Heeelloooooo! I'm back to writing movie reviews (hopefully, on a regular basis), after receiving a diagnosis of Heart Failure, two months after giving birth, it was a complication from my Gestational Hypertension.
Honestly, I'm still not sure what the future holds, I took an extended medical leave for three months to rest. I'm back to work, taking care of my son during the weekends and hopefully back to my good old self. In the mean time, here is my first review for 2018-the historical period drama musical "The Greatest Showman" !!!
I came in the theater with no expectations about the film, I haven't listened to any of the songs prior to seeing the film, which is unusual for me given that I'm such a music nerd. I only saw this special on Fox Movies, which really didn't reveal much, except that Hugh Jackman is really the ultimate performer (as if we didn't already know that already!) and that the original song from the movie, "This is Me" recently won "Best Original Song" during the recent Golden Globes. So, despite not knowing any of the songs, there I was, wanting to get up from my seat to stomp my feet and start to singing and dancing.
I loved the transitions used in the film, it had that theater feel, where one dance twirl would move the story nine months forward, aside from that it is visually appealing, it keeps the story at a quick pace.
Additional praise for incorporating sound effects in the film to give emphasis to the songs. I'm a real sucker for that!
The story follows a pretty simple format, P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) is a poor tailor's son, who works for the rich Halletts, P.T. falls in love with the Hallett's daughter Charity (Michelle Williams) and they marry years later and have two daughters.
Charity is happy with their simple life but Barnum wants more, after being laid off work, he gets a bank loan (through not so honest means) and starts his "business venture" which through some changes becomes "Barnum's Circus".
Aside from being a music nerd, I'm pretty much a history buff and while I already mentioned that the artistic liberties taken and historical inaccuracies in the film can be disappointing and deceiving, there really is more to the story of P.T. Barnum and his circus than the movie lets on.
Some of the characters in the film, are even composite characters (composite characters are made up of more than one individual). A quick Google search will make for additional history lessons, just in case you are interested.
Its also interesting to note that when the film was released in the US in December of 2017, this was seven months seven months after the circus stopped operating (after a 146-year run), amid animal cruelty cases and a decline in ticket sales.
Okay. I know its not a happy thought but just in case you guys needed a little reminder, you might also want to think of it in a way, that this is the closest to a Circus you will probably be, also so you know what to say to your kids when they ask.
Historical inaccuracies aside, the film also celebrates being different and unique and raising your freak flag high! Nowadays, we have supermodels who suffer from skin disorders like Vitiligo but its always a good reminder for us to be more accepting of the outcasts of society and those who are different from us. It still makes me sad when I hear of stories of bullying and this goes beyond being bullied for your physical appearance but other aspects as well (interest and passions, mental health, social status, among others).
This review will not be complete, without singing praise for the performance of Hugh Jackman, Zac Effron, Zendaya and Michelle Williams.
We all know that Huge Jackman-errr Hugh Jackman (watch the hilarious Crosswalk Musical of "The Greatest Showman" on The Late, Late Show With James Corden here) is the ultimate triple threat and he definitely delivered on the expectations of him, being 'the greatest showman' -so to speak, so I will just leave it at that.
Michelle Williams has a slew of awards under her name but I didn't know she was such a good singer and dancer! Okay, so she does Broadway too-my bad!
It was really a pleasant surprise to see her sing and dance with Hugh Jackman!
Can I just say that I am so happy to see Zac Efron put his High School Musical props to good use in this film, I've kind of gotten tired of him doing adult romantic comedies. Its nice to see him put those pecs to good use with those impressive dance moves while belting out those tunes.
Now, I don't really follow the career of Zendaya since she is from a younger generation of entertainers, I first saw her in Spiderman: Homecoming and I must say that this Tita of Manila was really impressed with her voice, her trapeze act and chemistry with Zac Efron was on point.
8 out of 10. "The Greatest Showman" is a musical spectacle which will make you stomp your feet and whose music will stir and move you; its story telling through music is a sensory overload. Although liberties taken with the artistic license, AKA historical inaccuracies and a rather simple and predictable story was the price that had to be paid but its all worth it, for a memorable cinematic and musical experience.
"The Greatest Showman" will be having previews on January 22 and 23, before being released nationwide on January 31.
The soundtrack to the film is already available for streaming on Spotify, you can follow me ica_cheng for my personal favorites from the OST. :)
