Sweeney Todd (2006)

This is an amazing adaptation of the classic story. Todd is viewed with cold realism as the person that he would have been, had he been real. Great cast and script, always keeps the spectator on the edge. At first you are made to sympathize with Todd, then doubt, then despise him, then understand him (kinda). I know it is just a story, but the police was really terrible at its job, I guess in reality they would have figured it out pretty soon after the first couple of murders. I general, a disturbing story told simply and wonderfully. P.S.1 Makes one wonder if he killed all his customers how he managed to keep himself in business :P P.S.2 I think the greatest loser from this story was the boy he had to help him with the shop :P

As a fan of Essie Davis I was curious when I watched the movie. and I have to admit that it was a wonderful discovery. The story is really great and the actors really good. The story focuses on a psychological aspect and it was disturbing to see Todd so remorseful. It changes from all the killers who seems cold like an ice. even if I hate murders we are captivated through the whole story, help by the love story.The two characters are great. Even if their fate is sealed, they are so convicted and we somehow wished for something we know won't happened. even though, we are caught by their personality. They are just human with their goodness and their blemish.It has really violent passage but never unnecessary : they just add some reality to the plot. The murders and the gruesome is inevitable.The soundtrack was really great even if i can't find it anywhere but nonetheless, it was a perfect match to the period. It has really creaped me out sometimes but some music were very beautiful.And as I already said, the story is blessed by two wonderful actors. I already liked Davis but she really amazed me, as did Ray Winstone. I have never been bored and I even with the god review that I had read, I didn't expected to enjoy it so much. Though I'm not fond of horror and bloody movies.So give it a try and don't think of the musical by Burton. just enjoy the story by it own. I think you won't regret it.

Dave Moore's TV version of the infamous tale of the bloodthirsty barber Sweeney Todd unsurprisingly bears little relation to Tim Burton's musical version released the following year. This one is much more matter-of-fact in its portrayal of Todd's descent into madness, and gives his motive for killing as revenge for being jailed in Newgate prison as a child for a crime committed by his father. Initially, there is a skewed sense of justice to Todd's reason for killing off his clients but, as his blood lust (and feelings for the neighbouring Mrs Lovett) grows stronger his reasons become less calculated.Ray Winstone plays Todd. He is a fine actor, but loses some of his screen presence by choosing to underplay the role, his voice rarely betraying any kind of emotion. Despite this it's a choice that suits the character, even if it doesn't the actor. Cutting up his victims in the cellar of his barber shop, stripped to the waist, his bare head gleaming white and his mouth slack, Winstone makes a truly grotesque monster, one made all the more frightening because he is otherwise an extremely quiet and ordinary man.There's a lot of violence in the film, a lot of slit throats and mutilation of corpses, but, again, it's not given any kind of sensationalistic value. Essie Davis plays Mrs Lovett, another decent character whose descent into monstrosity is sparked by the things that have happened to her rather than any inherent evil. She turns into a grotesque parody of herself as the film progresses, her beauty destroyed by pox scars, sporting fine wigs made by Todd that sit incongruously atop her ruined features. It's all very grim and dark and there is no place for humour, even of the gallows variety. Perhaps a touch of humour, especially on the part of Todd, is what is needed to both round out his character and make his monstrous actions that much more horrific

This is a great film! It has good period costumes, the charters and acting are convincing, the set is simple and the scenes flow from one to the other. I found myself feeling vary involved in the film.I am usually disappointed by films set in the past and feel that this is the perfect example of what I like in a period film with the hard accents and the attention to detail of the clothing and furniture. The Acting was excellent by the actors of all the main characters and it is a great story of life of London's past.I will find it interesting to see the Johnny Dept version of this film. I am expecting Hollywood to make a mess of it.It was also fun because it was grim but not gruesome so my wife could watch the whole film.This is a classic style horror film with a lot to it.