Flick Check: Sweeny Todd

Saw Sweeney Todd with a friend tonight (thanks for the flick) and absolutely loved it. Missed out on a lot, though, thanks to always having trouble with a) lyrics and b) accents, and throw them both together and I'm bound to miss a bit. Still, fantastic stuff. Popcorn feast.

Two hours of musical is a lot to ask anyone to sit through (be honest, c'mon! there's only so much bursting-into-song I can handle) but this one just flew by. Some funny-as-hell stuff, too, and surprisingly Johnny Depp can sing. I think he takes a bit of influence from Nick Cave for a stanza or two in there, particularly in the opening number. Figgers though. He's probably somewhat a fan, knowing his tastes.

Then there's Tim Burton and the stunningly brilliant art direction in that movie, but praising the set, warddrobe, and art direction in a Tim Burton movie is like saying your favourite thing about the blue sky is that it's blue. I mean, duh, of course it looks brilliant and of course you love it... that's what Tim Burton's all about: art and quirks.

You know, I just found out that Tim Burton and Helena Bonham-Carter are together. Why doesn't this surprise me? Talk about your perfect match. Anyhow, she's fucking awesome in this flick, and continues to prove just how dynamic and underused she is in film. (I mean, hell, in Fight Club she's awesome, isn't she? Big Fish? Yep. She's the female Johnny Depp, but lacks his charisma. [Doesn't everyone?] )

See it and be ready for over-the-top bloodletting Burton-style. I'd have liked a bit more on the story in the film, but maybe we'll get an extended version on the DVD, which I'm so buying.