Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

Director:

Tim Burton

Writers (WGA):

John Logan (screenplay)
Stephen Sondheim (musical) ...

Release Date:

21 December 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Musical | Thriller

Tagline:

Never Forget. Never Forgive.

Plot:

The infamous story of Benjamin Barker, a.k.a Sweeney Todd, who sets up a barber shop down in London which is the basis for a sinister partnership with his fellow tenant, Mrs. Lovett. Based on the hit Broadway musical.

Plot Keywords:

Judge | Widow | Lust | Razor | Grinder

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 20 wins & 31 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Johnny Depp	...	Sweeney Todd
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Mrs. Lovett
Alan Rickman	...	Judge Turpin
Timothy Spall	...	Beadle
Sacha Baron Cohen	...	Pirelli
Jamie Campbell Bower	...	Anthony
Laura Michelle Kelly	...	Beggar Woman
Jayne Wisener	...	Johanna
Ed Sanders	...	Toby (as Edward Sanders)
Gracie May	...	Baby Johanna
Ava May	...	Baby Johanna
Gabriella Freeman	...	Baby Johanna
Jody Halse	...	Policeman
Aron Paramor	...	Policeman
Lee Whitlock	...	Policeman

Also Known As:

Sweeney Todd (USA) (short title)

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic bloody violence.

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Ireland:16 | UK:18 | Canada:18A (British Columbia) | Australia:MA | Finland:K-18 | South Korea:18 | Singapore:M18 | Germany:16 | Japan:R-15 | Malaysia:18PL | Czech Republic:15 | Taiwan:R-18 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Brazil:16 | Sweden:15 | Hong Kong:III | Philippines:R-18 (MTRCB) | Portugal:M/16 | Norway:15 | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:16 | Italy:VM14 | Israel:18 | South Africa:16LV | Greece:K-17 | USA:R (certificate #43914) (cut) | Ireland:18 (DVD rating) | France:-12 | Austria:14 | Denmark:15 | Spain:13 | New Zealand:R16 | Chile:18

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

DreamWorks Pictures

Trivia:

Helena Bonham Carter was pregnant throughout filming with her and director Tim Burton's second child, and she insists (accurately) that the size of her breasts noticeably changes throughout the film, as filming was done out of sequence.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Toby is in the basement at the end, he takes a very small bite from the pie, then pulls a piece of finger out of his mouth far bigger than the bite he just took. In the following shot, the bite in the pie is shown much bigger, almost big enough for the piece of finger he pulled out of his mouth.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Anthony Hope: I have sailed the world, beheld its wonders, from the Dardanelles to the mountains of Peru. But there's no place like London.
Sweeney Todd: No, there's no place like London.
Anthony Hope: [spoken] Mr. Todd?
Sweeney Todd: You are young. Life has been kind to you. You will learn.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Best of 2007" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Ladies In Their Sensitivities

Awesome, dark and funny. Classic Tim Burton stuff.

Good dark fun.

I knew nothing of this movie except Tim Burton and Johnny Depp had something to do with it, and that, as the executive director put it, there was "lots of blood". I don't think of myself as liking musicals, although I should probably reconsider now.

I had a moment of dread when the movie started and there was a mention of Sacha Baron Cohen being in it. However his performance was in fact quite good. While his acting has a few things in common with his over-the-top Borat character, it somehow fits rather well within the movie.

Some elements of the plot are rather predictable, in a Greek tragedy sort of way, but it doesn't really detract from the movie. We get to enjoy the downward spiral even though we know its shape.

All in all, the movie was awesome, filled with damned and hopeless characters that still made you laugh at every turn.