Sweeny Todd Anyone?

[Shandril19]

I cant bear to watch it. Sweeney is my favorite musical and I heard Sondheim had to cut a number of songs in order to trim the running time. No "Ballad of Sweeney Todd" in "Sweeney Todd"?! Sacrilege!!

That was my only complaint. They cut the chorus, so no Ballad.

But really, everything else is there and they've done a wonderful job of it.

I just personally missed the lyric "and what if none of their souls were saved, they went to their maker impeccably shaved".

 

[mrsfran]

That was my only complaint. They cut the chorus, so no Ballad.

But really, everything else is there and they've done a wonderful job of it.

I just personally missed the lyric "and what if none of their souls were saved, they went to their maker impeccably shaved".

I missed the line "Every now and then you'd do a guest.... in by the sea".

But I agree - they did a wonderful job.

 

[The Groke]

Watched it last night, knowing very little about it and having never seen/heard anything of the original Sondheim production.

Really, really enjoyed it and I am not a fan of musicals on the whole.



TBH I thought the tunes were for the main part pretty weak and certainly wouldn't stand up on their own outside the context of the film as strong musical pieces IMO.

Still - that didn't actually matter as the exposition and dialogue covered by the songs was all relevant, nay essential, and done exceptionally well.

I was expecting a standard musical, whereby characters stop what they are doing, break into a big musical number which is connected (sometimes albeit loosely) with the events on-screen and then carry on with the movie as if nothing had happened.

Now obviously I was wrong - the songs are integral to moving the plot and story forward and much of the dialogue which, in a non-musical would be spoken, was instead delivered by song.

I think really, the only bit(s) I didn't rate much were related to the role/character of Anthony and in particular, his whining, turgid "Joanna" refrain.




If anyone is interested, there is a very good quality DVD 5:1 screener doing the rounds on all the torrent sites at the moment - this is what I watched.

Of course, if it bothers you that "For awards consideration only" pops up occasionally at the bottom of the screen then maybe you should wait for the DVD.

 

[oneflewover]

Went to see this last night and really enjoyed it. You know it is going to happen but the throat slashing still made me jump. The malevolence is complete and unrelenting with just one seaside break.

Go see it

 

[Madusa]

Went to see this last night and have to say:

disappointing.


Too much bloody singing! - and that's coming from someone who loves musicals!

 

[frogwoman]

Went to see this last night and really enjoyed it. You know it is going to happen but the throat slashing still made me jump. The malevolence is complete and unrelenting with just one seaside break.

Go see it

i know ... and it really kept you in suspense

 

[Biddlybee]

There was a bit too much singing.

 

[chooch]

What does that mean?

It means autotuned/melodyned, in wrong.

 

[Frankie Jack]

Saw thr movie on Friday.. Thought it was brilliant.. even though some of the audience left half way threough saying loudly they thought it was "fucking awfull".. "Sweeny.. " Depp.. sounded so much like David Bowie I thought he was lip synching..

Brilliant.. I was rivetted..

 

[Firky]

I turned it off after ten minutes, don't like musicals.

 

[Reno]

I turned it off after ten minutes, don't like musicals.

What were you expecting then from an adaptation of one of the most famous musicals ever written ? That it wouldn't have any singing ?

I don't like football, so I don't watch it and I don't complain on football threads that I don't like football. Easy really.

 

[Firky]

I didn't know it was an adaptation of one of the most famous musicals ever written as I don't 'do' musicals.

 

[Reno]

I didn't know it was an adaptation of one of the most famous musicals ever written as I don't 'do' musicals.

How cool are you ?

 

[Firky]

As cool as an african penguin

 

[Madusa]

Have to admit i kept giggling when the dead bodies slid out from the barber's chair into the cellar...the noise as they hit the ground was hilarious!

 

[Reno]

As cool as an african penguin

Now that is cool.

 

[Reno]

Have to admit i kept giggling when the dead bodies slid out from the barber's chair into the cellar...the noise as they hit the ground was hilarious!

Strange, I found the sound of cracking skulls and snapping necks genuinely disturbing.

 

[PhyllisG]

There is some beautiful music in "Sweeney Todd" - "Pretty Women" and especially "Johanna" - and I think it is one of the most accessible of Sondheim's shows in terms of its story and music.

My main problem with the film I can sum up in three words. Helena, Bonham and Carter.

I can't stand her as a performer and to see her as Mrs. Lovett just sticks in my throat.

I think I mayl give it a miss and instead remember Julia McKenzie in the National Theatre's production a few years ago now. Just brilliant. The best Mrs. Lovett I have seen

Then I would give it a miss, if I were you. Helena Bonham Carter is the weakest thing in this film. She has no idea how to play comedy -- "A Little Priest" and "Worst Pies in London" are FUNNY songs -- and she can't sing the rest of it. Worst Mrs Lovett ever, though sexy. Keep your memory of Julia McKenzie untainted.

I liked the film but there isn't ENOUGH singing. The score has been cut too much. The big chorus numbers -- "Miracle Elixir" and "More Hot Pies" -- would have been magnificent filmed. No sense of a teeming London here.

Still, worth seeing. And it's pretty faithful to the original musical. But to get the full brilliance and power of the lyrics and music of this great Sondheim score, ignore the film and find a stage recording.

 

[Reno]

But to get the full brilliance and power of the lyrics and music of this great Sondheim score, ignore the film and find a stage recording.

I did that and from a musical pont of view it's certainly more pleasurable to listen to than the singing in the film, though I thought both Bonham Carter's and Depp's singing worked very well in context of their performances. Burton made the film version his and the characters in the film are quite different from their stage incarnations. The film slants the musical towards horror rather than comedy and for me it worked. I've only ever seen Angela Lansbury's Mrs Lovett on television and it was a very broad comedy performance, perfect for the stage, but unsuited for the darker, more subtle approach Burton took with the film. Bonham Carter in her own very different way was great IMO and by making her a possible romantic match for Todd, their dynamic is completely changed from the stage version and it felt much more dangerous.

 

[mrsfran]

Then I would give it a miss, if I were you. Helena Bonham Carter is the weakest thing in this film. She has no idea how to play comedy -- "A Little Priest" and "Worst Pies in London" are FUNNY songs -- and she can't sing the rest of it. Worst Mrs Lovett ever, though sexy. Keep your memory of Julia McKenzie untainted.

I thought this was a conscious decision on the part of the film-makers. Mrs Lovett was not played for laughs nearly as much as she is in the stage versions. It wasn't that HBC wasn't funny, it's that she wasn't trying to be funny.

 

[frogwoman]

I thought this was a conscious decision on the part of the film-makers. Mrs Lovett was not played for laughs nearly as much as she is in the stage versions. It wasn't that HBC wasn't funny, it's that she wasn't trying to be funny.

Indeed.

 

[PhyllisG]

I thought this was a conscious decision on the part of the film-makers. Mrs Lovett was not played for laughs nearly as much as she is in the stage versions. It wasn't that HBC wasn't funny, it's that she wasn't trying to be funny.

I agree. But the decision to not be comic, with those two songs in particular, backfired for my taste. They just ARE comic. "Mrs Mooney has her pie shop/Business never better using only pussy cats and toast/And a pussy's good for maybe six or seven at the most"; and "Shepherd's pie peppered with actual shepherd on top" are funny lyrics. They need to be delivered by a Mrs Lovett with a glint in her eye. For me, HBC had no glint, and whether that was her choice or Burton's or both, I thought it was perverse.

It's a good film though.

 

[bouncer_the_dog]

As a horror film fan I was more than satisfied with this film.

 

[Santino]

As someone who's seen more Sondheim productions than anyone here* I was satisfied too.


I bet.

 

[mrs quoad]

Complete fail. T'gf seems to've dozed off, and I wasn't far from it.

Terrible singing. Absolutely terrible. Particularly the young lass. No plot, neither.

The worst film I've seen in my adult life, with the possible exception of Gladiator Cop. Oh, and Kill Bill. Which I turned off well before the end.

Save your monays IMO. Int werf it. We would've walked out if it wasn't for the people on either side.

 

[HarrisonSlade]

The only musical I like is "A funny thing happened on the way to the forum", which was musically written by Sondhiem". Don't know if "String of Pearls" could translate well into musical mode though. I'd have to see.

 

[nosos]

I was hesitant to see this, but was glad to see that the malevalent darkness of the movie was favored instead of the gore (although there was plenty of that).

Loved the costuming. The film was almost black and white except for little splashes of color here and there. Usually it was blood but sometimes a shining victorian dress would pop into color along the edges of the film.

The singing was ok. I don't think either of them have great voices, but it was enough to carry the film.

I thought it was brilliant but in a weirdly shit sort of way.