Let There Be Peace on Earth...and oh, Sweeny Todd

They are caroling on my flist. Yesterday while on our way to walk on the beach, my mother started singing along with a carol on the radio, she rarely does that. The carol is not necessarily specific to Christmas, but it does tend to be religious in character...

Here it is:

( Let there be peace on earth )

Last night visited Glenn Kenny's Year-End Best of Movie list - you can find it on In Company of Glenn and this system is too slow for me to find the link again and copy it here. The run-down? I only remember four of the films he listed, none of which I've seen. But if you have and disagree - feel free to hop over to his blog and argue with him about it. He appears to want that.
(Just don't tell him that I told you to.)

The four I remember are: No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, I'm Not There, and Sweeny Todd.

The one that I find the most interesting is the mention of Sweeny Todd.
The *lj* non-professional critics don't appear to like it that much, while the print and professional critics appear to love it, so much that its been making their ten best list. This is not the only list I've seen it on.

The online/offline critical response to the film version of Sweeny Todd is oddly similar to the response to the Doyle theatrical revival - which starred Michael Cervis and Patti Lupone as patients in an aslym for the criminally insane doing the show, while playing musical instruments. This version is not unlike that one in that it is a creative adaptation of the work in which the filmmaker does not attempt to recreate the popular Len Cariou/Angela Langsbury version but does something brand new with the piece. Burton much like Doyle - has decided to do an *interpretation* of a play that he loved. Showing how he perceived it and why he loved it in the process. So when we see the work - what we should see is not just the work of Sondheim, but also Burton's own take on it, own experience of it. As a result *purists* or fans of the original, who dream of seeing the original on film, will probably not appreciate or like this new version. While those who were either ambivalent about the original, don't remember it, or have never seen it - will enjoy the new version. And of course there are those of us in between who will like all the versions.

It is worth keeping in mind that the original creator, Stephen Sondheim, loves the new adaptations of his work. In Burton's case - Sondheim not only approved the choices Burton made, stating that the introductory song (the Ballad of Sweeny Todd) was not necessary in a film version not to mention a bit out of place, but also in some regards advised Burton to make these choices and to cut the songs and scenes that he did. Sondheim is an interesting creator - he appears to prefer to see his work adapted and altered in new ways as opposed to being recreated in the same way over and over again. It is one of the many things I love about Sondheim. I also agree with him - a good adaptation should reflect and comment on the original work not look exactly like it. But then I'm not a cultural purist.

Another point worth noting about Sondheim - is that people Sondeheim has cast aren't necessarily great singers. In the original Broadway version of A Little Night Music - Glynnis Johns sang the lead of Desiree...her voice is not what I'd call spectacular (not that I'm an expert). Angela Langsbury also is not known for her singing voice, although she is better than Johns. In the film versions? Ah, well West Side Story's leads did not sing - Marni Nixon sang for Wood. And in A Little Night Music - with Elizabeth Taylor - same deal. Why do they do this, you ask? Simple. They need to market the film to a broad audience. Which means they need a *marquee* name to sell it. When West Side Story was made into a film - the marquee names were Natalie Wood and Richard Beemer. I don't think it takes an expert to figure out why someone would cast Johnny Depp in the lead role - his name sells movies. I'm willing to bet there are quite a few people who will see Sweeny just because Depp is in it. Len Cariou? Would get an audience of a hundred people if that.

Haven't seen Sweeny Todd as of yet - depending on time constraints, I may see it with my mother after Christmas off island. It's only playing in one theater down here. And it is more than possible once I see the film, that I may not like it. Won't know until I've tried it, I guess.

Lovers and Other Strangers

Parents are off to the mall to check on their cell phone. All the Xmas shopping has been done. Laundry is banging about in the dryer. And it is a sunny mild day on Hilton Head, green trees, bits of blue...much nicer than spending Xmas in Kansas City, which I hear is cold and covered with snow that is rapidly turning brown and yellow. Or for that matter New York, cold and the color of dirty socks this time of year. But to be truthful, as much as my family makes me crazy whenever I'm with them, I love to be with them during the Xmas holidays, more so than any other holiday during the year. I remember struggling to explain this to a Jewish friend one year - he could not understand why I didn't put more importance on Easter or Thanksgiving. Proof that it can be difficult to understand someone if you haven't experienced how they've been brought up.

Anyhow, yesterday afternoon, I watched an old flick on TCM entitled Lovers and OTher Strangers circa 1970, and starring Bea Arthur, Diane Keaton, Bonnie Bedelia, Gig Young, Anne Meara and Cloris Leachman. A humorous and at times bittersweet film about marriage and dating. Like most 1970s flicks this one was more interested in character exploration than action. Very little appears to happen in this film. It is more an examination of real life, the ordinary, and during a specific period of time. The 70s films tended to be less melodramatic than the films that followed in the 80s, 90s and millenium, although a couple of films in 2006 and 07 seem to reflect that old style - such as Closer, Sideways and Michael Clayton. Lover's and Other Strangers concerned five relationships, the newly-weds, played by Bedelia and some guy whose name I can't remember, her parents, his parents, her friend's marriage, his friend's blind date, and his brother's disintergrating marriage. The overall theme of the piece was that marriage is hard work, love isn't wild passion, and things don't always work out the way we expect. With an underlying theme about female and male sexuality and how both view relationships. What I found intriguing was some of the hairstyles and clothes are making a come-back. The long sweater jacket, the pulled back long hair, vests, and ack sideburns.

The best bits were between Anne Meara (Bedelia's friend) and her husband as well as the blind date between the usher and bridesmaid. Meara clearly was the bread-winner in the family while her husband took care of the kids. The first scene with them is in bed - she's asking him for sex and he's telling her that he's too tired. He says at one point, maybe we can do it after the wedding, get the kids a separate room. So after the wedding, they try to get together but instead argue - over who is the boss. Meara's hubby believes he should be the boss - he's the man. Meara doesn't understand why they can't be equals.
The blind-date was a riot. He kept trying to get her into bed, she kept putting him off and wanting to leave. When they finally get together the next night after the wedding, he's curled up in a ball wanting to go to sleep and wishing she'd just leave pulling as far from her as he can get, she's happily musing and stroking his back. This bit is interchanged with two other bits - one with Bea Arthur and her hubby (the grooms parents) who do not have a physical relationship or much of one, since Bea Arthur's character found sex disgusting with her husband (made her gag) and keeps retreating to the bathroom and locking herself inside. Her husband wishes he'd married the school-teacher that he had more in common with but was not into him. (He does not look like an intellectual nor sound like one). Yet they have a good relationship. The other bit is between the bride's parents - Gig Young who is having an affair with his wife's friend, unbeknowest to his wife. The friend keeps getting upset at the wedding, the wife tells him to go settle her down.
And when he does, the friend asks when he's going to leave his wife for her.
He can't he states - he has to keep everyone happy.

The song playing during all of this is the one made famous by the Carpenters, entitled "For All We Know"...it also I believe won an Academy Award at the time.

Interesting flick overall. A bit slow in places, but incredibly funny in others. Had some laugh out loud moments.