However, I was able to take care of some important business this morning, relatively quickly, and then went to an afternoon screening of SWEENEY TODD, at Jose's old Shirlington stomping ground. There were only a handful of folks in the audience, which surprised me, all well-behaved.
SPOILER!!!
I liked the film in many ways, but first the negative. Re the blood, I found it too plentiful. (1) Most of us know the story. (2) Even if we don't, it's pretty obvious what's happening, and it does not need to happen so graphically. That said, VIXMOM, I don't think it's any worse than much of what the Vixter must already see. I have a simple technique I've used to years: I simply don't look.
I loved the dark, atmospheric quality of the film, and loved the muted colors. So often when I say I loved the color, in any context, people assume I'm referring to bright, shouting-at-you colors. No. I love dark, murky, muddy colors, and this had lots of that, which I think was very appropriate for both the setting and the subject matter.
Opening scenes are important and these grabbed me and pulled me in. I thought the rape was handled very well. You knew what was happening, but there was no need to watch it in any detail. I agree that Toby was wonderful, really impressive. I also liked very much the actor who played Antony. I wasn't sure how I'd like either Johnny Depp or Helena Bonham Carter, both of whom I've liked in other films. I was OK with both of them. I agree with Jose that there were some brilliant moments.
One more negative: the make-up. To my mind, make-up shouldn't be obvious, shouldn't call your attention to it. But this certainly did. Instead of an aging, weathered character, I saw Johnny Depp made up to appear aged and weathered. For me, it was a real distraction.
As one person said as he was leaving the theatre, "Not a Christmas movie." No. But I am, after all, someone who watches Dame Edna a lot around the holidays, and I enjoyed it.
