THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET

THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREETApparently, there really was a homicidal barber in late 19th-century London. The tale was told often, in many versions ray ban new wayfarer, even before composer Stephen Sondheim and librettist Hugh Wheeler collaborated on their musical Sweeney Todd, which seems to constantly be in production somewhere in the world since its 1979 Broadway opening. Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp), rescued at sea after escaping from exile abroad, has returned to his native London. Barker was framed for a crime many years ago by Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), who lusted after Barker wife. Barker returns to the site of his old shop, where the widowed Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who remembers him more than fondly, now sells what she forthrightly declares worst pies in London. She gives Barker the bad news that Turpin succeeded in ravaging Barker wife, Mrs. Barker poisoned herself, and Turpin then appointed himself guardian of the Barker daughter Johanna, then a baby, now a beautiful young woman (Jayne Wisener). Barker, calling himself Sweeney Todd, reopens his barber shop atop Mrs. Lovett pie establishment, hoping to get close enough to Turpin to exact vengeance. Things don go as planned in that department, but when Sweeney/Barker reacts with lethal violence to a blackmail attempt by another barber and declares his sentiment that everybody deserves to die (himself included), Mrs. Lovett comes up with an idea that will allow Sweeney to indulge his murderous impulses, dispose of the bodies in a way that they won be found and greatly improve her pie business. If this sounds like the plot of a Hammer horror film gone berserk, that always been part of the joy of the Sondheim/Wheeler Sweeney Todd musical. Putting soaring music and wickedly clever lyrics in the service of the gory and grimy tale of revenge and love gone askew has worked beautifully here. Burton gives the film a look that is dark and desaturated, absolutely right for the upon a time in a nightmare quality of the piece. The exceptions are flashbacks to Barker happy life before the judge wrecks it and a side trip to Mrs. Lovett fantasy of their possible future together ( the Sea when we are immersed in bright colors. Depp is tortured and ravaged, yet wry and passionate in his fury as Sweeney. Bonham Carter is a lot younger and sexier (she made up to look like she hasn seen the sun in a decade, but her d is amply appealing) than the old cynic Mrs. Lovett is usually played here Angela Lansbury originated the role at age 53 which puts a slightly different spin on things. Barker/Sweeney still doesn take much notice of her as anything except a business partner, but Mrs. Lovett longing for him here seems a lot nearer to the surface than usual, and young shop assistant Toby (Ed Sanders) adoration of Mrs. Lovett now seems more romantic than filial. Bonham Carter plays her as a tough pragmatist with some soft spots, but minus the psychosis one might expect from somebody who decides to make her fortune from cannibalism. It just another line of work to her in this interpretation, and if it makes her sweetie happy, all the better. These alterations give Sweeney Todd a slightly different flavor from the stage version. What changes things up considerably, on the upside for those who relish the juxtaposition of horror and Broadway show tunes, is that the splatter factor is a lot more literal and visceral here, with a lot of blood spray when Sweeney starts slitting throats ray ban repair, albeit the blood is a rather weird color that appears to draw deliberate attention to the notion that, in the end, this is a universe where people burst into song, not to be mistaken for real life. There something aptly shocking about it, keeping us centered in the story. On the downside, while all of the actors are well-chosen acting-wise, neither Depp nor especially Bonham Carter have musical theatre voices. They mostly speak-sing the songs (think Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady), which works reasonably well most of the time, except for in a duet between Depp and Rickman where big, soaring vocals are called for and don happen here. However, Sanders, Wisener and Jamie Campbell Bower (as Anthony, the young man who rescues Barker and wants to run away with Johanna) all have beautiful voices, as does Sacha Baron Cohen (yes, from Borat), who has a memorable turn as a flashy charlatan.