'The Musical' is the latest cinematic genre to undergo a revival in the eyes of Hollywood. Ever since the immense success of LA LA Land, people have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of another to determine whether the return was a one off or if musicals are really back at their best for good. The Greatest Showman suggest its the latter. It may not be "the greatest show", but it is a visually stunning and expertly choreographed movie that is at times joyous to watch.
The Greatest Showman is a much glorified account of the life of Phineas Taylor Barnum (Hugh Jackman), orphaned and penniless but determined to provide a magical life for his childhood sweetheart Charity (Michelle Williams) and his daughters. His desire and innovation leads him to gamble all he has on creating a show in which people "can see things they've never seen before". His collection of oddities are controversial and successful in equal measure. On Barnum's road to greatness, he must decide what is truly important to him.
Undoubtedly, the strongest element of this film is the musical numbers. I didn't personally love them all, but on the whole the performances are vibrant, exuberant and thoroughly entertaining. The original songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the award-winning lyricists for LA LA Land, are paired brilliantly with exceptional choreography of the set-pieces to guarantee that each is as entertaining as the last. Every time Barnum's show performs is breathtaking. Visually stunning, with such bright and varied colour pallets and characters. It took almost all of my reserve to avoid stomping and clapping along in the theatre. Zac Efron and Zendaya's rope performance is also great - mesmerising at times and very moving. There are some very obvious moments of CGI in the numbers, many of which look really shaky.
A stellar cast give some great performances, in particular Hugh Jackman. His background in musical theatre really pays dividend here, as their is inherent entertainment in watching him sing and dance. His is the perfect fit for the "greatest showman" on earth. Outside of the music, he offers an expectedly charismatic turn as Barnum. Zac Efron also really shines. He's (almost) as charming as Jackman and his internal conflict of being torn between two worlds is handled really well. Of Barnum's "freak show", Zendaya and Keala Settle both stand out and feature heavily in the best songs. Rebecca Ferguson is also very impressive. Michelle Williams could be accused of over doing it at times. Austyn Johnson and Cameron Seely deserve special mention for never once crossing the line into annoying child actors.
A valid criticism of The Greatest Showman is that the narrative doesn't take advantage of many of the plot that it establishes.The overall sentiment, that it is okay to be yourself no matter what anyone else thinks, is handled well enough and offers a heartfelt balance to the ecstasy of the song and dance. However, there's debate about the ethics of changing the story of Barnum, who in reality was a really awful man who exploited people's physical and mental disabilities for his own financial gain. Yet, this is ever so briefly addressed in the movie. Whilst it would have been quite intriguing to see a more accurate depiction of his life, the true grittiness is sacrificed in the name of keeping the affair family friendly. On the other hand, I would argue that there's more than enough darkness in the media right now (and the world for that matter), so an exhilarating romp such as this is more than welcome. As Barnum himself says "When was the last time you smiled, or had a good laugh?". This movie certainly offers you that.
Entertaining performances and enchanting musical numbers really propel this film. With Jackman at the helm, it's a classy, charismatic and comedic event. It's by no means perfect, yet it offers a delightful spectacle that will keep you hooked throughout. And more importantly it will make you smile.
3/5 Stars
No comments:
Post a Comment