Burton's 'Sweeney Todd' bloody good
"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (two-disc special edition) -- In a lot of ways, "Sweeney Todd" is the movie Tim Burton was born to make. The story, based on the Stephen Sondheim musical, allows Burton to indulge all his cinematic preoccupations: dark, urban landscapes, gothic fantasy tinged with horror, pale faces with dark eyes. It also gives him a chance to work again with his two favorite collaborators: Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. The result is one of Burton's most focused and entertaining films.
Depp plays Benjamin Barker, a barber who, for a time, lived a perfect life in 19th century London with his beautiful wife Lucy and their daughter Johanna. Then the evil Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), who longs for Lucy himself, frames Benjamin for a crime and has him sent to prison. Fifteen years later, an embittered Benjamin returns to London hoping to reunite with his family. But he learns that Lucy has poisoned herself and Johanna lives with Turpin as his ward/prisoner. Seething with rage, Benjamin takes the name Sweeney Todd, reclaims his distinctive silver straight razors and plots his revenge. Helping Sweeney with his murderous plans is Mrs. Lovett (Carter), the eccentric owner of the meat-pie shop underneath his old barber parlor.
"Sweeney Todd" is a musical -- it seems like some who haven't seen it yet are still unclear about that -- and Depp and Carter do a fantastic job with their songs, though neither is a trained singer. Depp, a Best Actor Oscar nominee, also manages to convey the emotions churning inside his character as he sings -- quite a feat. Rickman and Timothy Spall, who plays Turpin's flunky, provide great supporting turns.
Visually, the film's a treat. Burton and his collaborators bring old London to life in all its soot-covered glory, and the darkness of the story is amplified by Burton's masterful use of shadows and color. The final image of the film is perfect. I highly recommend "Sweeney Todd," even to those who don't normally like musicals. Be warned, though: The film is packed with blood and violence.
The two-disc DVD set is a gem. On disc one is a feature called "Burton + Depp + Carter = Todd," an informative look at how these longtime collaborators worked together on "Sweeney." Disc two comes with a wealth of background and behind-the-scenes material, including a look at the real Sweeney Todd case, press conference footage with Burton and Depp and featurettes that explore every aspect of production. A single-disc version is also available. (R; Paramount, $39.99)
Oscar coming to DVD: Early spring is a good time for DVD releases because this is when many of the Oscar nominees tend to come out. On the heels of today's "Sweeney Todd" release is next week's "There Will Be Blood," Paul Thomas Anderson's strange and powerful study of greed. Daniel Day-Lewis won the Best Actor Oscar for his ferocious performance as oilman Daniel Plainview in the film.
A week later, on April 15, comes "Juno," the low-budget comedy that earned more than $130 million at the box office and made stars of actress Ellen Page and writer Diablo Cody (a Chicago-area native). Cody won the Best Screenplay Oscar.
Also slated for release in April is "The Savages," a comedy-drama that features an Oscar-nominated performance by Laura Linney, "Lars and the Real Girl," with Ryan Gosling's nominated performance, and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," which earned a best director nomination for Julian Schnabel.