Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) Review

"I can guarantee the closest shave you'll ever know."
-Sweeney Todd



15 years ago, Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) was falsely convicted of a crime by Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) and exiled from London.  Now Barker is back.  Going under the name of Sweeney Todd, he opens a barber shop and starts killing those who sit in his chair, so his partner, Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), can grind up the bodies into meat pies and sell them.  Business booms, but Todd is only interested in getting Judge Turpin to come in for a shave.


What Works:

This movie is truly a work of art and right up my alley.  I can't believe I waited so long to see it.  It's a wonderful combination of horror, music, and comedy.  What more could you ask for?  It's brilliant.

The gore is brutal and really over-the-top.  I wasn't sure how many kills we would actually see in the film.  I figured a musical might show some restraint.  I was dead wrong.  The throat slits are so bloody it actually splatters across the camera.  I love it!

The music is fantastic as well.  I'm not a huge fan of musicals, but the sounds were so unusual and interesting that the music really drew me.  We get some great numbers and I especially liked the one where Todd imagines he is walking down the street trying to get people to sit in his chair.

The film is also very funny and has plenty of gallows humor, sometimes literally.  I mean, we get a scene where Judge Turpin sentences a young boy to be hanged and it's somehow hilarious.  The humor never detracts from the story and actually enhances it.

The performances are excellent all around, but both Depp and Bonham Carter steal the show.  They have wonderful chemistry and play really unique and interesting characters.  It's no wonder Depp was nominated for Best Actor.  He absolutely deserved it.

I love the look of this film.  It's very stylized and definitely feels like a Tim Burton movie, but it's peak Burton.  I especially loved Mrs. Lovett's fantasy of moving to the beach with Todd.  The color and design of the scenes in that sequence look amazing.

Finally, the 3rd act is nothing short of incredible.  All of the pieces fall into place in a wonderful and twisted way.  There is a twist I really didn't see coming.  It's tragic, horrific, and fun, which is exactly how I like my movies.


What Sucked:

My only problem with the film comes from Beadle Bamford's (Timothy Spall) musical number where he sings to the Judge about getting a shave.  It doesn't really work for me and feels a bit awkward.  I think it would have been stronger had it simply been spoken dialogue.


Verdict:

Apart from one scene, I loved Sweeney Todd.  The acting, the style, the gore, the horror, and the comedy all come together in a perfect storm of a film.  That 3rd act is simply incredible.  Without a doubt, this movie has got it going on.

 9/10: Great 

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