Disagree
The more I think about it, I the Ballad of Sweeney Todd would have came off as slightly awkward. They could have changed the lyrics slightly, and put in the titles, but all the following reprises would have been awkward to pull off.
I think part of the fun is listening to how people sing it. Not everyone is going to have a dramatic baritone who sins the role of Sweeney. I had more problems with where Depp went slightly off pitch in his punk rock type singing and where he cut off the vowels early and hung on consonants. But at the same time, I liked his declamatory delivery because it made the text accessible. Also, I think nearly any untrained singer would sound weak against that orchestra because it is simply larger than the stage versions.
As for acting, Depp may have been over-obsessed, but the movie's script wasn't telling us things like "Sweeney pondered and Sweeney planned." It had to be shown, one way or another.
I thought Bonham Carter was great as Lovette. She would have sounded stronger if she was a Mezzo, but she's not. I enjoyed her performance regardless.
Certainly not the best movie musical, especially if we're going on the strength of the actor's voices. However, I enjoyed it a lot.
|
