Fancy a close shave (Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (DVD))

Member Name: January

Product:	Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (DVD)
Date:	15/03/08 (68 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: gripping

Disadvantages: none

Sweeney Todd ( The Demon Barber of Fleet Street )
THE CAST - in no particular order...
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Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd other name Benjamin Barker
Jayne Wisener as Johanna - Sweeney Todd's daughter
Laura Michelle Kelly as Lucy - Benjamin Barkers ( Sweeney Todd's ) wife
Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin
Helena Bonham Carter as Nellie Lovett
Jamie Campbell Bower as Anthony Hope the Sailor who falls in love with Johanna
Sacha Baron Cohen as Signor Adolfo Pirelli
Timothy Spall as Beagle Bamford
Ed Sanders as Toby

The STORYLINE
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Without too much information as to spoil it for you.
The film starts with Sweeny Todd and Anthony Hope sailing into London town, they sing about London from each others view of things, the sailor regards London as an adventurous place, with golden opportunities and admiration, whilst in contrast to this Sweeny Todd portrays London as a hovel, a dark, dank, vicious uninviting place, where hate and conniving, go hand in hand, deceit and double crossings are vivid in his mind.
The song is a good opening song, where you get the grasp of the characters and where they are coming from, if you miss the opening songs you may get lost as how the plot pans out in the storyline.

Once they have landed Sweeny Todd parts company with the sailor and heads towards Mrs Lovett's shop, where he has business and other things on his mind.
He enters her pie shop and she quickly befriends the lonely dark troubled soul, it is plane to tell from the beginning of the film that she has some strange fascination with Todd.
She sings of the terrible fate of the lady occupant from the room above, a lady torn from her husband barber by the cruel and evil Judge Turpin, who him away on a false charge just to get his evil way with her.
Once he had taken her against her will, she drank arsenic to end it all. Whilst the evil Judge Turpin took her and the barbers daughter into his ward and keeps her locked away from all men.
At hearing this Todd is distraught and Mrs Lovett tries to console him, saying she knew it was him ( Benjamin Barker) only to be told that his name is now Sweeney Todd.
Mrs Lovett rents him the room upstairs and thus begins the story of the man who is cut off from his love and broods on his revenge, whilst Mrs Lovett's fascination deepens, as she has other things on her mind, plans for a future with Sweeney Todd, dreams of settling down and moving to the seaside.
But that is not to be.

The CHARACTERS
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Sweeney Todd.
Johnny Depp is an excellent choice for this role, his brooding expressions and quirky adaptations of Sweeney Todd fit his character playing like a glove. He has the ability to express himself in lots of roles as a individual, eccentric as in roles he played in Sleepy hollow, Edward scissor hands and of course the infamous Pirates of the Caribbean.
This role is made just for him, the make-up, hair and clothing mould his character into the dark, brooding, revenge seeking Sweeney Todd.
He pulls it off with immaculate ease.

Jayne Wisener as Johanna - Sweeney Todd's daughter also is cast well, a sweet innocent child like face, portrays the charming youth which has been isolated from society by and evil guardian. Ready to make her bid for freedom a trusting but frightened caged bird, who sings in a high pitched bird like voice.

Laura Michelle Kelly as Lucy - Benjamin Barkers ( Sweeney Todd's ) wife
This lady plays a blinding part, with a twist at the end you don't catch on to until near the end of the film. She changes from beautiful lady badly done by to a memory in Sweeney Todd's head, then you realise all is not as it seems with this character. - Brilliantly played to the end.

Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin
Straight from the begin of the film, you can see that this man has moulded the character into what he is meant to be, an evil using taker, who you instantly dislike and find yourself not liking all the way through the film. - Excellent casting by the director Tim Burton.

Helena Bonham Carter as Nellie Lovett
This lady is brilliant, she charms, shocks and makes you laugh all the way through the film at different times. She has the ability to play quirky characters too with ease and fits into the role like a hand fit's a glove.

Jamie Campbell Bower as Anthony Hope the Sailor who falls in love with Johanna
Although this is played in a good way to me it is the weaker player of the film, the love story line which never seems to fit into the horror of the plot.
It diverts your attention from the main characters, but adds that love storyline which may or may not be necessary, depending on what you think of the film.

Sacha Baron Cohen as Signor Adolfo Pirelli
Although he is not in the film for long, his acting is impeccable, he portrays the character with a comedy and a debonair which is needed to give this flamboyant character life.
Larger than life with facial expressions and song he is excellent and a joy to watch.

Timothy Spall as Beagle Bamford
This is another of the characters you automatically dislike and will him to step into the barbers chair, he antagonises everyone around with his slimy creepy, grovelling ways.
Excellent acting.

Ed Sanders as Toby
This young man is brilliant, his voice is one of a choirboys hitting all the right notes, playing the part with ease and charm. A realistic character brought to life by great acting.

WHAT I THOUGHT
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When I first heard that Johnny Depp was in another film I was excited to see it especially as it was Sweeney Todd and I thought that he would make an excellent character which was right, but then I was told it was like a musical and this at first put me off.
When sitting down to watch it though I was immediately drawn into the film, with the characters dressed in their dark, sinister, gothic Victorian wear, it was easy for my imagination to be swayed into the film.

The singing was excellent, Johnny Depp with his Bowie like voice and Helena Bonham Carters contrasting Victorian cockney woman's voice did real justice to the songs.
The graphics were brilliant too, with the whole of the film cast in a grey, slate and dark background, clothing and streets, really did emphasis the contrasting colour of the blood red horror in the barber shop.

Although the musical element of the film puts you at ease there is still the underlying knowledge that this is in fact a gruesome horror film and not to be viewed by the younger kids.
Again there are comical bits which lull you into a false sense that things are not as bad as they seem, until Sweeney Todd begins his killing and the cruel, swift way he abjectly dispatches his victims leaves you with the sense that your glad your not watching this at home alone.

Despite this I did however, begin to feel sorry for Sweeney Todd, once you have got into the storyline, where the evil judge has taken his wife and child away from him and that he has been brooding all the years which has built up a resentment and a need for revenge.
On top of this he is now back in London, where he sees these men who did him wrong, with a loss shown by Sweeney Todd that grips you and draws you into his mind, you find that when you watch the characters of the Beagle and the Judge you start to anticipate the moment they will end up in the chair so revenge and justice can be done.

Although at the end of the film, the justice done takes a grim turn for the worst and a sad ending leaves you feeling more sorry for the haunted soul of the sad and lonely barber called Sweeney Todd.

You can buy the DVD on Ebay for the buy now price of £15.49

Summary: I loved it