Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Rating: 10/10

I've fallen a bit behind on reviews lately. I've seen everything listed in the Coming Soon section plus a few others but I've been a bit preoccupied with some other things - work and photography mainly. I decided it was time to put up another and what better film to review than one my favorite movies of all time, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

In the interest of full disclosure I need to make one thing clear - I HATE Musicals! There, I said it! To me there's very little worse than watching some mindless song and dance that does nothing to advance a story line. Sure, the singers and dancers are typically very talented but when I'm watching a film I want to see a story. I don't want to see something that tries to force as many dancers performing intricate choreography into a scene as physically possible while a character or two drones on and on about some minor plot point for twenty minutes. Sweeney Todd does none of those things.

Sweeney Todd is a very dark story and is not for those with a weak stomach. It is the story of a barber that was unjustly accused and convicted of a crime he did not commit so that another man, the powerful Judge Turpin could steal his wife. Fifteen years later the man having assumed the persona of Sweeney Todd returns to London and is seeking revenge.

Todd’s first stop upon his return is Mrs. Lovett’s Meat Pie shop which is downstairs from his old parlor. Mrs. Lovett tells him the fate of his wife and daughter and takes him upstairs where he is reunited with his old razors.

In a strange twist of fate the sailor that rescued Sweeney out on the sea discovers the whereabouts of his daughter and concocts a plan to rescue her from the judge. This plan kick starts a sequence of events involving deception, cunning, and ultimately murder.

Murder, of course, comes with its own set of problems. The most obvious of which is that of what to do with the bodies. Mrs. Lovett quickly solves that problem though when she connects the dots of her slow meat pie business and the fresh supply of meat made available by Mr. Todd. Business was never better.

This movie had me from the start. The story was perfect for Tim Burton’s imagination which is proven by the film work and artistic direction. The Academy Award for Best Achievement in Art Direction was well deserved. As usual, Burton’s casting is spot on. Johnny Depp was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd. Helena Bonham Carter is wonderful as Mrs. Lovett. Alan Rickman is great in nearly everything and he definitely does not disappoint as Judge Turpin. Timothy Spall is always a fantastic henchman and proves it once again as the Beadle.

What really surprised me about Sweeney Todd though was that even though the majority of the movie is sung it doesn’t feel like a musical (did I mention that I hate musicals?). The songs are more of a dialog set to music than a mindless rambling about some mundane detail. There are no elaborate full town choreographed dance scenes. In fact, the closest that Sweeney Todd comes to an elaborate dance scene is whenever Depp is pacing the room with his razors. And speaking of the music, these people can sing! Until Sweeney Todd I never once pictured Hans Gruber/The Sheriff of Nottingham/Rasputin/Professor Snape (Alan Rickman) sitting in a barber’s chair singing about pretty women. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to watch Die Hard the same way again.

Those that know me personally know that I wouldn’t lightly give a movie a 10 unless I really thought it was worthy and Sweeney Todd definitely is in my book although it is not for everyone.

3:10 To Yuma

This was originally posted on my other blog on September 14, 2007.  I decided it fit better here on my Movie Perspective blog so I moved it.

Esther and I went and saw 3:10 To Yuma tonight. I typically don't like westerns but this was definitely worth the time. Both Christian Bale and Russell Crowe gave exceptional performances as we expected.

The movie focuses on the moral dilemas that Dan Evans (Bale) must face as his family is dealing with financial hardship, disease, and a son heading down the wrong path in life. After having their barn burned down by an agent of the railroad company Dan and his sons run across the last moments of a coach robbery masterminded by Ben Wade (Crowe). After the brief encounter Evans and Wade go their seperate ways only to have another encounter in the local tavern.

During the second encounter Wade is arrested and it is decided that he will be transported to Yuma prison but the train station is several days journey away. Several men including Evans must escort Wade to the prisoner car at the train station.

Throughout the movie, Dan Evans is constantly struggling with right and wrong and trying to teach his eldest son how to live an honorable life by example. He is constantly battling the temptation to take the money and run or take the money and let the prisoner go free. He struggles with whether to kill Wade or let him live. He struggles with whether to give up like everyone around him has done or continue pushing forward despite the odds being stacked against him. Bale does a fantastic job of bringing an element of true emotion to the screen as his character faces these challenges.

At the same time, Russell Crowe does a fantastic job of being the hardened criminal with a soft side. One moment he's showing a tender side by capturing the beauty of the world in a drawing and other moments he's brutally murdering someone with a dinner fork. There are many opportunities for Wade to escape but yet he fails to even try most of the time.

Despite appearing to be polar opposites, the movie manages to show how Evans and Wade are much more alike than they appear. Throughout the movie the characters are simultaneously admiring and despising the other. The dichotomy of the characters is superb. I highly recommend seeing this movie.

Of course, one of the best parts of going to this movie wasn't the movie itself but rather something that preceded it. I know a lot of people hate trailers but I typically enjoy them and tonight was no exception. Along with the usual trailers that I've seen at other movies (Good Luck Chuck for instance) there was another trailer that I hadn't seen yet and even if 3:10 To Yuma hadn't been good, this trailer would have made my evening anyway.

[Arrrrggghhhh, here's a paragraph I should never have written...]
The trailer was for Alien vs. Predator: Requiem. This movie just looks spectacular. The Alien and Predator franchises have been two of my favorites for many, many years and I even have to admit that I enjoyed the first AVP movie but as far as one can tell from a trailer, Requiem is going to blow away many of the other movies in either franchise. I can't wait for Christmas 2007!

If you're a fan of either franchise and haven't seen this trailer yet, be sure to check it out at Rotten Tomatoes.