The Music
After watching Les Mis I immediately rushed out to buy the soundtrack, nineteen tracks of brilliantly realised musical genius (and one track of some cannons accompanied by strings somewhat bizarrely). Who doesn't recognise I Dreamed A Dream, Castle On A Cloud or Stars? When each appears in the film I felt a pleasant reeling of recognition, glad I now knew where the song fit in the context of the the rest of the story. Recurring musical ideas embody thematic links, a mocking reminder of Javert's moral arrogance in Stars sounds before the stubborn policeman launches himself off a bridge and the Bishop's Song reappears as Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, unlike the vicar's faith in God, faith in revolution leads to a sticky end.
On the other hand Sweeney Todd has some great songs, crafted with humour rather than pain. While Anne Hathaway mourns her dead dream in Les Mis, Helena Bonham Carter sings about her appalling pies (and this is before they have bits of people in them). On the whole, Sondheim is to be applauded for crafting such an odd musical, with some inventive lyrics. But while Les Mis leaves you crying out for more, in Sweeney Todd you just want them to stop singing about bloody Johanna. But the music excels when character's sing duets. On the back of Pretty Women and My Friends, I feel I require the Sweeney soundtrack too.
On the whole, Les Mis aims to be epic and heartbreaking, while Sweeney Todd largely rejects bombast to give us more intimate, funny and less serious songs. But, on the whole....
The Winner: Les Mis
The Singing
Russel Crowe has been much criticised for his vocals as Javert, but in my opinion, he was in fine voice like the rest of the cast. On first viewing of the film I found Hugh Jackman's battered vocals (if vocals can be battered) slightly grating, but on the soundtrack I realised how effective his voice is in this character, especially on new song Suddenly. But the top singers in this epic are Eddie Raymond as Marius and Samantha Barks as Eponine, brilliantly capturing the pain of their characters while still sounding pleasant on the ear. But the main strength of Les Mis is Tom Hooper's choice to have the singing live on set. The music sounds more raw and real, and really adds to the emotional drama.
Meanwhile, Johnny Depp is a revelation. His voice manages easily to portray both elation and a deep hatred for the world at appropriate moments, his singing sounds effortless. Helena Bonham Carter is equally wonderful, her vocals expertly embody the weakness of her character. But the surprise hit is Jamie Campbell Bower, whose turn as Anthony, the only decent character in this whole debarkle, has easily the most powerful voice in the cast. While the vocals for Sweeney Todd are pre-recorded, this strangely seems appropriate as Burton isn't aiming for gritty realism, but his traditional twisted fairytale. But despite this...
The winner: Les Mis
The Acting
Hugh Jackman holds the whole thing together as Jean Valjean, and his transformation throughout the film is a sight to behold. Russell Crowe generally scowls a lot, but I suppose that's what Javert does, his suicide is still affecting. Meanwhile, Eddie Raymond's heartbreak hits you like a brick wall in Empty Chairs. And Sacha Baron Cohen is surprisingly humorous as Thenandier, creating the only light-hearted moments in the whole miserable affair. But, as her BAFTA shows, Anne Hathaway is the real star of the show. Her downfall come fairly early on in the film, and sets the tone for everything that follows.
In fact both films have some top quality British actors in them (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter are in both). But Sweeney Todd has the upper hand. Helena Bonham Carter is promoted from bit-part to leading lady, and her talents allow sympathy for the frankly horrible Miss Lovett, whose desperation for happiness makes it all the more sad that Todd doesn't care for her at all. Speaking of Todd, after Johnny Depp's performance I can't imagine anyone else playing him. His brooding is top notch, as is his casual slitting of various people's throats. Meanwhile, Alan Rickmen is stone cold and evil, although not quite as bad as his nemesis Todd. Therefore...
The Winner: Sweeney Todd
The Director
Tom Hooper directed British hit The King's Speech, so clearly knows how to grab his audience's attention. The drama is hammed up as much as it will go, but it feels epic rather than melodramatic. Sweeping shots of France and intimate soliloquies are handled with equal ease, although sometimes the same shot lingers a little too long during the songs.
While Tom Hooper can step back and let the iconic musical do its work, Tim Burton has a much harder task. Sweeney Todd is hardly Les Mis, which leaves a little more oppertunity for the director's input. Although it can be argued that most of Burton's film share a similar style, the broad umbrella term of dark fairytale has many nuances. Rest assured, this isn't Alice in Wonderland (although Carter and Depp are in both). This is luxuriously stylised, the viewer is likely to feel that they are in a storybook land when rushing through the streets of London and the costumes for Depp and Carter are hugely appropriate and memorable. The highlight for me in terms of style was By The Sea, where Depp and Carter are transplanted into various idyllic setting, with Depp looking utterly miserable in all of them. So, I think you'll agree with me that....
The Winner: Sweeney Todd
And so I am left with a difficult choice. While Les Mis is musically superior, subtle stylishness is harder to achieve than epic bombast. But then again Les Mis is definitely more emotional (I'll admit it, I did cry a little). Therefore...
The Ratings
Les Miserables: 8/10
Sweeney Todd: 8/10
Sweeney Todd clip
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