...of Sweeney Todd. Here's how you know you're old... it was 27 years ago that I sat in the Uris theatre and saw the original production of Sweeney Todd. That was the night that I fell in love with what I still think is the greatest Broadway show EVER. Over the years I had dreamed that perhaps one day there would be a movie version. After years of waiting I was convinced that it would never happen.
Fate is a strange thing. Almost like when there is a rare alignment of the planets, it took 27 years for all the right people to be in place to bring Sweeney's tale to the masses. The film is a masterpiece, above and beyond the work of Sondheim which is already considered his shining achievement. The film stays true to the original work but makes all the right additions and deletions needed to transfer it to the medium of film.
Johnny Depp was masterful. Mrs Lovett, although the weakest vocally, was still very enjoyable. Judge Turpin and the Beadle were superb. I thought casting Toby with a child instead of a childlike adult was inspired and he had a beautiful voice. My only complaint was that the ending was a bit abrupt. They didn't do the Ballad of Sweeney in the movie. The music was there in the background but no chorus. So at the end I think it missed the little epilogue with the chorus putting the final ballad of Sweeney at the end, and Sweeney and Lovett making their final appearance.
Other than that the people in the theatre must have thought I was daft because I watched the entire film with a huge grin of joy on my face. It truly was bloody good.
