The Greatest Showman (Michael Gracey, 2017)
Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron
I couldn't find anything to like about this. Hugh Jackman is past his prime, in terms of his looks. The choreography looks to me like a dance studio practising all of the standard conventions for the last twenty-five years, as opposed to expressing something arising out of the story. I don't like the style of singing in which every note is produced differently from its neighbours, and requires considerable effort - which is shown to be used. I was completely indifferent to the songs, which seemed to come off an assembly line, are not memorable, and not much more expressive than the dancing. Michelle Williams is a strange casting choice: she's a small-scale art actress (as in the Marilyn Monroe film, in which she's very good) and this is a big stage-y musical. The most obvious reason for this film's coming into being, thematically, is the celebration of difference, identity politics, etc. So the next-to-central character is: 1. a woman 2. of colour 3. fat, and 4. has a beard. Four for the price of one. I was glad when it was over, and hope I forget it soon.
Garry Gillard | New: 8 March, 2019 | Now: 8 March, 2019