Well, its essentially the best musical I've ever seen. Its not often that you get a tale about a barber (played by Depp) murdering his clients while his landlady processes the bodies into meat pies, and its even rarer that its a comedy. Admittedly, a sick comedy, and some in the audience were not inclined to agree. Like Burton's other films, its dark, twisted, and a hell of a lot of fun.
It being a musical, the singing talents of the actors are interesting. Depp's voice is technically flawed, but that rawness actually works to further characterize his role as the tortured, devilish barber. Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman, unfortunately, do not have excellent voices, and, while Carter's can be somewhat overlooked as simply being weak (not a detriment to her character), Rickman's is, in fact, somewhat grating. However, he perfectly fills the role of the sinister judge, and it is my opinion that his acting talents outweigh his somewhat flawed voice. Comparisons to the original Sondheim musical are favorable to Rickman, at least based on what I've been told from friends who've seen both.
The set design and lighting are simply brilliant; the cinematographer should be winning awards, at the very least. Stunning visuals. The blood, while copious, is also quite fake, though the effect works quite well at times.
In conclusion, it is an excellent film for those who have an appreciation for macabre, dark, humor. For those who don't, think about the basic plot synopsis, then picture yourself chuckling throughout most of the film. If you're seriously disturbed by that idea, consider not seeing it. Everyone else should.
It being a musical, the singing talents of the actors are interesting. Depp's voice is technically flawed, but that rawness actually works to further characterize his role as the tortured, devilish barber. Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman, unfortunately, do not have excellent voices, and, while Carter's can be somewhat overlooked as simply being weak (not a detriment to her character), Rickman's is, in fact, somewhat grating. However, he perfectly fills the role of the sinister judge, and it is my opinion that his acting talents outweigh his somewhat flawed voice. Comparisons to the original Sondheim musical are favorable to Rickman, at least based on what I've been told from friends who've seen both.
The set design and lighting are simply brilliant; the cinematographer should be winning awards, at the very least. Stunning visuals. The blood, while copious, is also quite fake, though the effect works quite well at times.
In conclusion, it is an excellent film for those who have an appreciation for macabre, dark, humor. For those who don't, think about the basic plot synopsis, then picture yourself chuckling throughout most of the film. If you're seriously disturbed by that idea, consider not seeing it. Everyone else should.
