Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Movie Title--  Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Release Year--  2007

Running Time--  1 Hour and 56 Minutes

Director--  Tim Burton

Cast--  Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jamie Campbell Dower, Laura Michelle Kelly, Jayne Wisener, Ed Sanders

The story of Benjamin Barker who reinvents himself as Sweeney Todd, sets up a barber shop and becomes sinister partners with his neighbor Mrs. Lovett.

London in 1831, a barber named Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) is falsely sentenced and sent away to a penal  colony by the corrupt Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) who then take's Barker's wife Lucy (Laura Michelle Kelly) for himself.

Fifteen years later Barker returns to London under the name Sweeney Todd and he is accompanied by a young sailor named Anthony Hope (Jamie Campbell Dower).  From the docks, Todd returns to Fleet Street where his home and business had been previously and wanders into Mrs. Lovett's (Helena Bohnam Carter) Meat Pie shop to inquire about the room above the shop.  Mrs. Lovett tells him that no one will take the place because they believe it is haunted, then begins to tell him that Lucy, after resisting Judge Turpin's advances was raped by him, so she poisoned herself and now her daughter Johanna (Jayne Wisener) is his ward and the object of his affection.  When Todd begins to question if anyone tried to help Lucy, Mrs. Lovett realizes that he is Benjamin Barker but he tells her that man is dead and he is now Sweeney Todd.  She takes him upstairs and gives him his silver straight razors that she had hidden so no one could take them.  Todd then reopens his barber shop with the plans of taking his revenge on Judge Turpin.

While roaming around London, Anthony comes across Judge Turpin's house and sees Johanna sitting in the window after hearing her singing.  He becomes completely taken with her and when Judge Turpin observes Anthony outside staring at his ward, he invites Anthony into his home.  Once Anthony is inside, he finds himself alone with Judge Turpin and his sidekick Beadle Bamford (Timothy Spall).  Judge Turpin then threatens Anthony, telling him to stay away from his ward and Beadle tosses him out in the alley, giving Anthony a good beating before sending him on his way.

Todd and Mrs. Lovett go to the marketplace where they see a boy named Tobias (Ed Sanders) peddling a fraudulent hair tonic and Todd denounces it, claiming it is only "piss and ink".  Then Italian barber, Adolfo Pirelli (Sasha Baron Cohen), comes out from his caravan and demands to know who insults him by calling his elixir "piss and ink".  Todd steps forward and then goes on to challenge Pirelli 5 pounds, saying he can shave a face closer than Pirelli.  When Pirelli accepts, Todd calls Beadle Bomford up to the stage to be the judge.  Todd wins the challenge, takes his prize and tells Beadle Bomford that when he decides to come in for a shave, it will be his pleasure to serve him.  Bomford tells him that he will come soon.

Judge Turpin admits to Beadle Bomford that he plans on making Johanna his bride but doesn't understand why she is not more receptive toward his advances.  Bomford advises the judge to go see Todd for a shave and that will help Johanna become more receptive to him.  The judge goes to Todd and as Todd is getting ready to slice his throat, Anthony busts in and before realizing who is in the chair, tells Todd that he is going to steal Johanna away.  Hearing this, Turpin tells Anthony that he is going to put Johanna somewhere that no one can ever get to her and he tells Todd that he will not return to his establishment due to the company he keeps.

The next day Pirelli and Toby shows up at the shop and Todd tells Mrs. Lovett to keep Toby downstairs.  Pirelli admits to Todd that he is actually his former assistant, London born Davy Collins, and the price for keeping Todd's secret would be half his earnings.  Todd snaps and beats Pirelli with his iron kettle, then later slits his throat.  Mrs. Lovett comes upstairs to find Pirelli dead and she takes Todd downstairs.  She then inquires about what he is going to do with the body and suggests that they use it to make the meat pies.

Todd then sets up his shop as a slaughter house and together, Todd and Mrs. Lovett share a grisly enterprise.  

So, this film is a musical.  I wanted to put that out there very first because when it was marketed in 2007, it wasn't marketed as a musical and it disappointed a lot of people.  That being said this film is gory but I just adore it.  That sounds really strange but this time it is all about the music.  The music in this film is just great.  The tunes are catchy and most of them are surprisingly upbeat for this gory/thriller type story line.  

The cast is just brilliant as well.  I am a fan of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter but look who is behind them in this film; Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall and Sasha Baron Cohen.  How can this film be bad?  They set the stage for this gory, dark musical to be a success and in my eyes, it is.

Check this film out but be very careful, the songs may get stuck in your head.  Do beware of the blood and whatever you do, Don't Forget the Popcorn!