Warning: Review Contains NO Spoilers. Sorry.
Throats fountained.
Pies were consumed.
I was enthralled.
you're probably thinking one of two things at this point - either that man's just been and seen Sweeney Todd, or he's been poking his nose in where it doesn't belong, around his workplace. Please, assume the former.
Stunning, amazing, just damned beautiful. Go see it. That bastard can sing. So can that other one. And that woman is as gorgeous as ever she was. I wasn't overly familiar with the story, beyond the basics probably everyone knows, so the particulars of this version were a series of treats as they unfolded. I'm assuming, though, that it stuck fairly closely to Sondheim's broadway book, and that, if so, a live revival can't be far off, once cinemas, DVD sales and pay tv broadcasting get good slices out of the, er, pie.
But back to the movie. One of Burton's better efforts, as a director, with (and saying this might piss a few people off) a more solidly constructed, engrossing story than his usual stuff. Not saying Burton's a bad writer - he's not - but his plotting seems sometimes, a little shaky. He seems more interested in character and mood, which is wonderful, but cohesive story tends to suffer as a result. So perhaps a good thing he doesn't take a writer's credit on this. And there's no shortage of mood building wonder here - plenty to revel in from set, costume, lighting and fx design, not to mention spellbinding music and lyric, and solid, 3 dimensional character. Well, certainly enough to keep the story moving along, and more than one often sees in a musical. Look, it's not an intellectual masterpiece, but it's a satisfying, suitably un-nerving experience.
go see it. you look like you could use a close shave.
Pies were consumed.
I was enthralled.
you're probably thinking one of two things at this point - either that man's just been and seen Sweeney Todd, or he's been poking his nose in where it doesn't belong, around his workplace. Please, assume the former.
Stunning, amazing, just damned beautiful. Go see it. That bastard can sing. So can that other one. And that woman is as gorgeous as ever she was. I wasn't overly familiar with the story, beyond the basics probably everyone knows, so the particulars of this version were a series of treats as they unfolded. I'm assuming, though, that it stuck fairly closely to Sondheim's broadway book, and that, if so, a live revival can't be far off, once cinemas, DVD sales and pay tv broadcasting get good slices out of the, er, pie.
But back to the movie. One of Burton's better efforts, as a director, with (and saying this might piss a few people off) a more solidly constructed, engrossing story than his usual stuff. Not saying Burton's a bad writer - he's not - but his plotting seems sometimes, a little shaky. He seems more interested in character and mood, which is wonderful, but cohesive story tends to suffer as a result. So perhaps a good thing he doesn't take a writer's credit on this. And there's no shortage of mood building wonder here - plenty to revel in from set, costume, lighting and fx design, not to mention spellbinding music and lyric, and solid, 3 dimensional character. Well, certainly enough to keep the story moving along, and more than one often sees in a musical. Look, it's not an intellectual masterpiece, but it's a satisfying, suitably un-nerving experience.
go see it. you look like you could use a close shave.