There will be blood

Too bad the title "There Will Be Blood" was taken by that Daniel Day Lewis flick. In this shocking slasher film set to song, so much gore is spilled that the dripping red blood should get top billing.\nWhat might surprise some is that behind this murder and mayhem is a classic musical by Stephen Sondheim. But this is no "West Side Story," folks. The joyous story line and epic song styling of other musicals is absent in "Sweeney Todd," but with the pairing of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp for the nth time, it's no surprise that the dark humor and despair are done masterfully.\nDepp plays Benjamin Barker, a.k.a., Sweeney Todd, a barber convicted of a crime he did not commit. Sent away from London and his wife and daughter for 15 years, Sweeney has returned to Fleet Street, to the room above the meat-pie shop of Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), to avenge the loss of his wife and daughter by any means necessary. The means just happen to be slashing the throats of his patrons. Oh, and there's something about the meat in those pies, as well.\nAs Mrs. Lovett, the baker of the worst pies in London, Carter is fair. Playing a weirdo with wacky hair seems to suit her quite nicely. Sacha Baron Cohen also makes a notable, if brief, appearance as a swindler and seller of magic hair tonic. But, as usual, it is Depp who commands the audience's attention. \nIn his complex channeling of Sweeney Todd, there are glimpses of the morose teenager he played in Edward Scissorhands, but Todd is far more sinister than I have ever seen Depp. Even as he carries the tunes beautifully and elicits laughter from the audience, a shroud hangs over his head that is at once disturbing and endearing -- making a movie that is worth your time and money, even if you aren't the "musical type."\nDon't be intimidated by the compositions. Aside from a few lame songs and a sappy side love story, you almost forget you're watching a musical, as the tunes are dark and humorous and Depp brings such a fantastic interpretation that this is a must-see and a no-brainer contender for Oscar gold.