Reviews
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Ups & Downs: Thoughts on Sweeney
I decided to give this review a go, since the hype among Sondheim, Depp, and Burton fans alike has been massive. I just came back from an opening weekend screening with friends of mine, and as a professional musician who does musical theatre, I can only tip my hat so far to this cast and crew. At first glance, the visual effect of the movie is quite brilliant and beautiful; Tim Burton delivers splendidly with his adaptation of Sweeney Todd's London, and you truly feel that it really is "a hole in the world with a big, black pit." If you watch closely, the film's initial greyscale-like filter gives way to more colorful and edgy lighting and scenery as the plot (and the blood) thickens. Make-up, costume, and hair people on this project are also to be given a sound nod, as the characters are most excellently portrayed visually. Sweeney is as deranged and enigmatic as he's ever been with his dark eyes and wild hair, while Johanna is a mysterious and stunning young beauty.
The acting in this film is fitting of the stellar cast. Johnny Depp most definitely rises to the occasion dramatically, giving you all the facets of the manic, sometimes humorous, and profoundly terrifying character that is Sweeney Todd. Helena Bohnam Carter is a darkly funny and conniving Mrs. Lovett, while Judge Turpin and Beadle Bamford (Alan Rickman & Timothy Spall respectively) are the tried-and-true 'evil duo.' You have a surprisingly funny and enjoyable performance from Signor Pirelli (Sacha Baron Cohen of 'Borat' fame), and the younger members of the cast do quite well. Probably one of the more interesting casting changes was the choice to have Tobias (Toby) played as an actual young boy (Ed Sanders). However, it really works, and you feel for him and his safety throughout the film.
All this being said, the main issue I held with this film was the fact that major elements of the original musical were excluded from the film. Now I can certainly understand making cuts in a stage-to-screen adaptation of a piece such as this, but I feel that there were some things that should not have been left out entirely as they were, namely the chorus and the choral commentary of the story (The Ballad of Sweeney Todd). I don't feel that much time would have been wasted or added by keeping that in. Also, the vocal performance from several actors (Depp, sadly, among them) was less than acceptable. With the knowledge that movies won't always cast the great singing actor, I think that there could have been a lot more work and detail on the singing of this show, as it is crucial to the acting itself, and not just soliloquy or additional material. Finally, I felt that the cuts made to the score were useless, as the film still ran over 2 1/2 hours, and some of the editing really did not make any sense (e.g. the dialogue between singing in "A Little Priest" - and the point of cutting that out was???) All in all, I did enjoy myself, but I found myself missing a lot of things that make Sweeney Todd the wonderful musical theatre piece that it is. So if you're an MT enthusiast and are still interested in going? I'd wait for the DVD...and borrow it from a friend.
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
We love the formula! And it still works, LOL.
Just got back from the film myself, and I gotta say I really enjoyed the show. The whole Ocean's trilogy plot reminds me of the Law & Order saga empire in that at this point, we get the gist of where the film is exactly going to go. It can be summed up in a basic plot formula: High profile thieves come up against a social/moral/financial obstacle, said thieves concoct brilliantly sound plan to resolve said obstacle, major crises may or may not happen in the process of solving said obstacle, antagonists get their comeuppance, and said thieves come away millions of dollars richer. Sprinkle some funny improv and great character acting and you have Ocean's 13. Still, I found myself laughing out loud - hard - to many of the movie's biting and often unexpected jokes. Plus, the ending is a happy one, so you can't go wrong there! But hey,don't take my word for it; this is definitely one you should hit the movies to see. Plus the music is AWESOME.
Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
An uplifting Black American movie, it's been a long time coming
I finally caught this on DVD in passing as I was dealing with some personal issues, and I have to say that I found myself slowly enraptured by this films heart, wittiness, and shine. It was really refreshing to watch an uplifting Black American movie that depicted the ills of the Black/minority society while trying to overcome them, instead of glorifying them to the delight of other audiences (e.g. the mass media). Akeelah's character strives to push through the obstacles placed in her way, even her own family, to succeed in something she knows in her own heart is for the greater good of not only herself, but those around her, as she will hopefully lead them to believe. Angela Bassett does a wonderful portrayal of the burdened single mother, while Lawrence Fishburne comes off as a very fatherly instructor and coach. Though it tended at times to come off a little too predictable and far-fetched, the movie never let up and kept you on a pleasant roller-coaster ride of joy and sadness, while not overdoing any one emotional push, thus keeping the viewer spiritually buoyant throughout; you WANT to see Akeelah do well, but not just because she's good, but because she's a good person. Kudos to all the cast and staff involved in this gem of a film. I will be recommending it to others.
Urbania (2000)
Something to see indeed
I stumbled upon this movie in the wee hours of the morning and couldn't stop watching it. It's not the best movie I've seen, but it's something that any gay/bi-sexual man should check out at least once in their lifetime. Ditto for those curious about what the GLBT life can be like, and anyone else who just happens to be in the mood for a neat, quick, very realistic drama. The main character is enticing and intriguing. He serves as kind of an enigma for most of the movie, until the end, when his full-on grief is laid out for all to see. It is heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. It did my heart good to see that even though there is violence in the world, that the victims of such violence can learn to forgive and to rebuild. This movie is def a classic.
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Umm...what???
In response to you young woman's rave review about this movie, allow me to dispel some Phatom freaks' cloudy minds about this movie. In short, it reeked. I'm not the type of Kat to try and put a production down, but being that I was at one time, a huge fan of all things Phantom, I can truly say that this was really a mess. I'm sorry, but if you're going to cast a movie adaptation of a musical adaptation of a book, the FIRST thing you must do is choose actors who are MUSUCIANS! Why am I going to sit through a three-hour movie listening to half-singing-no-pitch-can't-hold-a-note wannabes drag themselves through a full-blown musical production? Especially since I know I can do twice as good as half the cast (male and female), without really trying? Seriously, that's an issue. The least you could've done is pulled an old-school and dubbed their voices. Secondly, good (or mediocre) cinematography does not make up a good movie. There has to be line, direction, and focus. Pretty costumes are only just that, pretty costumes. I almost appreciated how they tried to give more light to the common man/woman's role in the opera house, but even that was a half-hearted attempt. Lastly, DO NOT...I repeat...DO NOT speak lines from a musical that are supposed to be sung - it just sounds stupid - if you can't sing them, CUT them.
Sorry for all those who liked this movie, but I guess it just goes to show that some (most) Andrew Loyd Weber musicals are probably best left to the stage...or not...let's not forget that he does hand over a sizable portion of the proceeds from 'Phatom' to the Giaccomo Puccini Estate for blatantly using part of one of his opera scores. Next time, let's try some real musicals, huh? UGH.