Today's entry, and #14 on my list, comes from one of my favorite directors, and is one of the best of the recently revived musical genre. However, this man's name and "musical" aren't exactly a match one would instantly make. For one, the material would have to be suitably dark and weird, but also with a quirky and darkly humorous edge. But even then, the risk still remained that this man might not be able to successfully stage musical sequences, whether on a small scale or involving a full company and complicated choreography. Thankfully he succeeded beyond my expectations, and the result is #14 on my list. The film I'm talking about is:
#14. "Sweeney Todd" (2007) by Tim Burton: Like all Burton films, this one boasts a visual stimulating opening credits sequence, but almost instantly the differences become apparent: Blood flows down a barber's chair. The sequence takes us down further and further, until we end in the sewers. In Burton's long line of whimy-coated quirkfests, such an opening seems freakishly dark. And to make it all more unsettling, this is supposed to be a musical. Add into the mix that none of Mr. Burton's toplining stars have been blessed with stellar vocals, and such a project seems doomed from the start. So the big question is, "what on earth went so damn right?" Quite a bit, as it turns out. First, there's Burton's decision to not be slavishly faithful to Sondheim's original material. In eliminating "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd", a song sung by a ghostly Greek chorus of sorts, along with at least one minor supporting character, Mr. Burton accomplishes two goals: he makes his production un-stagey, and keeps his focus tighter. Burton was wise enough to see that the heart of the story is the oh-so-devilish relationship between Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter). There is a separate "couple" of sorts played by Jamie Campbell-Bower and Jane Wisener, and if they weren't tied to such a crucial part of the story, it's likely that Burton would have (wisely) cut them out entirely, just to keep the film all the more focused on his central duo. And what a duo they are. While Depp and Burton have quite a history together, and while this may be their first time together where Depp doesn't knock one out of the park. And that's where Ms. Bonham-Carter gets to shine. Having long been relegated to small roles in her husband's films, this is her first chance to truly make an impact under her husband's direction, and make an impact she does. She tackles Sondheim's fast paced, clever lyrics like a true pro, making her rendition of "The Worst Pies in London", in which she makes a pie while singing, all the more impressive. In interviews, Carter has labeled this role as one of her most physically and mentally demanding, but she makes it all look easy. She also provides us the heart of the film. Her interactions with Toby (the wonderful Ed Sanders, who has the film's strongest voice) provide the emotional core in a world filled with filth, corruption, and murder. Watching her listen to Toby promise to protect her forever, or seeing her lock Toby in the basement to shield him from Mr. Todd is nothing short of magic; it's a performance for which Ms. Carter was most definitely robbed of a second Oscar nomination. She is funny, kooky, adorable, and eerie, all in one, without feeling inconsistent or schizophrenic. Along with Sanders, the supporting cast also boasts good, albeit slightly routine performances from its two villains, played by Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall, along with a surprisingly strong turn from "Borat" star Sacha Baron Cohen. But the biggest and most delightful surprise is in the way Mr. Burton is able to direct his musical sequences. None of them involve any sort of choreography, and so Burton shoots the singing parts simply, letting the presence of his stars and the cutting (no pun intended) wit of Sondheim's lyrics bask in the spotlight. Such focus on the performers allows us to really see their emotions as they perform the songs, and makes the scenes riveting in a way that elaborate staging or snazzy choreography never could have. Watching Depp and Carter's movements and faces as they sing "A Little Priest" is nothing short of a wicked delight. On the artistic front, the film is also a knockout. The sets are appropriately sparse and dirty, or lush and flooded with color, and Colleen Atwood's fantastic costumes match the personalities of the characters note by note. Visually the film mostly keeps things filled with grey and black, making those moments filled with bright colors all the more startlingly beautiful. As far as editing goes, the story, save for one or two blips, moves between dialogue and song seamlessly. But it's Burton's direction that is the most impressive. Though he's known for having an engaging visual style, his stories sometimes run a tad too long in certain areas. In "Sweeney Todd" we see Mr. Burton focused and driven like never before, and the results are quite commanding, particularly in moments when there are tiny but bloody bursts of violence. In a way in which I was never expecting, these moments of violence also manage to create a striking amount of intensity, most notably in the finale which, after all of its chaos, Mr. Burton ends by a simple zoom-out before fading to black. It's a stunningly crisp, un-flashy ending to a movie filled with bloody mayhem, and the impact is a sense of quiet astonishment. My only criticism of the story is that there are times when Mr. Burton's desire to tighten the pacing result in a near-rushed feel. At times right when one character leaves, another person arrives within seconds to deliver the latest news to maintain the forward momentum. I used to have some issues with Depp's performance, and even on re-watches, his brooding and staring doesn't have quite the depth that he thinks it does, but it's certainly far from the soul-sucking black hole that some have labeled it as. It's just that, in a movie filled with so much excellence, it's a surprise to see one of Hollywood's most talented actors deliver a performance that doesn't knock our socks off.Grade: A
Best Performance: Helena Bonham Carter
Best Scene:
No comments:
Post a Comment