Based on what I've been seeing, I'm pretty confident I'm going to enjoy it. For one thing, Stephen Sondheim was involved with the casting, so I think it's fair to trust that the music won't be butchered. That said, he approved Johnny Depp without even hearing him sing because, to Sondheim, it's more important that he can act the part well than sing it perfectly, and he had full confidence in Depp's abilities to act the role.
There have been 9 clips from the movie put on the internet and, for the most part, I've enjoyed them all. (If you don't know the show, I wouldn't suggest watching these as they contain what might be considered spoilers.)
Sweeney Todd Now:
http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option...ectlink&id=191
My Friends:
http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option...ectlink&id=192
You Gandered at My Ward:
http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option...ectlink&id=193
The Contest:
http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option...ectlink&id=194
How Long Until Pirelli Gets Back:
http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option...ectlink&id=195
Epiphany:
http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option...ectlink&id=196
Little Priest:
http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option...ectlink&id=197
Not While I'm Around:
http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option...ectlink&id=199
Pamper You:
http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option...ectlink&id=198
There are really only a couple things I have to say about the clips. First is that the singing fits the show pretty well for the most part - the only one that stands out to me is "My Friends." And, really, that's more to do with my past experiences with the show, being used to it sung as an operetta. Hearing Depp's voice sound so...smooth...is unusual for me. That said, he doesn't sing the other things I've heard so smoothly, so it could very well be a character choice as well, considering "My Friends" is, in a way, a love song.
I'm not really sure why they chose to make Toby so young, but I'll have to wait and see how that plays out. Spoiler:
If nothing else, it certainly makes it even more tragic for him to go crazy at the end.
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Originally Posted by *Nikki*
I like Burton and the previously mentioned films that others thought weren't so good. I can't wait to see this one. Not every thing needs to be torn apart into a million pieces. Just enjoy and don't over analyze.
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Well, it's not really a desire to tear everything apart into little pieces, it's just that the stage production is such a classic, people are worried about whether or not the movie will be a good adaptation. The story of Sweeney Todd can be done with or without Sondheim's music (it's a relatively old tale), but since they chose to base this movie on Sondheim's stage production, fans of it are going to worry about the musical integrity. It's hard not to: most people I know who are fans of Sweeney Todd consider it among their favorite shows, and with good reason. Nonetheless, the more I see the more confident I am that the movie will be a good adaptation. At this point, my main questions are: Does Toby work as a child as opposed to a "slow" teenager/young adult? We now know that the actors can sing well enough on their own, but what about singing together at the same time? What about dissonant moments? Will those more difficult moments even remain in the movie? I can see them cutting much of the music out of the ending, but I think it'd be a tragic mistake.
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Originally Posted by Redlemon
Oh, the official site http://www.sweeneytoddmovie.com has audio samples. "My Friends" is interesting; much more delicate that it's been done elsewhere. A bit of "Pretty Women" as well... sounds like he never gets a real angry edge. Nope, not even "No Place Like London". |
Hadn't seen this yet. I'd guess that he gets more of an edge later in No Place Like London (the site only played a short clip for me). The instrumentation on the main page sounds excellent and hopefully it'll make up for the removal of The Ballad of Sweeney Todd.