MOVIE REVIEW: SWEENEY TODD

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By Jenny Alunig

SWEENEY TODD: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (MA15+)
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen

To borrow a line from a certain enthusiastic American "So You Think You Can Dance" judge, Sweeney Todd is "twisted, demented and fun, fun, fun!" However, seeing how the movie is about a murderous barber, one can be forgiven for questioning my sanity! But seriously... okay, it is a musical. Okay, people do burst out into songs in the middle of a sentence but at least there's no dancing. Well... there is that one waltz of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter but they were singing about cannibalism so... I don't think it counts.

Sweeney Todd is about as far as you can get from the accepted norm of a musical. Set in 18th century London, Johnny Depp plays Benjamin Barker, a barber, who was unjustly sent to a penal colony when Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) decided he wanted Barker's wife and daughter. 15 years later, he returns as Sweeney Todd, moves back into his old home above Mrs Lovett's (Helena Bonham Carter) shop that sells the "worst pies in London", picks up his old trade and completely consumed with revenge (especially after he learns of the death of his wife and that his daughter is now the ward of Turpin) begins his bloody, murderous rampage on his unsuspecting customers.

Okay, you just read that last paragraph and are probably now wondering: "How in the world can you enjoy something like that??" The fact is... you really can! In a dark and warped kind of way. There is no attempted apology for Todd's indiscriminate killing of innocents nor for the use of cannibalism to solve his and Mrs Lovett's problem of body disposal (Mrs Lovett's pies shop went from the worst in London to being the best in London... feeling sick yet?) but you cannot help but be drawn into their madness. There's squirting blood, bodies falling headfirst onto concrete floors, pieces of people in pies but there is also humour and a satisfying conclusion, in that everyone gets what they deserve.

I am in awe of Johnny Depp! Actually, of the whole cast! Though not a trained singer in the lot of them, they tackled Stephen Sondheim's (the original writer of the musical) rollercoaster melodies like they've been singing musical theatre all their lives. Professional singers have balked at the complicated score of this musical but the cast of Sweeney Todd handled it all beautifully - from the wonderfully weird Bonham Carter, the deliciously campy Baron Cohen (aka Borat) the amazingly versatile Rickman and to the talented supporting cast.

Get past the fact that this is a musical, trust me and watch this film. Because, how many times in life will you get to enjoy being soooo bad?