After all, Sweeney's (Johnny Depp) revenge against Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) takes center stage, but that would be ignoring the class divide at the story's core. His return to London has one purpose: to murder Judge Turpin (Rickman) and his henchman Beadle Bamford (Spall) - the men responsible for shipping Barker off to the other side of the world in order that Turpin could steal Barker's wife Lucy (Laura Michelle Kelly) and their daughter, Johanna. While it's sung very well, this is quite a relaxed song in comparison to others and it doesn't quite showcase Helena Bonham Carter at her very best. When "Sweeney Todd" trailers hit the Internet and television, audiences began to wonder how full-fledged a musical this would be. See production, box office & company info. Nicole Kidman isn't half bad either, but Ewan's performance sticks out to me because he fluctuates between rock star bravado and a sweet, gentle, romantic voice that just makes any viewer swoon every time he hits a belting high note. I have an incredibly sarcastic singing teacher and so when I say I enjoy it, he's so rude it's a sort of masochism.". Nobody does it like Meryl can. A genius just walked in to the room and I'm hopefully going to sing, and if he does suggest you work on something then you absolutely do it, you don't go: "I don't agree with you Mr Sondheim" because that would be a stupid thing to say. In terms of emotion and power, it is lacking against some of the others, but it has an incredibly memorable melody. I'm happy it lost at the Oscars, but I didn't think it deserved to be torn apart by the internet just because it was up against an industry altering film like Moonlight. The music is threaded throughout this," Burton said. Hansard proves here that if you want to tell a story about singers/musicians, hire a singer/musician. brookstone therapeutic percussion massager with lcd screen; do nigel and jennifer whalley still own albury park , updated ', "So I auditioned for Tim on video and he didn't talk about it for five weeks," she laughs, "and that was tough. Much in the way that Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman made the music of "Moulin Rouge" work thanks to decent natural talent coupled with emotion behind the words, Depp sells his character from the start. And what did that feel like? But it has been worth the wait. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time aol. is one of my favorite movies of all time because it's just so ridiculous and fun throughout, but the movie wouldn't be such a smash hit without Meryl's grounding performance. ". But thankfully, Lily-Rose's health improved and she was released from hospital nine days later. Moulin Rouge! So begins Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street with Johnny Depp assuming the role of the tonsorial terrorisor of lore. I said, OK, maybe Frampton Comes Alive! If I could match those photographs, then I was golden. These are all fine choices for the character, but they DON'T work when you try to perform the songs. Its been seventeen years since Depp starred in Cry Baby, the Fifties musical pastiche from John Waters, where his singing voice was dubbed. He said to me early on, it was much more about the acting work than the singing.
He's the only person on here from an animated movie, and he only has one song, but he earns his money in that studio. For Depp, Sweeney may pose the biggest challenge yet in a remarkable career predicated on taking chances. As Sweeney Todd, in Tim Burton's adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical (opening Dec. 21), the actor summons all sorts of dark energy to play a singing, murderous London barber. Bare in mind that I only added . Angela Lansbury won a Tony award for her performance and appeared in the acclaimed 1982 TV version - and it is fair to say that despite decades of acting experience between them, none of the film's leads were inured to the pressures of auditioning for one of theatre's legendary characters. Aside from his rhythmic timing, The Rock shows off some serious pipes! Although many have assumed that having lived with the director Tim Burton for seven years and borne him two children (son Billy Ray, four, and their month- old daughter whose name hasn't yet been announced), Bonham Carter might have earned a headstart in the auditioning stakes, the 41-year-old actress insists this was not the case. too much. Because in all of the whole human race, Mrs. Lovett, there are two kinds of men and only two. Director Tim Burton and actors Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd), Helena Bonham Carter (Mrs. Lovett), and Alan Rickman (Judge Turpin) took questions from reporters in a playful hour punctuated with self-deprecating jokes and plenty of laughter. It's one of the funnier songs as it is quite upbeat and that in itself is refreshing and exciting. This is a great moment from the movie, with this being one of the earlier songs and one that is very well-known. From Sweeney Todd to Zsa Zsa Gabor. We want to hear it. There are strains of Jack Sparrow (Pirates Of The Caribbean) crossed with David Bowie in his London tones and, as he quietly jokes, he has "worked with sharp objects before" - a nod to his title role in Edward Scissorhands. The singing aspect of Sweeney Todd was one of the more crucial aspects of the film, but for the actors involved, also one of the more daunting tasks, since they all had to audition for the legendary Stephen Sondheim before laying claim to their role. The actor has starred in six of Burton's films, been on the receiving end of gallons of gore , and, he says, the director is like a delighted child when he is around it. By
In it, Sweeney begins by serenading his blades and then quickly moves to slicing customer after customer. She's lovable, her singing is on point, and her dancing is absolutely terrific. "Since filming Sweeney Todd I've kept up the singing lessons because it helps with speaking. NEXT:Every Johnny Depp & Tim Burton Movie, Ranked (According To IMDb). He saw a showing of Sondheim'sSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber OF Fleet Street, and he was immediately enthralled with the story, the look of the play, the music, the character design, and the whole spectacle of the production altogether. Thecomposition of the pieces also consists mostly of classical techniques, like interlocking melodies referred to as Counterpoint and repetitive melodic phrases which pop up again throughout the play, called Leitmotifs. I mean, did you not even see if he could sing before you gave him the role in an operetta? Hathaway won an Oscar for her performance despite being on screen for a mere total of 15 minutes. "Alan wasn't screaming, but he was close. RELATED:10 Halloween Flicks You Can Watch Year Round, That being said, a lot of scholars have looked into the veracity of this claim, just to see if there was perhaps a historical Sweeney Todd that ever lived and if not by that name, then if asimilar account of his crimes even existed in the first place. The role of Sweeney Todd is not one where the performer is expected to hold high notes for extended periods of time or carry melodic ballads throughout. 2. Perhaps a major factor in this is that a lot of playwrights don't like it that plays (musical or not) have kind of fallen behind film, since they're two completely different mediums. Blood gloriously and unapologetically spurts out, even falling on the camera lens at one point. With Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall. Scene taken from the movie "Sweeney Todd". Traditionally a tale of unswerving grimness that has shaken theatre and TV audiences for years, it has nonetheless taken almost three decades to make it to the big screen. "He makes Sid Vicious look like an innocent paper boy! I will never understand why Disney is obsessed with regurgitating its beloved hits and ruining the music with bad singers. He's belting out notes and controlling his breath like he was born to it. This is the first song of the movie and it does a fantastic job of setting the tone of the entire movie in terms of characters and how the songs will be. Meryl Steep is arguably the greatest actress of all time. I remember liking the image on the record album, of Brando and Maria Schneider, although I didnt quite understand it. I love Emma Watson, and she does a great job playing Belle as the strong-willed, powerful woman that she is. But clearly all eyes will be on Depp when "Sweeney Todd" is released. It's like a silent movie with music. This one is sung by Johanna Barker, and while the vocals are superb and the performance itself is convincing, the problem with this song is that it doesn't really fit in with the rest. 13:02 GMT 18 Jan 2008. I think you're right and you can sing this part.'". "I want to play Zsa Zsa.". Id never heard anything like it. So Sunday church services, it was like, Hallelujah, brothers and sisters, and then he would start picking Stepping on the Clouds. That was where I got the bug: watching my uncle play the guitar with his little gospel group, right in front of me. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. He's able to pull off heroin addicts, corrupt criminals, romantic leads, Jedi knights, and dancing candles all wonderfully. When I was twelve, I talked my mom into picking up a Decca electric guitar for me for twenty-five dollars. Hansard and fellow singer-songwriter Markta Irglov share a unique bond on screen that eventually spilled over to a real life relationship and a successful musical duo. It showcases how caring the characters about Turpin, but it's not a major moment in the movie. "It's the only thing he has and the only thing that drives him or keeps him alive." ", And did his long-term girlfriend, French singer Vanessa Paradis, give him any pointers before he took on the task of singing on film? The director of the film tried to portray Sweeney Todd as more physically desirable. It showcases just how much they mean to him, as he genuinely sees the blades as part of him, as extra limbs almost. (Tim Burton apparently referred to it as "The Sound Of Music with blood".). Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd featured incredible performances from Johnny Depp and Helena Boham Carter, alongside memorable tunes and lyrics. ", Check out everything we've got on "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.". Let me know your thoughts on this list! Mr. Depp has debunked his own musical skills in interviews. His jeans are ripped, and his black shirt is open at the neck to reveal a gonzo necklace, a tribute to his late friend, Hunter S. Thompson. Seeing the main character and the man he is actively trying to kill singing a duet together isn't something that you expect from this movie. . It's a key moment for the character of Mrs. Lovett and really explains everything about her character, with the need to look after people while also not being very good at her job. Burton does better than anyone else . After belting for the first time in 'Sweeney Todd,' the actor rocks out on his life in music. So rapidly did her condition deteriorate, that at one point there were fears she might not survive. Musical lovers and Stephen Sondheim fanatics know Sweeney Todd really well. And yet Sondheim approved you without an audition. However, his need for revenge outweighs everything and that passion and emotion really shines through within this song. They can be kind-hearted, loving souls who sing show-tunes and dance! Depp doesn't deliver any of that. Queen Latifah is a powerhouse to say the least. Depp looks around the tastefully appointed room. The crossword clue possible answer is available in 5 letters. Johnny Depp was brilliant as the all-singing, all-murdering demon barber of Fleet Street, Sweeney Todd, in the movie of the classic Stephen Sondheim musical. ", "I've sung on stage in the past, but I think there was something wrong with the spores in the air conditioning because Lindsay Duncan and I lost our voices. Yes, Johnny Depp did his own singing in the film Sweeney Todd. how it feels to be an attraction at Disneyland. One wonders about the injustice he is meting out to his victims, soon to become fodder of Mrs. Lovett's meat pies, as he relentlessly pursues his quarry. Further grief- stricken, Todd attempts to ply his former trade, but when rival barber Adolfo Pirelli (Cohen) threatens to unmask Todd as Benjamin Barker, Todd has no option but to silence him by slitting his throat. However, that is also why it's not one of the best songs in the movie because it just doesn't fit in as well as the other songs. Is Johnny Depp really singing in Sweeney Todd? He seems tortured and haunted by the information that has just been delivered to him. The old Disney cartoons used to have Broadway stars and talented vocalists behind every princess and cartoon animal in the film. Going into the project, Sondheim (above, far left) was not exactly enthused with the fact that one of his favorite projects was going to be converted to film. In terms of emotion, this song is right up there as one that really will get audiences thinking. Depp is a hands-off actor Shutterstock. "He saw him as just a very sad character. is a little tired. Then my brother, very pleased with himself, started turning me on to other things, like the soundtrack to Last Tango in Paris. My mom and my dad werent particularly musical, no. Sweeney Todd becomes obsessed with that dream of revenge and that becomes a compulsive obsession, a madness. But it just lacks in the emotional aspect, which is where this movie thrives. Every kid with a guitar at that time, the first things that came up were almost always Smoke on the Water, obviously, and 25 or 6 to 4, by Chicago. It was like they bought the couches from the Ramada I n n that was closed down by the Health Department in 1970. Depp has come a long way from his childhood in Kentucky, the youngest of four children. The film is undeniably his, and the clips don't lie: The performance looks to be a tour de force. Just sing.' "They made me really nervous," he admits. He is due to take on the role of legendary American gangster John Dillinger in the forthcoming movie Public Enemies, based on the Bryan Burrough bestseller, and from there? But I didnt know if I could sustain a note, or belt one out. Especially in a musical performance, where we will be even more critical. Sweeney Todd might be a barber haunted by the need. 15 Best and Worst Johnny Depp Roles: From Scissorhands to Sparrow NEXT PAGE: Singing couldnt be more foreign to me in a lot of ways, but at the same time, I need to incorporate my own process to find it, to see where I land., The star of the new Tim Burton-directed gruesome musical tells EW about exercising his vocal chords, being doused with fake blood -- and why his daughter thinks he's really weird, Johnny Depp on cutting loose in ''Sweeney Todd''. JOHNNY DEPP: Ah, finally! Sweeney Todd - The Real Story. pumpkinqueen, melanie_v and 8 others like this. RELATED:10 Best R-Rated Movie Musicals, Ranked By IMDb. 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