Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Director: Tim Burton
Year Released: 2007
Rating: 3.0
Amazingly bleak cinematic rendition of the infamous Stephen Sondheim/Hugh Wheeler musical that brings to mind Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus both in its theme of revenge and in its bloodlust (I don't recall seeing this much gore in a new release since Ichi the Killer). Despite the misery, Burton has a good sense of humor (as dark as it may be), and allows Sacha Baron Cohen and Timothy Spall plenty of room to act as comic relief (Cohen tries out his Italian accent, Spall plays disgusting quite well); there's even an inspired segment where meat pie maker Helena Bonham Carter dreams of a glorious future of success and bliss but grim murderer Johnny Depp can't even manage to crack a smile. Most of the singing is barely passable, but that's part of the charm (sort of the way it was with Woody Allen's underrated Everyone Says I Love You).
