The Greatest Showman; Kinda Great.


Recently I went out and bought a copy of The Greatest Showman; it wasn't my intention, but when I walked into the store they were playing the soundtrack and as emotional as I already know I am, I felt myself begin to tear up in the store (I know, I know, it's getting worse) and so THEN I decided it was about time I saw what all the fuss was about.

The Greatest Showman is a film that has always appealed to me, and surprisingly I missed it's cinema run, I'm a sucker for a musical and love anything to do with circus'. Also, with Hugh Jackman at the forefront, it left little to not be excited about. However, yes however; on first viewing I thought it was enjoyable, it was exactly what I expected from it and weirdly that made me feel a little let down. It is fun and it's sweet, but I honestly believe if it wasn't a musical, if it didn't have those songs at the heart of it, it wouldn't be that good. It would be a little flat, a little predictable. Believe me the film is quite predictable WITH the music, but knowing a song about that predictable scenario is coming gets you excited rather than frustrated.

The acting and singing and dancing was great OF COURSE! It successfully pulled off what it was trying to do, I'll give it that. There are some amazing main characters who sing and dance, but it is some of the side characters who have no lines, that I am obsessed with watching perform; the tattooed man, the voodoo twins and an all snow white woman who looks like an extra from Alice In Wonderland. There's an unknown presence there that really gets me toes tapping.

I have one bad-ish confession; Zac Efron was very good, he was, but it is very hard to hear him sing and not think of a certain movie he sung in before. I'M SORRY. I TRIED NOT TOO.

I truly didn't feel that bothered about this movie, but I'll be honest I've had the soundtrack on repeat everyday since I heard the songs for the first time last week; in fact I am listening to it now as I write this. I was worried about the pop-iness of the music, but it definitely gives it that soul and even cheesiness that makes it so smile worthy. You can see why it was the number 1 album for weeks on end.



So, even though the music is better than the film and I got more inspired and entertained by the special features and the journey of the film being made; critics weren't lying when they said it's up lifting. The Greatest Showman may not be new in some musical senses but it is definitely, kinda great.

VF.

Images taken from:
https://www.foxmovies.com/movies/the-greatest-showman
https://writingstudio.co.za/the-greatest-showman-inspired-by-the-legend-and-ambitions-of-americas-original-pop-culture-impresario-p-t-barnum/

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