It's a slasher flick. It's a musical.
And I think it's my early Oscar pick.
Because this is simply fabulous. Horrific and hilarious, the photography is perfect (the light/dark contrasts and use of splashes of color are spectacular), the direction tight and reasonably free of Tim Burton's flights of self-indulgent fantasy, and the singing is even pretty good, for a bunch of non-professional singers.
And Johnny Depp ... oh ... my ... gosh. He's crooning lovingly to his razors one minute, and plunging headlong into madness the next. The man can *sing,* and not only is his acting absolutely perfect (and Oscar worthy) he actually manages to still be hot with an inch of pale pancake makeup and a hairdo that's reminescent of the Bride of Frankenstein.
The other performance that can't be ignored is Helena Bonham-Carter. Her Mrs. Lovett has a sweet, sad unrequited love for Todd, and she pours emotion and depth into the performance without resorting to screeching or fawning. She takes a murderous baker and makes her break your heart. It's wonderful.
The trippy seaside sequence is perfect, and keep an eye out for Sasha Baron Cohen proving that he can be more than Borat.
This is an immediate classic, and I'll be buying the DVD the day it is released.
It's been a long time since I enjoyed a movie this much.
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