Irma la Douce (1963) - Wilder's overlong prostitution comedy

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Colorful levity and hijinks are promised on this poster for Billy Wilder's Irma la Douce

In Paris' sinful Rue Casanova, a new copper roams, indignant and active in upsetting the obvious prostitution going on there, but only until he falls head over heels for the charming Irma.

 

Irma la Douce is written by I.A.L. Diamond (One, Two, Three (1961)) and Austrian-Hungarian/American master filmmaker, co-writer/co-producer/director Billy Wilder (Bad Seed (1934)), whose 19th feature it was. It is an adaptation of the same-titled 1956 French stage musical. The title is French and translates to 'Irma the sweet'.

This poorly aged Wilder adaptation beckons you to accept prostitution a an easy and comfortable life, one that is also natural and without any negative sides to it. That proposition is a hard one to swallow, and fatiguing as well. The same can be said of Jack Lemmon's (Some Like It Hot (1959)) policeman character's unexplained 180 turn in the story from a by-the-book stickler to a completely embracing participant in the monkey business goings on of the Rue Casanova. His plan involves him keeping Shirley MacLaine's (Around the World in 80 Days (1956)) Irma from her sidewalk 'career' by dressing up as an English professor with very deep pockets.

Jokes are repeated ad infinitum. Irma la Douce is overlong. Handsome sets and costumes weigh up; and Lemmon's caricature of an Englishman is funny. But Irma la Douce overall is taxing.

 

Related posts:

Billy Wilder:  The Front Page (1974) - Wilder's hilarious Chicago newspaper comedy

Double Indemnity (1944) - Wilder's noir classic 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 5 mil. $

Box office: 31.5 mil. $

= Huge hit (returned 6.3 times its cost)

[Irma la Douce premiered 5 June (New York) and runs 147 minutes. The film was envisioned as a repairing of Lemmon with Wilder and Marilyn Monroe as Irma, but the latter's overdose death in 1962 meant the hiring of MacLaine. It seems that Wilder, Lemmon and MacLaine negotiated the same pay deal of 350k $ plus 7.5 % of the profits, a very lucrative deal as it turned out, which reportedly also meant that United Artists only profited 440k $ from the film's stellar theatrical run. Shooting took place from October 1962 - February 1963 in California and Paris, France. The film was a huge hit in North America, where it was the year's 5th highest-grossing with rentals of 12 mil. $/25.2 mil. $ (80 % of the total gross). It also struck huge in Netherlands with 3.6 mil. admissions, becoming the biggest hit in the country for many years. The film was nominated for 3 Oscars, winning for Best Score - Adaptation/Treatment (André Previn (Dead Ringer (1963))). It lost Best Actress (MacLaine) to Patricia Neal in Hud and Cinematography - Color (Joseph LaShelle (A Child Is Waiting (1963))) to Leon Shamroy for Cleopatra. It was also nominated for a BAFTA, won a David di Donatello award and 1/3 Golden Globe nominations, among other honors. Wilder returned with Kiss Me, Stupid (1964). Lemmon returned in Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963); MacLaine in What a Way to Go! (1964). Irma la Douce is fresh at 75 % at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Irma la Douce? 

Hair (1979) - Reflect on 1960s youth counter-culture with Forman's infectious musical

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Bright colors and youthful energy bounces from this poster for Milos Forman's Hair

 

A young man from Oklahoma arrives in New York and is immediately enchanted by a long-haired hippie group of youths in Central Park. He falls in love with a young fallen-from-grace debutante, but he is drafted for the military and subsequent service in the war in Vietnam.

 

Hair is written by Michael Weller (Lost Angels (1989)), adapting the successful 1967 Broadway musical by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, and directed by Czech-born American master filmmaker Milos Forman (Black Peter/Cerný Petr (1964)), whose 6th film it was.

The essence of Hair is in many ways incomprehensibly stupid: It appears to believe fully and wholly in favor of its young heroes' carefree approach to life, which allows robbery, deserting one's children, permanent laziness, disintegration of families and taking lots of drugs. Many of the songs are on some level dumb, - but also ridiculous and comical, the hair and clothes contributing greatly to this quality. The many uses of the n-word also grinds in one's ears today.

The ending, - changed from the stage musical, - is smart, SPOILER as Treat Williams' (What Happens in Vegas (2008)) hippie leader character Berger meets the gravity of life, when he, due to a case of a draft-dodging plan misfiring and mistaken identity, is sent away to fight in Vietnam.

Hair has undeniably catchy songs, - the funny White Boys/Black Boys number is worth highlighting, and the excellent rendition of Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In), arguably the film's climax. Despite its criticizable outlook, the film is entertaining and very valuable as a historical document that brings insight about the strife and youth revolts of the 1960s and 70s. There's also a unique energy and radiance in Hair, which simply has to be seen to be understood.

 

Related posts:

Milos Forman: 2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

Goya's Ghosts (2006) - Forman's under-appreciated last major picture  

Top 10: The best biopic movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Top 10: The best big hit movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Amadeus (1984) or, The Fool Genius and his Teacher  

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) - Forman's 1970s gold-rimmed classic

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 11 mil. $

Box office: 38 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 3.45 times its cost)

[Hair premiered 14 March (California, New York) and runs 121 minutes. Shooting took place in October 1977 in Washington, D.C., New York and California. The film made 15.3 mil. $ (40.3 % of the total gross) in North America. It was nominated for a César award, 2 Golden Globes and won 2 David di Donatello awards, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it  a 4/4 star review, translating to 3 notches over this one. Ragni and Rado publicly bashed the film. Forman returned with Ragtime (1981). John Savage (Beverly Hills Christmas (2015)) returned in The Onion Field (1979); Williams in 1941 (1979); and Beverly D'Angelo (Accidental Love (2015)) in Coal Miner's Daughter (1980). Hair is certified fresh at 82 % with a 7.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Hair?

Nine (2009) - Stars and robes save Marshall's Italian fantasy

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'Be Italian' lures a swanky cast of five non-Italian stars from this glamorous poster for Rob Marshall's Nine

Guido Contino, the leading Italian filmmaker and artiste, is poised to start production on another film, his ninth. But he is blocked from writing its screenplay, and his wife is leaving him. SPOILER Only when he rediscovers the boy within himself can he return to the work.

 

Nine is written by Anthony Minghella (Women (1983, TV-series)) and Michael Tolkin (Deep Cover (1992)), adapting the same-titled 1982 Broadway musical by Maury Yeston (Grand Hotel (1989)) and Arthur Kopit (Phantom (1992)), and directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago (2002)).

It is naturally regrettable to any admirer of Italian cinema that the country's artists don't conquer the world themselves with this musical based on cinema icon Federico Fellini's situation following his 8½ (1963). Yet Marshall has mixed a fiery cocktail with a delectable cast of Daniel Day-Lewis (The Age of Innocence (1993)), Penélope Cruz (All the Pretty Horses (2000)), Sophia Lorén (Angela (1977)), Judi Dench (Quantum of Solace (2008)), Marion Cotillard (The Immigrant (2013)), Nicole Kidman (The Railway Man (2013)) and others and marvelous costumes, so that Nine transports us to an Italian wonderland in its best sequences nonetheless. Fergie's (Marmaduke (2010)) number as Saraghina is very good.

 

 

Marshall talks about the movie in this 4-minute clip

 

Cost: 80 mil. $

Box office: 54 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 0.67 times its cost)

[Nine premiered 3 December (London) and runs 118 minutes. Cotillard was paid 1 mil. $ for her performance in the film. Shooting took place from October 2008 - January 2009 in Italy, including in Rome, and in England, including in London. The film opened #21 to a 257k $ first weekend in 4 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #8 the following weekend in 1,412 theaters, grossing 19.6 mil. $ (36.3 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 7.5 mil. $ (13.9 %) and the UK with 4.5 mil. $ (8.3 %). The film was nominated for 4 Oscars: Best Supporting Actress (Cruz), lost to Mo'Nique in Precious, Art Direction, lost to Avatar, Costume Design, lost to The Young Victoria, and Song (Take It All by Yeston), lost to The Weary Kind from Crazy Heart. It was also nominated for an Oscar, 5 Golden Globes and several other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 2/4 star review, translating to a notch under this one. Marshall returned with Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011). Day-Lewis returned in Lincoln (2012); Cotillard in 3 shorts prior to her theatrical return in Inception (2010); and Cruz in Sex and the City 2 (2010). Nine is rotten at 39 % with a 5.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Nine?

In the Heights (2021) - A complete winner

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+ Best American Movie of the Year + Best Musical of the Year + Best New York Movie of the Year + Best Romance of the Year

 

The four young leading characters made into a mural on this delightful, colorful poster for Jon M. Chu's In the Heights

Usnavi is a young man about to turn 30, working in a convenience store in Washington Heights, New York, while dreaming of a future far away. And dreams are plentiful over-all in the latino-dominated neighborhood.

In the Heights is written by Quiara Alegría Hudes (My America (2012, TV-series)), adapting the same-titled 2005 musical by Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda (Clayton's Friends (1996)), and directed by Californian master filmmaker Jon M. Chu (Step Up 2: the Streets (2008)), whose 10th feature it is.

In the Heights is like a shot of really good vitamins, the very top shelf of cinema vitamins, as this is a musical that is brimming with vitality, musicality, physical expression, meanings, romance and great values.

The story is a journey of personal development, especially of lead Usnavi, SPOILER who has to face that he already belongs to a wonderful community, and that his dreams are built on the unnecessary illusion that he has to start completely over in another country which he doesn't really know. But there are faceted stories around his as well: Especially of Vanessa, his secret sweetheart's doubts about her prestigious education at Stanford University and her wish to unburden herself from her father's huge expectations. The musical takes it upon itself to introduce its audiences to a general identity for the latino immigrants, and Usnavi's adoptive grandmother Claudia exemplifies this strong-willed, hard-working individual who is hell-bend on making a good living for herself in the US.

The film is a spirited musical and swinging from the get-go, fueled by an urban rhythm that goes on and explodes in countless absolutely fabulous set-piece song and dance numbers: 96,000 (at the public pool), Pacienca y Fe and Alabanza are just some of the terrific show-stoppers that are truly soul-lifting pieces of entertainment, like balm to the cinema-lover's soul after the crushing months of China Virus lockdowns.

The cast is a sensational group of performers who all deserve credit: Anthony Ramos (Monsters and Men (2018)) is a hell of a charmer as our dopey hero with the strange name Usnavi, (get the explanation for that in the film); Melissa Barrera (L for Leisure (2014)) is strong as Vanessa, who deals with many issues; of search for identity, racism, a strained father relationship and uncertainty as to her future and purpose in life; Corey Hawkins (The Walking Dead (2015-16)) is a gift to the screen as Benny; and Leslie Grace holds her own fine as his romantic interest Nina, who dreams of being a clothes designer and live downtown. They all sing and dance like a dream. There's Olga Merediz (Custody (2016)), wonderful as Claudia, a loving heart for the film; Jimmy Smits (Cane (2007, TV-series)) is tremendous as Vanessa's father, and young Greogry Diaz  IV (Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt (2018, TV-series)) has a bright performance as Usnavi's cousin Sonny.

Rarely does a film for adults push out the first kiss between its romantic center for as long as happens here, but In the Heights makes it work for it, as we have been too involved and entertained during the long wait to roll our eyes, and when the thing really takes place, a whoosh went through the packed, heatwave-stricken theater that I saw the film in, as hearts raced inexorably in the patrons in their seats. Emotions soar, there's laughter and tears and so much rampant joy and humanity at its best to celebrate in In the Heights: This is a film you do not wanna miss at a cinema!

 

Related post:

 

Jon M. Chu: 2021 in films - according to Film Excess

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 55 mil. $

Box office: 39.7 mil. $ and counting

= Uncertain but looks to become a huge flop

[In the Heights premiered 9 June (USA, Iceland, Indonesia) and runs 143 minutes. The film was supposed to be directed by Kenny Ortega in 2008, but plans stalled without a major latino star attached. Shooting took place from June 2019 - ? in New York, including in Washington Heights. The film makes several changes to the story and characters from the stage musical. The release was postponed for many months due to the China Virus pandemic, and the film was eventually released simultaneously to theaters and as streaming at HBO Max. The streaming service announced that it only was streamed at 693k households during its first weekend. It opened #2, behind holdover hit A Quiet Place II, to an 11.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd weekend and has grossed 28.8 mil. $ to date. Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets at the moment are the UK with 5.3 mil. $ and Australia with 2.5 mil. $, while most other foreign markets are listing tiny receptions. Several markets are opening soon: 22 July (Germany, Italy), 30 July (Japan), 19 August (Hungary, Slovakia), 20 August (India) and 9 September (Russia), but the film is falling far, far behind in terms of breaking even or becoming a hit. Reportedly 50 mil. $ was additionally spent on marketing it. Chu has 4 films slated as director in pre-production. Ramos returns in In Treatment (2021, TV-series), Blindspotting (2021, TV-series) and theatrically in Distant (post-production); Barrera in Scream (2022); Hawkins in The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021), and Grace does not have an announced next gig as an actress yet. In the Heights is certified fresh at 95 % with an 8.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of In the Heights?

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) - Great musical numbers define cultural cornerstone

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Two long-legged glamour girls look ready to give a show on this colorful, inviting poster for Howard Hawks' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Two show singers take a cruise to Europe, where one of them means to wed her ridiculous millionaire fiancée. Tomfoolery and a lost diamond tiara get in the way.

 

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is written by Charles Lederer (Ocean's Eleven (1960)), based on the same-titled 1949 Broadway musical, and directed by Indianan master filmmaker Howard Hawks (The Road to Glory (1926)), whose 39th feature it was.

It is a vulgar and shamelessly materialistic movie, which probably shouldn't be judged on this, since it is a comedy, but when the laughs don't materialize as is the case here, one feels compelled to note it nonetheless. Marilyn Monroe (The Asphalt Jungle (1950)) is vamped up, and so is Jane Russell (Waco (1966)). There is handsomely choreographed, catchy and good-looking musical numbers, but Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is still a dumb film (with a memorable but unrelated title.) 

Related posts:

Howard Hawks: El Dorado (1966) - Hawks, Duke and Mitchum's great western

The Big Sleep (1946) - The sexiest noir carousel you will ever ride
Top 10: The best adaptations reviewed by Film Excess to date
Top 10: The best B/W movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Bringing Up Baby (1938) - A screwy gathering

  

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 2.3 mil. $

Box office: Reportedly 5.3 mil. $

= Minor flop, some uncertainty (returned 2.30 times its cost)

[Gentlemen Prefer Blondes premiered 1 July (Atlantic City) and runs 91 minutes. Russell was paid 200k $ for her performance, while the then lesser-known Monroe was paid 500 $ a week. Shooting took place in London, England and in Los Angeles from November 1952 - January 1953. It is said that the musical numbers were more or less directed by choreographer Jack Cole (River of No Return (1954)). The film was the 8th highest-grossing worldwide of the year and made 5.1 mil. $ in North America. That leaves only a 0.2 mil. $ gross for all foreign markets, which seems unlikely and hard to believe, - but is nevertheless the numbers that are recorded. Hawks returned with Land of the Pharaohs (1955). Russell returned in The French Line (1953); Monroe in The Jack Benny Program (1952-53) and theatrically in How to Marry a Millionaire (1953). Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is certified fresh at 98 % with a 7.86/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes?

Mamma Mia! (2008) - Lloyd's preposterous, up-beat pop snare

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+ Best $ Return of the Year: 11.72

Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried, obviously styled to be mother and daughter, in a heavily manipulated Greek landscape on a poster for Phyllida Lloyd's Mamma Mia!

A beautiful young woman who has never known her father is getting married and invites the three men, who all may be her father, to come to her wedding in her mother's decrepit hotel on a Greek island.

Mamma Mia! is written by Catherine Johnson (Love Hurts (1993-94)), based on her own 1999 same-titled hit stage musical, built around the hits of Swedish pop quartet ABBA, and directed by Phyllida Lloyd (Gloriana (2000, TV movie)), whose theatrical debut it is.
The inevitable film version of the colossally popular London and Broadway smash 'jukebox musical' hit is a cheerful, energetic film that especially rouses joy in its lively musical numbers. - And as a consequence of the lovely cast, of whom Meryl Streep (The River Wild (1994)), Julie Walters (Billy Elliott (2000)) and Christine Baranski (Relative Strangers (2006)) are best.
Dominic Cooper (My Week with Marilyn (2011)) is miscast and looks like an only cute but not very bright or genuine husband-to-be. And below the colorful shenanigans the film wears on the nerves with its story: In part its gender-based, cliche-heavy stringency, - men and women who seem to come from different planets the whole way through, - and in part the problems with Streep's character: Though she seems like an intelligent woman, it is not until the end, - in a wedding scene that in a bizarre way is suddenly no longer the daughter's but instead her mother's, - that she realizes that it was her father-seeking daughter who had invited the three 'ghosts' of her romantic past to the island, (of course.) It is also hard to reconcile that this same charming, attractive mother character has spent her entire adult life on a Greek island without developing any meaningful relationships there, (all the locals are extras only.) To put it mildly; preposterous.

Related post:

Phyllida Lloyd: The Iron Lady (2011) - Meryl Streep's global triumph as Lady Thatcher

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]  

Cost: 52 mil. $
Box office: 609.9 mil. $
= Mega-hit (returned 11.72 times its cost)
[Mamma Mia! premiered 30 June (London) and runs 108 minutes. Shooting took place in Marrakech, Morocco, Greece, the UK and in California. The film opened #2, behind fellow new release The Dark Knight, to a 27.7 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another two weeks in the top 5 (#3-#4) and grossed 144.1 mil. $ (23.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 94.3 mil. $ (15.5 %) and Germany with 39 mil. $ (6.4 %). It was the highest-grossing live-action musical until Beauty and the Beast (2017), the highest-grossing film directed by a woman until Wonder Woman (2017), and the 5th highest-grossing film of the year, (3rd highest-grossing 'internationally', that is without North America.) It was nominated for 2 Golden Globes, 3 BAFTAs, a Grammy and some other awards. Roger Ebert gave it a 2/4 star review, translating to a notch harder than this review. The film became the fastest-selling DVD release ever in the UK, selling 1.6 mil. units in its first day, ending with more than 5 mil. sales there. It fared similarly in Sweden, where ABBA are from, both in cinemas and on DVD. The-Numbers estimate the home video sales at more than 147.3 mil. $. The stars returned for Ol Parker's sequel Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again (2018), which was successful if not a mega-hit as its predecessor. Lloyd returned with The Iron Lady (2011), again with Streep. Streep returned first in Doubt (2008); Pierce Brosnan (Seraphim Falls (2006)) with a voice performance in Thomas & Friends: The Great Discovery - The Movie (2008) and physically in The Greatest (2009). Mamma Mia! is rotten at 54 % with a 5.53/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Mamma Mia!?

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) - Mitchell's big rock musical blow-out

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John Cameron Mitchell's platinum blonde title character sings her heart out on this poster for his Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Hansie, an East-German boy, grows up to become a beautiful female rock singer in the West, who tours with her band, all the while the bitter breakdown of her relationship with young rock phenomenon Tommy pains and affects everything.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch is written and directed by great Texan filmmaker John Cameron Mitchell (Rabbit Hole (2010)), whose debut it is. It is based on Mitchell and Stephen Trask's (The Savages (2007, score)) same-titled 1998 musical.
It is a fantastically distinctive and memorable film with some delightful songs, hair, makeup and costumes. - And an intense Mitchell in his own title role. Michael Pitt (Dawson's Creek (1999-00)) is also a star in the making as Tommy.
What can be criticized about this very stylishly assertive film, - which in fact can feel somewhat like watching a 90-minute, great music video, - is that it elevates Hedwig's narcissism and makes it its own, refusing to take interest in anything besides her limited, self-centered and overly dramatic world. This especially hurts the film's inauspicious ending.

Related posts:

 

John Cameron Mitchell: 2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Rabbit Hole (2010) - Kidman and Eckhart shine in Mitchell's excellent drama 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 6 mil. $
Box office: 3.6 mil. $
= Huge flop (returned 0.6 times its cost)
[Hedwig and the Angry Inch premiered 19 January (Sundance Film Festival) and runs 92 minutes. Shooting took place in Ontario, including Toronto, from July - August 2000. Most of the lead vocals were recorded live. Pitt reportedly ate onion and garlic prior to his prolonged kissing scene with Mitchell out of discomfort. The film opened #28 to a 156k $ first weekend in 9 theaters in North America, were it peaked at #23 and in 101 theaters (different weeks), grossing 3 mil. $ (83.3 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were South Korea with 286k $ (7.9 %) and France with 94k $ (2.6 %). The film was nominated for a Golden Globe, won an award at the Berlin International Film Festival, was nominated for 5 Independent Spirit awards, won a National Board of Review award, 2 awards at Sundance and several other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3/4 star review, translating to a notch higher than this one. Mitchell returned with Shortbus (2006) as a filmmaker and as an actor in Girls (2013-14)). Hedwig and the Angry Inch is certified fresh at 92 % with a 7.9/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Hedwig and the Angry Inch?

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) or, Tim Burton's Bloody Theatrics

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+ Most Overrated Movie of the Year

Crimson and dark colors and Johnny Depp with death-like makeup and hair are the main ingredients on this poster for Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Sweeney Todd returns vindictive to London, where his mistress lost her life to an evil judge, whom Todd now wants to see suffer...!

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is written by John Logan (Rango (2011)), with Christopher Bond handling musical adaptation, based on the same-titled 1979 stage musical by Hugh Wheeler (Meet Me in St. Louis (1989)) and Stephen Sondheim (Follies (1971)), and directed by Californian master filmmaker Tim Burton (Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)), whose 13th feature it is.
The extremely meager story is clasped around Burton's perhaps most unappealing film: Sweeney Todd spends most of his time either running around a hyper-animated version of 19th century London or in grey, dark, sad rooms.
Johnny Depp (Public Enemies (2009)), Alan Rickman (Quigley Down Under (1990)), Helena Bonham Carter (A Merry War (1997)) and Sacha Baron Cohen (Madagascar (2005)) are propped up with ridiculous hair and costumes while singing forgettable songs. - Except, perhaps, the one on the wretched pies in the beginning of the film, which is at least a bit amusing.
The film is excessively vulgar in its grisliness; it mixes British theatricality with dull characters and songs in an artificial, ghastly design, blended with a couple of androgynous but still boring beauties. It is a dreadful and enigmatically overrated picture.

Related posts:

Tim Burton: Dark Shadows (2012) - Fun, flamboyant vampire romp is a celebration of culture
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
Alice in Wonderland (2010) - Wasikowska is the perfect lead for Burton's visual wonderland 
2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 
Corpse Bride (2005) - Impressive, loud, hollow, dark doll fairytale 
Ed Wood (1994) - Burton's sticky biopic with strenuous Depp
Batman Returns (1992) - Burton gives us the ultimate, Gothic spin on Gotham City and its sinister characters
Top 10: The best action movies and TV-series reviewed by Film Excess to date
Batman (1989) - A huge, glitzy, empty joker
Beetle Juice (1988) - Burton and team serve one of the best horror comedies ever    

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 50 mil. $
Box office: 152.5 mil. $
= Box office success (returned 3.05 times its cost)
[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street premiered 3 December (New York) and runs 116 minutes. Burton saw the musical on the stage in London several times as a young man and had wanted to make an adaptation for decades. Depp took singing lessons to prepare for the role. Shooting took place in England, including London, from February 2007 - ?. The film opened #5, behind fellow new release National Treasure: Book of Secrets, holdover hits I Am Legend and Alvin and the Chipmunks and another new release, Charlie Wilson's War, to a 9.3 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd week and grossed 52.8 mil. $ (34.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 21.7 mil. $ (14.2 %) and Japan with 19.6 mil. $ (12.9 %). The film was nominated for 3 Oscars: It won for Best Art Direction and lost Best Actor (Depp) to Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood, and Costumes to Elizabeth: The Golden Age. It also won 2/4 Golden Globe nominations, was nominated for 2 BAFTAs, a Grammy and won 2 National Board of Review awards, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, translating to 5 notches higher than this one. It sold in excess of 1.8 mil. copies at the domestic home video market, accruing an additional 38 mil. $, which, if added into the calculation, would change its status to that of a big hit. Burton returned with Alice in Wonderland (2010). Depp returned in SpongeBob SquarePants (2009, TV-series) and physically and theatrically in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009). Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is certified fresh at 85 % with a 7.71/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street?