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By PHILIP WUNTCH
Movie Critic Emeritus
Two demons are currently at large on movie screens. One's an oil baron; one's a barber; and their films are cinematic magic.
Daniel Day-Lewis plays avaricious oil tycoon Daniel Plainview in Paul Thomas Anderson's magnificent "There Will Be Blood," while Johnny Depp assumes the title role in Tim Burton's triumphant screen translation of Stephen Sondheim's stage classic "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."
Day-Lewis is the current frontrunner for the best-actor Oscar. One reason is purely pragmatic: 2007's other most-lavishly praised contender, "No Country for Old Men," is an ensemble effort, while Day-Lewis dominates "There Will Be Blood." Another, more artistic reason, is that Day-Lewis delivers a hypnotic, mesmerizing performance.
Naysayers have accused Day-Lewis of overacting, but I found his ferocious delivery perfectly in character. Like most successful businessmen, Daniel Plainview is a showman, and Day-Lewis knows how to put on a show. His eyes instantly analyze the other characters -- and just as instantly dismiss them. His moments of humor always include the dagger of cruel saracasm, while he often uses politeness as a weapon, with displays of congeniality tainted with condescension.
When first seen prospecting for silver in the film's dialogue-free opening chapter, Plainview is anything but showmanly. He seems the embodiment of grit. But his isn't the plucky grit that movie audiences have been trained to adore. Without speaking a word, Day-Lewis conveys the desperate determination of someone who not only enjoys succeeding but also delights when others are failing. Plainview keeps drilling even after breaking his left leg (not the first time a Day-Lewis character has been troubled by left ambulatory disabilities), and we feel every inch of pain and every ounce of fervor.
We've seen countless films about the American Dream darkening into a fatalistic nightmare, and "There Will Be Blood" visually acknowledges such disparate antecedents as "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," "Giant" and "McCabe and Mrs. Miller." But, using Upton Sinclair's "Oil!" as a starting point, director/screenwriter Anderson fashions a film of multiple layers, one that brings piercing insights into parent-child relationships, false business profiteering and false religious prophets. Yes, indeed, the movie's narrative begins in 1898 and concludes in 1927, but its concerns are topical.
Anderson attains his goal aided by Jonny Greenwood's moody, often stunning score, Jack Fisk's alternately expansive and intimate production design, Robert Elswit's brooding, majestic cinematography and, of course, an impeccably chosen cast. Nothing in the director's previous successes -- "Boogie Nights," "Magnolia," "Punch-Drunk Love" -- prepared me for the range and force of "There Will Be Blood."
As mentioned, Day-Lewis dominates the action, but the film contains other memorable performances. Paul Dano, fondly remembered as the alienated brother of "Little Miss Sunshine," captures the contradictory nature of a faith-healer who heads a charismatic church and becomes Plainview's most avid nemesis, while young newcomer Dillon Freasier (pictured above with Day-Lewis) has the heartbreakingly pensive face necessary for Plainview's adopted son, used by his father as a business pawn but virtually abandoned after a tragic accident.
Anderson's skilled direction embraces all his screenplay's emotional layers, and he handles the big action scenes with bone-crunching realism. With the character of Plainview as a grim centerpiece, you might not expect compassion to flow through the film. Yet it does. Director/screenwriter Anderson clearly has sympathy for those who dwell in the human jungle, and that's one of the virtues that makes his film victorious.
ABOUT "SWEENEY": If "There Will Be Blood" offers random explanations for Daniel Plainview's misanthropy, "Sweeney Todd" details all its protagonist's motives, usually in song.
The movie will divide audiences, and be warned that this is not your granddaddy's barbershop quartet. If the idea of a barber singing while slitting a customer's throat strikes you as ridiculous or repulsive, you might be happier with other fare. But most cinema lovers will rejoice. It's director Burton's best film, and that's enough to make us forgive and forget his misguided remake of "Planet of the Apes."
Not that Sweeney Todd is one to forgive or forget. Imprisoned on false charges by evil Judge Turpin, he escapes to learn that the foul judge married his fetching wife and took their daughter as his ward. He soon learns that his wife is an apparent suicide and the judge now plans to wed his ward, Todd's daughter.
Sweeney initially seems more-sinned-against-than-sinning, but when his plans for immediate vengeance are thwarted, he starts giving fatal shaves to many of his customers. They then are quickly chopped up and baked in pies served by lovelorn landlady Mrs. Lovett. Suddenly, her once rat-infested dinery becomes one of London's most popular establishments.
All this mayhem attains rhapsodic grace, with Burton's direction being as grandly operatic as the Sondheim score. The music has been truncated and remolded, but in ways appropriate to a cinematic rather than stagebound approach.
For the stageplay's 1979 Broadway debut, Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury brought outstanding voices to the murderous musical duo of Todd and Mrs. Lovett. Here, musical newcomers Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter play the dynamic duo. They prove skillful enough to handle Sondheim's most intricate melodies and insinuating lyrics. Or else there's been a superb job of sound mixing. They're also in fine form both dramatically and comedically.
Depp always enjoys taking chances, and if the new movie is good enough to grant Burton forgiveness for "Apes," Depp's performance is good enough to remove the blot of those last two "Pirates" movies. He always locates the plaintive soul behind Todd's bloody deeds, and only his final act of fiery violence completely alienates the audience.
Bonham-Carter also distills the loneliness and hardship that make Mrs. Lovett a willing accomplice. As the villainous judge, Alan Rickman epitomizes the corruption of power, with sublime character actor Timothy Spall a seedy delight as his toadying henchman. Sacha Baron Cohen scores hilariously as Todd's professional rival and first victim, while Jamie Campbell Bower brings melodic voice to the male ingenue role of Anthony, who can't help it if he's always in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Sweeney Todd" has a sense of unity that's rare, especially for a film version of a stage musical. From the opening scene, with Depp and Bower sailing into London, one lauding the city's charms while the other condemning its social inequities, everything in the movie fits. It's one bloody victory.
BURYING THE "DEVIL": "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood" are the year's two most acclaimed films. Also, two of the bleakest. But a third, equally bleak film, Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," should rank alongside them. But somehow it's not. Despite superb performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke and Albert Finney and riveting direction by the 83-year-old Lumet, the movie has been shunned by the Screen Actors Guild awards and seems unlikely to gather much Oscar attention.
Perhaps, as webmeister Pete Oppel suggested, the West Coast resents Lumet's East Coast bias. He's always been situated in Gotham and has often voiced his dim view of Hollywood. If that's the reason, his dim view seems entirely justified. The movie had a successful run at the Magnolia but has now vacated theaters. I'm not sure when the DVD is scheduled, but be sure and catch up with it.
Movie Critic Emeritus
Two demons are currently at large on movie screens. One's an oil baron; one's a barber; and their films are cinematic magic.
Daniel Day-Lewis plays avaricious oil tycoon Daniel Plainview in Paul Thomas Anderson's magnificent "There Will Be Blood," while Johnny Depp assumes the title role in Tim Burton's triumphant screen translation of Stephen Sondheim's stage classic "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."
Day-Lewis is the current frontrunner for the best-actor Oscar. One reason is purely pragmatic: 2007's other most-lavishly praised contender, "No Country for Old Men," is an ensemble effort, while Day-Lewis dominates "There Will Be Blood." Another, more artistic reason, is that Day-Lewis delivers a hypnotic, mesmerizing performance.
Naysayers have accused Day-Lewis of overacting, but I found his ferocious delivery perfectly in character. Like most successful businessmen, Daniel Plainview is a showman, and Day-Lewis knows how to put on a show. His eyes instantly analyze the other characters -- and just as instantly dismiss them. His moments of humor always include the dagger of cruel saracasm, while he often uses politeness as a weapon, with displays of congeniality tainted with condescension.
When first seen prospecting for silver in the film's dialogue-free opening chapter, Plainview is anything but showmanly. He seems the embodiment of grit. But his isn't the plucky grit that movie audiences have been trained to adore. Without speaking a word, Day-Lewis conveys the desperate determination of someone who not only enjoys succeeding but also delights when others are failing. Plainview keeps drilling even after breaking his left leg (not the first time a Day-Lewis character has been troubled by left ambulatory disabilities), and we feel every inch of pain and every ounce of fervor.
We've seen countless films about the American Dream darkening into a fatalistic nightmare, and "There Will Be Blood" visually acknowledges such disparate antecedents as "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," "Giant" and "McCabe and Mrs. Miller." But, using Upton Sinclair's "Oil!" as a starting point, director/screenwriter Anderson fashions a film of multiple layers, one that brings piercing insights into parent-child relationships, false business profiteering and false religious prophets. Yes, indeed, the movie's narrative begins in 1898 and concludes in 1927, but its concerns are topical.
Anderson attains his goal aided by Jonny Greenwood's moody, often stunning score, Jack Fisk's alternately expansive and intimate production design, Robert Elswit's brooding, majestic cinematography and, of course, an impeccably chosen cast. Nothing in the director's previous successes -- "Boogie Nights," "Magnolia," "Punch-Drunk Love" -- prepared me for the range and force of "There Will Be Blood."
As mentioned, Day-Lewis dominates the action, but the film contains other memorable performances. Paul Dano, fondly remembered as the alienated brother of "Little Miss Sunshine," captures the contradictory nature of a faith-healer who heads a charismatic church and becomes Plainview's most avid nemesis, while young newcomer Dillon Freasier (pictured above with Day-Lewis) has the heartbreakingly pensive face necessary for Plainview's adopted son, used by his father as a business pawn but virtually abandoned after a tragic accident.
Anderson's skilled direction embraces all his screenplay's emotional layers, and he handles the big action scenes with bone-crunching realism. With the character of Plainview as a grim centerpiece, you might not expect compassion to flow through the film. Yet it does. Director/screenwriter Anderson clearly has sympathy for those who dwell in the human jungle, and that's one of the virtues that makes his film victorious.
ABOUT "SWEENEY": If "There Will Be Blood" offers random explanations for Daniel Plainview's misanthropy, "Sweeney Todd" details all its protagonist's motives, usually in song.
The movie will divide audiences, and be warned that this is not your granddaddy's barbershop quartet. If the idea of a barber singing while slitting a customer's throat strikes you as ridiculous or repulsive, you might be happier with other fare. But most cinema lovers will rejoice. It's director Burton's best film, and that's enough to make us forgive and forget his misguided remake of "Planet of the Apes."
Not that Sweeney Todd is one to forgive or forget. Imprisoned on false charges by evil Judge Turpin, he escapes to learn that the foul judge married his fetching wife and took their daughter as his ward. He soon learns that his wife is an apparent suicide and the judge now plans to wed his ward, Todd's daughter.
Sweeney initially seems more-sinned-against-than-sinning, but when his plans for immediate vengeance are thwarted, he starts giving fatal shaves to many of his customers. They then are quickly chopped up and baked in pies served by lovelorn landlady Mrs. Lovett. Suddenly, her once rat-infested dinery becomes one of London's most popular establishments.
All this mayhem attains rhapsodic grace, with Burton's direction being as grandly operatic as the Sondheim score. The music has been truncated and remolded, but in ways appropriate to a cinematic rather than stagebound approach.
For the stageplay's 1979 Broadway debut, Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury brought outstanding voices to the murderous musical duo of Todd and Mrs. Lovett. Here, musical newcomers Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter play the dynamic duo. They prove skillful enough to handle Sondheim's most intricate melodies and insinuating lyrics. Or else there's been a superb job of sound mixing. They're also in fine form both dramatically and comedically.
Depp always enjoys taking chances, and if the new movie is good enough to grant Burton forgiveness for "Apes," Depp's performance is good enough to remove the blot of those last two "Pirates" movies. He always locates the plaintive soul behind Todd's bloody deeds, and only his final act of fiery violence completely alienates the audience.
Bonham-Carter also distills the loneliness and hardship that make Mrs. Lovett a willing accomplice. As the villainous judge, Alan Rickman epitomizes the corruption of power, with sublime character actor Timothy Spall a seedy delight as his toadying henchman. Sacha Baron Cohen scores hilariously as Todd's professional rival and first victim, while Jamie Campbell Bower brings melodic voice to the male ingenue role of Anthony, who can't help it if he's always in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Sweeney Todd" has a sense of unity that's rare, especially for a film version of a stage musical. From the opening scene, with Depp and Bower sailing into London, one lauding the city's charms while the other condemning its social inequities, everything in the movie fits. It's one bloody victory.
BURYING THE "DEVIL": "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood" are the year's two most acclaimed films. Also, two of the bleakest. But a third, equally bleak film, Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," should rank alongside them. But somehow it's not. Despite superb performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke and Albert Finney and riveting direction by the 83-year-old Lumet, the movie has been shunned by the Screen Actors Guild awards and seems unlikely to gather much Oscar attention.
Perhaps, as webmeister Pete Oppel suggested, the West Coast resents Lumet's East Coast bias. He's always been situated in Gotham and has often voiced his dim view of Hollywood. If that's the reason, his dim view seems entirely justified. The movie had a successful run at the Magnolia but has now vacated theaters. I'm not sure when the DVD is scheduled, but be sure and catch up with it.
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