It’ll be pooh-poohed and probably for some pretty legitimate reasons. There’s definitely some cognitive dissonance here. But I loved it for what it was: a big splashy musical – featuring good songs with memorable hooks – performed by people who can really sing and really dance. Plus Zac Efron!
Here’s my review of The Greatest Showman for Rogerebert.com.
I am so excited to see this! (Though I will probably have to take in The Last Jedi first.) It’s always great when filmmakers really embrace a genre, like musicals or westerns, and Hugh Jackman–well–what can I say?
I loved it!
2017–I’m weeding books now that haven’t checked out since then!
And I finally saw this movie. On dvd at home instead of in the theater. It’s a fantasy of running away and joining the circus, to be sure, a fantasy of inclusion instead of exploitation. But I loved it. The numbers you singled out in your review are wonderfully stirring, especially “Rewrite the Stars”, and the dance in the bar with the shotglasses–not to mention Michelle Williams leaning out over the edge of the roof with Hugh Jackman grounding her. Beautiful. I’m just sorry it took me so long!
(And because everything comes back to SPN for me, here’s a little treat for you. This vid spurred me to catch up to this show–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuuikCkBG7Q ) Do you want to go?
Barb – so glad you saw it! Yes, it’s a total fantasy – a circus tricked out for 21st century sensibilities – a Utopia, really – but I do love it! I absolutely love how Michelle Williams just leaps out into the air and he catches her. Thrilling.
and thanks for the video!! Thrilling! I miss the SPN. :(