost we needed to continue Christmas shopping down at Macy's Herald Square, which is open 24 hours until Christmas Day!