Sweeney Todd

[desperance]

I am not good at, and not interested in, the fine art of critiquing one film in terms of another; all that self-referentiality just gets right up my nose.

Even I, though, cannot watch Mrs Lovett and Toby singing "Not While I'm Around" without seeing it as a Really Sinister remake of Nancy and the Artful Dodger singing "I'd Do Anything".

Or in other words, yup. Seen the movie. Really liked it. Not entirely but certainly not least because there were three count 'em three of my lust objects on the screen. At one moment, all three of them together. Sigh...

Comments

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

Timothy Spall not, I assume, being one of them.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough, my companion did say she probably wouldn't throw him out of bed - but she's a Meatloaf fan, so QED, really.

For me, no. He is fantastically creepy, but not invited into my innermost fantasies. Alan Rickman, on the other hand, has owned them for years. And Johnny Depp might still have been the prettiest human being on the planet, if it weren't for Jamie Campbell Bower, who looks like a young Jonathan Rhys Meyer (and won't JRM just hate that? *sniggers*). So, yup. Picture me a molten puddle of goo.

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

and won't JRM just hate that?

He'll pout. OK, pout even more than usual.

Interestingly, an ex-friend of mine who was in a minor boy band looks like an older JRM. Do you think someone's growing them in a vat somewhere?

[desperance.livejournal.com]

If so, d'you think he'd take orders...?

(Down, boy! Down!)

[mantichore.livejournal.com]

When I saw Depp and Bonham-Carter as Sweeney and Mrs Lovett, my first reaction was that young-ism had struck again. But after reading and interview with Sondheim where he says he assisted in the adaptation and vetted Depp and Bonham himself, I've started to take a less jaundiced eye to the whole enterprise. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait for the DVD, since the film is only being shown in dubbed (yeurg!) version in Bordeaux. Dubbed musicals. When will distributors be fitted with an actual working brain?


On the subject of lust objects, I'm still rather shaken by the news of Heath Ledger's death. Damn, why is it always the actors I really like?

[desperance.livejournal.com]

It works, it does work. Young though they are.

Dubbed musicals? That's ... insane.

And Heath Ledger's dead? I hadn't heard. Damn.

[mantichore.livejournal.com]

Dubbed musicals is a sad idea, but sometimes,when it's cleverly and carefully done, it sort of almost works. For instance, the Disney films went through the process and ended up fairly well. But Sweeney Todd? No way I'm even going to check how it works out. Mind you, perhaps it's only the dialogs which are dubbed, and the songs are subtitled. But still, I don't wanna see that. I'll wait for the DVD.

Yeah, the Ledger story seems to be quite recent. Such a great actor, too...

[durham-rambler.livejournal.com]

There was a BBC4 programme about Jacques Brel which managed to dub all the French speakers, except the footage of Brel which was subtitled: the programme makers weren't quite that stupid. But you would have thought (and indeed, shewhomust (whom I see almost but not quite gets a name check a little lower down) and I did think) that most of the people interested in this subject would have been French speakers enough to appreciate hearing the other contributors speaking for themselves, with help from the sub-titles.

[mantichore.livejournal.com]

Oh, television, programmes usually have voice-over, here. But most films are dubbed. Most people don't like to read subtitles. I suppose it distracts them from the movie itself! ^______^

Still, it's especially annoying on songs.

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

Just heard it on NPR on the way home. Incredible shame. And what a loss for even those who did not include him among lust objects, because his acting career had taken so many interesting turns.

Yes, Depp is gorgeous, but he's also courageous as an actor. I expect he will age in fascinating ways...

[cinderberry.livejournal.com]

You mean, you're capable of noticing somebody other than Alan Rickman when he's on screen?

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Alan Rickman, and Johnny Depp, and Jamie Campbell Bower. All together. Whoo, yeah...

*melts*

*in a furnace*

[pogodragon.livejournal.com]

I've no idea who that 3rd one is, but Messers Rickman and Depp together on screen, along with Helena Bonham Carter, who, whilst not being a lust object for me, I do also adore ...

I have tickets to go and see it next Wednesday with 2 of my partners as a birthday treat (just getting one of them to the cinema at all is a minor miracle). Can't wait!

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Jamie Campbell Bower? Oh, just a stray 19-year-old godling... (http://www.observer.com/2007/he-s-19-he-s-beautiful-and-he-s-bloody-good)

And I've just realised, I managed to talk about the film without at any point going "Mmm, Sondheim..."

'Nuff said, really.

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

Give him about 5 years and he might be passable. At the moment he's just too damned girly.

[mantichore.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I have the same problem with Johnyy Depp. He's still mostly a pretty boy to me. And hence carries a vapid feeling about him.

[pogodragon.livejournal.com]

I looked him up after I posted the comment and was pleased to see that I wasn't being stupid in not recognising him.

I don't think I get Sondheim, but maybe that's because I've not practised enough. I have hopes of wanting to see ST several times.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

If you will say things like "I don't think I get Sondheim," you must be prepared to have practice thrust upon you. A friend of mine has a riff about Dylan, that those people who admit to not liking him are doomed to spend the rest of their lives listening to him, because everyone will say "oh, but you must just listen to this, this will change everything you think about Dylan..." and so on. And on. It's partly due to his constantly reinventing himself, but mostly the impossibility of accepting that godhood is not universally recognised.

Soon as I read yr comment, I was thinking "now then, what would I play her, to open her eyes to the wonder that is Sondheim...?" Be glad that you are many miles away.

And enjoy the movie: there is much to enjoy apart from the music. And with luck the music will insidle (my new verb, from 'insidious' - there doesn't seem to be one) under your guard and convert you from within.

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

I class Dylan along with Morrissey - I just don't get the level of worship.
Both good songwriters, but whose voices are incredibly grating on my ears.

Which is odd, given that I like the rather ropey voices of Lou Reed, Bryan Ferry, Tom Waits and Steve Harley.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Too young and pretty for me - but you could cast him as Jamie Macallan.

Oddly, my first thought when you mentioned the lust objects was "Good knives?"...

[desperance.livejournal.com]

I was looking at a lovely damascened knife today. And told myself firmly that I really truly did not need more knives.

Didn't buy it. Quite. But, damascened steel around a carbon-steel core...

And, yes. Jamie Macallan to the core. If only there was a film to cast him in, quick, before he ages...

[martyn44.livejournal.com]

Sorry, Mr Depp is spoken for. My daughter even watched 'Chocolat' for him (just the once, you understand)

Sondheim, Depp, Mr & Mrs Burton, Alan Rickman . . . I mean, what is not to like?

[pennski.livejournal.com]

I believe I have the prior claim...

Now I have to get well enough to go to the cinema again.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Damn, are you still ill? Demand more of the tiny white pills! I had to have two successive prescriptions one time, and the doc was muttering darkly about 'trying more radical measures' if the second didn't sort me out.

I think it was sheer terror that got me breathing again that time.

And Johnny's mine, as it happens. Listen, I tru-love Johnny so much, I went to see the ballet of "Edward Scissorhands" that he isn't even in. So!

[pennski.livejournal.com]

Sadly so.

Gory details here.
http://www.livejournal.com/editjournal.bml?itemid=54763

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Um, I only get an error on that link...

[pennski.livejournal.com]

That's 'cos I'm a twit and have put up the link to edit the entry.

You can see in on my journal.

The good news is, having posted that yesterday, I am noticeably a step better today.

[wakaba-chan.livejournal.com]

Alan Rickman, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in one film = yummmmyyyy!

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Take tissues. No, it's not a weepy; you'll need them for mopping up the drool.

[wakaba-chan.livejournal.com]

Ahh, I have already seen it! It was wonderful. My housemate and I keep running around our house singing about priest pies!

[desperance.livejournal.com]

"Or shepherd's pie peppered with actual shepherd on top..."

[wakaba-chan.livejournal.com]

But the only trouble with poet is... how do you know it's deceased?!