eeeeee! sweeney todd (NO SPOILERS)
I've been all geekily excited for Sweeney Todd for months now, so I jumped at the chance for an advance screening last night (to which I duly invited aaaaaames, since she loves the Depp longtime).
I was VERY pleased with it. It was Tim Burton working swimmingly. The production design and sets and costumes and makeup were all dead on and created one of those hyperstylized, spooky, otherworldly Tim Burton universes that totally matched the tone of the story.
They also kept it as an operetta (although not ALL of the music is included), which was a pleasant surprise. I thought they were going to make it more of a musical with mainly spoken scenes interjected with a song here and there. Instead, they really kept to the original Sondheimian intent, where most all of the storytelling is done in song.
And Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter acquitted themselves quite well with the singing. Neither was chosen for their voice, clearly, but they acted the hell out of their roles and made the singing work, too.
I'd also forgotten how GOOD the music is. We listened to the whole thing and read along with the libretto in my middle school music class, but I'd forgotten a lot of the songs until last night. It's all really interesting harmonically. Not commercialized and not all in major keys. And I've been singing bits of a bunch of the songs in my head since I left the theater. It makes me want to go out and get the original cast recording (with Angela Lansbury).
There are a few changes (from what I can remember of the plot details) from the original plot, but overall, it's very true to the story... dark and tormented and crazy in a delightful way.
All in all, I say bravo, and go see this one.
I was VERY pleased with it. It was Tim Burton working swimmingly. The production design and sets and costumes and makeup were all dead on and created one of those hyperstylized, spooky, otherworldly Tim Burton universes that totally matched the tone of the story.
They also kept it as an operetta (although not ALL of the music is included), which was a pleasant surprise. I thought they were going to make it more of a musical with mainly spoken scenes interjected with a song here and there. Instead, they really kept to the original Sondheimian intent, where most all of the storytelling is done in song.
And Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter acquitted themselves quite well with the singing. Neither was chosen for their voice, clearly, but they acted the hell out of their roles and made the singing work, too.
I'd also forgotten how GOOD the music is. We listened to the whole thing and read along with the libretto in my middle school music class, but I'd forgotten a lot of the songs until last night. It's all really interesting harmonically. Not commercialized and not all in major keys. And I've been singing bits of a bunch of the songs in my head since I left the theater. It makes me want to go out and get the original cast recording (with Angela Lansbury).
There are a few changes (from what I can remember of the plot details) from the original plot, but overall, it's very true to the story... dark and tormented and crazy in a delightful way.
All in all, I say bravo, and go see this one.