Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall Dir: Tim Burton Rating: 5/5
Tim Burton is well known for his slightly unorthodox and somewhat grim movie material and with Sweeney Todd nothing has changed.
Benjamin Barker is a simple barber with a beautiful wife and child. But he is falsely imprisoned by Judge Turpin who has an eye on Barker's wife.
Fifteen years later Barker returns to London under the guise of Sweeney Todd. Recognised by pie maker Mrs Lovett Todd is informed that he wife is dead and his now teenage daughter is Judge Turpin's ward.
Together they devise a plan of revenge, with Todd practicing his murderous barbering skills on an unsuspecting general public, with the remains made into meat pie filling by Mrs Lovett.
On paper this movie should not work a tale of betrayal, murder, revenge and passion all set to Stephen Sondheim's music, with lead actors who have never sung before, is a concept that Ed Wood would have come up with.
But it's the Depp/Burton partnership, now into it sixth film and eighteenth year, that makes this picture so success.
Depp is quite simply fabulous as the ghoulish villain Todd, and a surprisingly good singer. While he is no Pavarotti, and he doesn't try to be, he seamlessly blends the lines between singing and acting making it appear the musical is a genre that he is very comfortable with.
Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs Lovett is also an inspired piece of casting as she becomes Todd's willing accomplice and also producing a very confident vocal performance.
Burton really has struck gothic gold, as Gotham city comes to London, delving into his obsession with the morbid and slightly grotesque going deeper and darker than he ever did with Corpse Bride or Beetlejuice.
He sticks with his usual muted colour palette of browns, greys, and blacks which he beautifully contrasts with the streams of red gore, reminiscent of the girl in the red coat in Schindler's List.
And the blood flows freely throughout the film, the titles alone are a rather gory affair. However as with Sleepy Hollow the blood and gore is unrealistic providing a little nod back to the Hammer Horror movies, of which he is a big fan.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, not to go too overboard, is nothing short of a masterpiece without a doubt up there with Burton's best work.
Bleak yet stunning cinematography mixed with a booming soundtrack and Burton never lets this lavish production get in the way of the story that he is trying to tell.
All this is backed up by truly superb performances from all of the cast including new stars Jamie Campbell Bower (Anthony) and Jayne Wisener (Joanna - Todd's daughter) who have the sub-plot of Anthony rescuing her from the Judge.
There are also excellent performances from Alan Rickman, with his trademark villain which never fails to impress, and Sacha Baron Cohen who, in some absurdly tight trousers, injects much needed humour.
In all this is a truly stunning piece of cinema that should not be overlooked because the word musical is tagged on the back, it isn't show tunes in the street.
It's a romp of a ride that shows off Depp at his best which leaves you wondering how this great actor is still yet to win an Oscar.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw