Tim Burton's remake of Sweeney Todd represents the director's darkest work to date. While dark elements have always been a staple of Tim Burton's films, in the past, they were largely limited to character styling and set design; making a vengeful murderer the protagonist is a new endeavour. Adapted from the Broadway musical, the film features the actors doing their own singing, which adds to the dramatic intensity; in this writer's opinion, the cast's vocal abilities are quite impressive. The musical nature is something audiences are already familiar with from the director's previous films (Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, and The Nightmare Before Christmas, for which he created the characters). The central theme of revenge leads to numerous bloody scenes. The handling of these—reminiscent of the exaggerated blood-spattering in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill—maintains Burton's signature quirky atmosphere.
The male lead is played by the director's long-time collaborator, Johnny Depp. There is absolutely no need to doubt the chemistry between him and the director. In playing this vengeance-filled barber, Depp brings out a sense of evil whilst also retaining a degree of humour. Helena Bonham Carter, who plays the female lead, has appeared in films by the director (and her boyfriend) since Planet Of The Apes. With one great partner and one girlfriend, the imagery envisioned by the director is naturally and perfectly realised. The film also introduces several actors from the opera world to the silver screen, delivering natural performances; among them, Jamie Campbell Bower shows great potential to go further. Sacha Baron Cohen, playing the arrogant barber, leaves a deep impression despite his short screen time. The young Ed Sanders is a pleasant surprise in the film, delivering a very natural and outstanding performance, conveying the character's emotions without any pretension.
As always, the director orchestrates the visuals and music to match perfectly. Combined with a tense and engaging plot, Sweeney Todd is the first film to make my top ten list this year. I look forward to the director's next film!