Depp and Clooney Deliver Cinematic Chills and Laughs

Johnny Depp. George Clooney. Both are movie stars in their own rights. They both were television stars that made the jump to the big screen successfully by playing against conventional Hollywood standards. Sometimes it paid off through commercial success (Pirates of the Caribbean) or through awards victory (Clooney's Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Syriana).

Depp and Clooney's latest film choices still follow in the same vein as the previous choices by mixing the commercial elements with a dash of quirkiness. The recent DVD release of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street showcases another go-around with Depp and long time collaborator Tim Burton as director. Clooney's latest theatrical film Leatherheads is a throwback to the fast paced comedies of the 40's and 50's.

On the surface, both films are as different as can be. One is a musical, and the other is a comedy set in the madness of the 1920s Prohibition era. Despite the obvious genre differences, there is humor laced in both Sweeney and Leatherheads, which can be credited to Depp and Clooney. For a better understanding, let's get a breakdown of each film's strengths and weaknesses. Starting with Burton's attempt at resurrecting Sweeney Todd into a cinematic madman.

For Sweeney, the plot is focused on one barber's quest for revenge after his life is destroyed based on a false criminal charge given by the evil Judge Turpin. This one action ruins the barber, his wife, and his infant daughter. Decades after the incident, the barber, now known as Sweeney Todd, returns to his old stomping grounds as a former shell of himself. Sweeney (Depp) explains his cynicism to a young sailor that "The years, no doubt, have changed me."

The rest of the film unfolds by reintroducing the villainous Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) and his henchman Beadle Bamford (Timothy Spall) to the scene as mean old men who enjoy inflicting pain on others. Add a damsel (Jayne Wisener as Sweeney's daughter) and a widow with ulterior motives (Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett) to complicate matters. Will Sweeney get his revenge ? If he does, what will it cost him? What will happen to him once he is done? Who will he hurt to get what he wants?

The film addresses those questions through song and proudly displays the surprising vocal talents of Johnny Depp, which should make anyone wonder what other secret talents he's hiding. Depp is the one performer who keeps this movie together from falling apart under the weight of the plot's madness. Bonham Carter provides some acting and vocal support to Depp, but his voice usually overshadows hers. Due to his limited singing skills, Rickman is the film's biggest casualty. Rickman is a talented actor, but he should leave the singing to someone else. Despite the extremely dark subject matter and a flat conclusion, Sweeney has a comedic tone that sustains throughout the entire length of the movie.

The opposite can be said about the tone for Clooney's third film as a director/actor. Leatherheads bounces between breezy comedy and serious sports movie before returning to comedy. The plot indicates the mood from the very beginning when Clooney first steps onto the field and demonstrates what how smooth of an operator he really is.

For Leatherheads, Clooney turns on the charm as middle aged quarterback Dodge Connelly. His goal is to take football to the professional arena by any means necessary, which leads him to hiring WW I hero and Princeton superstar Carter Rutherford (John Krasinki). Along the way to professional success, both men come across ruthless reporter Lexie Littleton (Renee Zellweger). Dodge and Carter are both hesitant to trust Lexie for professional and personal reasons, but this distrust travels into their partnership on the field. Dodge feels overshadowed by Carter's arrival when his long time teammates prefer the war hero to him.

Unfortunately, both men are unaware of two greater threats: Lexie's story to destroy Carter and the legitimization of professional football. The rest of the film details the fallout of both plot points with some humorous sight gags to keep people guessing as to what is really happening. Despite all the chaos, the rivalry between Dodge and Carter stays to true to form even in a final match-up that leaves both men wondering what the futures holds for them. Will one of them choose a relationship with Lexie, or a professional football career? The answer is apparent from the get-go, but it is still fun to watch regardless.

Clooney's portrayal of Dodge is reminiscent of Cary Grant with a pinch of Frank Sinatra's swagger. He makes himself into a man's man secretly looking for acceptance in society as a football star. His swagger melts piece by piece as he spends time with Zellweger's Lexie. What Clooney excels at the best is the movie's extreme comedic moments like fighting Krasinki and avoiding the police in a speakeasy raid. Krasinki's Carter is a mix of modern day Jimmy Stewart and a snake oil salesman. He uses his facial expressions to indicate something below the surface making his intentions to everyone less than honorable.

The film's weakest link is Zellweger herself. Despite delivering some hilarious comedic sparing with Clooney, she seems to be channeling Rosalind Russell's character from His Girl Friday instead of her own character. Everything about her performance feels like déjà vu, and all the more forgettable. Thankfully, her part is only a smaller portion of the film. Otherwise, it would have been better to rent His Girl Friday.

In the end, both Sweeney Todd and Leatherheads are entertainingly flawed films that gives the audience something to sing and laugh about, which is all they ever want. To have fun and nothing else. Maybe a little something unexpected to keep them guessing. Otherwise, the audience would find a new way to be entertained, and no one would want that.