5 Question Movie Review: Sweeney Todd

Welcome to "Catch-up Week," in which I try to clean the desktop of some things I've been meaning to post about for weeks. I'll kick it off with the first of several belated movie reviews. Hey, the DVDs will be out soon. So clip and save if you like.

Q: How is Johnny Depp as a singer?
A: Hmm. Well, he was a little pitchy, dawg.

Hey, how should I know? I'm no singing expert. But unlike other actors who do musicals and suddenly declare they've "always been into music," Depp has legit credentials. To my ear, he acquits himself quite well in "Sweeney Todd." Now, co-star Helena Bonham Carter doesn't exactly set the screen on fire with her voice, but she gets the songs across well enough.

Q: Seeing as how this is an adaptation of a popular Stephen Sondheim stage production, I have to ask: Is this a stagy film?
A: Are you kidding? It's Tim Burton! One of the things that makes "Sweeney" such a dynamic movie is that Burton's capable direction gives us the immediacy of something theatrical but also the sense of the cinematic. The camera moves all over the place, but always for the right reasons. Though I've never seen the play, the adaptation is fine for the big screen.

Q: A movie about a murderous barber...and then the mystery of those meat pies his companion sells. Is this as twisted as it sounds?
A: Absolutely, and that's partly why I don't know if I had more fun at any other movie in the last year-plus. The film is unrelentingly dark and nasty, and, apologies to Paul Thomas Anderson, there WILL be blood. The movie never strays from the destructive course its characters are set on early, and numerous chances for redemption fly right by. So, yes, it's a twisted movie. But the performances are so passionate, the music is so good, and the staging is so exciting that it all adds up to an awesome moviegoing experience. Who would have thought one of the most enthralling cinematic moments of 2007 would feature a duet between Johnny Depp and Alan Rickman?
Even the small part by Sacha Baron Cohen works completely at blending comedy and violence, and I was skeptical. If you're not turned off by a little blood--OK, a lot--and you don't require "likable characters," check this one out.

Q: Is Johnny Depp really as good as his hype, or is he just getting a free ride from the critics now?
A: He may be getting that free ride, but he really is a fantastic movie star. As I said, "Sweeney" resists the temptation to soften itself, and that is most evident in the title character. Depp reveals the singleminded rage inside the barber in an uncompromising performance that captivates throughout despite that lack of the conventional Hollywood character arc.

Q: You're really raving about this one. Is there anything WRONG with it?
A: Well, hmm. OK, there are a few glaring loose ends by the time the credits roll, and the stunning focus on Todd and his quest for revenge leaves some supporting characters a bit underdeveloped. But this is one of my favorite films of 2007.