THE GREATEST SHOWMAN: THE GREATEST FILM OF 2017?

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

rating: ★★★★☆

time: 1 hr 45 min

Censorship Rating: PG

Big Names: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Keala Settle

WHY SHOULD I SEE THIS FILM?

• The casting is fantastic!
• Based on a true story (though how much of it is true I really don’t know)
• It looks amazing
• Zendaya did her own stunts
• It’s a feel-good film
• The voices of the cast are really utilised and the soundtrack is gonna be so cool

WHAT IS “THE GREATEST SHOWMAN” ABOUT?

So… The Greatest Showman… is a loosely-based story about P.T. Barnum (you can thank him for the circus). This is an original musical movie (think along the lines of Lala Land) with a stunning cast and some seriously brilliant shots (the colouring of the film was to die for).

So… who is P.T. Barnum? Dude is an ethically messed up guy but the film gives him a big smile and an elephant so it’s okay? The movie shows that there really is quite a lot wrong with the character (can I even call him a character???), in that he thrived off of him exploiting animals, marginalised groups and physically disabled people, because hey that is just how circus stated okay don’t shoot the messenger.

MY THOUGHTS

THE FAULTS

Considering they spent 7 and a bit years getting this film onto the screen, the movie felt pretty disjointed and I just felt like they really sanitised and idolised a pretty ethically screwed up man. He really made all of his money off of what made other people “freaks”, and boy, did he milk it. He doesn’t sound like the best guy but hey, we’re still rooting for him?

So, in a second I’m going to praise the music but for now, can we just admit that nothing is perfect? So… the music sounds good but some of it really didn’t feel like it fit the period. In reality, all of this was going down in the 1800s so when I started getting a pop vibe from some of the songs that sounded like stuff I would hear on the radio I was like, whatttt? Like, it has this awesome pop vibe but also an 1800s backdrop?? It was weird, but damn they sounded good so I’m not gonna complain anymore.

Okay, nobody hurt me but I wanna just say this one lowkey negative thing and then I’ll talk about the pros and leave immediately.

Okay, so maybe this movie was a tad disjointed plot-wise (dude had a crazy life) and maybe it dealt (subtly) with a lot of social issues that were never fully discussed (the cast is pretty large and most of the characters have their own issues) and the movie is kind of  only carried by Hugh Jackman’s commitment to the project and an amazing soundtrack.

(yep running away now)

THE GOOD STUFF

Okay, so when you watch the trailer what do you notice? The soundtrack and the cinematography.

My favourite things about this film are the soundtrack (which I am definitely buying), the FAN-BLOODY-TASTIC choreography (especially in the below gif), and how beautiful the film looks with your eyeballs. And yeah, I am listening to the soundtrack on repeat right now (it’s on YouTube) and I’m never turning it off.

My favourite songs (in no particular order): The Greatest Show, This Is Me & Rewrite The Stars

• some of the musical numbers had a pop vibe and didn’t progress the plot but some of them really did and damn were they good (that bar scene amirite?)

AND FINALLY, YA GIRL IS GONNA HAPPY RANT ABOUT THE CASTING

I feel like if the movie had gone on a darker, sadder route with Barnum than Hugh Jackman definitely would not have been fit for the part BUT, considering the vibe of the film it did really feel like he was fit for the film.

In other words, I loved it. Hugh Jackman’s character was definitely a bit of a dick but if you just watch it for what it is then you’ll be set to go.

ALSO, Zendaya is gonna have a fantastic career (the girl can do anything and I love it) and I feel like it’s been an age since I’ve heard Zac Efron sing and maybe I missed it I don’t know he just has a nice voice??

Okay, so fun, this movie is fun. This is a really fun family movie, yeah there are significantly strong issues with the film but if you just take it at face value then you’re all good. But the main things is that i came out of that cinema amiling and I will definitely be seeing it again because damn, I loved it.

In conclusion: The Greatest Showman was the greatest film of 2017.

I KNOW THIS REVIEW FELT NEGATIVE BUT, I DO WANT YOU ALL TO SEE IT AND MAKE YOUR OWN OPINIONS BECAUSE DAMN THERE ARE ABOUT 10 DIFFERENT STORIES GOING ON AND DAMN, I AM DEFINITELY SEEING IT AGAIN.

Have you seen The Greatest Showman? What movie are you looking forward to seeing next?

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