My Movie Review on The Greatest Showman · 12:25am Apr 14th, 2019
Normally, I would start my reviews off with a greeting or something like that. However…
*sniffles*
…this film that I’m reviewing here has filled me up with so many joy-filled emotions that I hardly find myself up for making an introduction.
But, enough about that. Today, I’ll be reviewing “The Greatest Showman”.
Here’s the summary of it:
P.T. Barnum (played by Hugh Jackman) is a man who has been given constant scowls and hate ever since he was a child, and is the husband of Charity (played by Michelle Williams), and father of their two daughters, Caroline (played by Austyn Johnson) and Helen (played by Cameron Seely).
Unsatisfied with the penniless and poor lifestyle they were having, Barnum becomes determined to give his family a life full of success and decides to open a show (later called a circus), where audiences can come see performers that are unique and different. It’s wide array of people who are considered “freaks” by many include Lettie Lutz the bearded lady (played by Keala Settle), Charles Stratton the dwarf (played by Sam Humphrey), and Anne Wheeler, the acrobat and trapeze artist (played by Zendaya), along with her African-American older brother, W.D. Wheeler (played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II).
His show is a complete success, even bringing about the golden age of creative and imaginative show business. Despite this, however, he and the circus have been getting threats from thugs and rioters, look-downs from the upper class, and negative reviews from James Gordon Bennett (played by Paul Sparks).
Determined to gain the adoration and respect of Bennett and the upper-class, Barnum hires Phillip Carlyle (played by Zac Efron) as his business partner to teach him how to appeal to those he aims to please, with Carlyle discovering the joys of being a part of the circus and developing a crush on Anne.
Unfortunately, Barnum’s character and life begin to go upside down because of his quest to be adored by the whole world and not just part of it. It gets deeper after becoming manager of Swedish singer, Jenny Lind (played by Rebecca Ferguson).
And so, a question comes to mind for Barnum:
Does Barnum truly need the love of everyone? Or just a select few, such as his friends and family?
And what of Carlyle? Is he truly meant to be with Anne? Does she even love him back?
Before I start, I realize that this isn’t the most historically accurate film, and I can see where the criticism for that can come from. However, I think that despite this, the film works perfectly as something entirely of its own, particularly like an alternate version of how the circus came to be, kind of in the same league as Balto (1995) and Anastasia (1997) (both of which I plan to review at some point).
With all of that said, the execution of the whole film was astonishing!
Michael Gracey certainly knew how to start his debut as a film director right. The camera angling, scene switching, and cinematography blew me away entirely. I deeply admired how clear the cinematography made everything, and the camera angling, such as for the trapeze and acrobatic moments, seemed to take audience perspectives to new heights. The scene switching that happened during the musical numbers was so fluent and elegantly done, especially to where one won’t be confused. In addition, I also admired Gracey’s use of background sounds and surroundings, which made the setting of this motion picture so real!
The story and screenplay written by Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon (the latter whom I was surprised was involved considering his directorial work in “Beauty and the Beast (2017)” came a little while before this film) was extremely well-thought and worked. I loved how heart-warming things were, as well as the amount of emotional resonance and passion that they put into the story. The two of them certainly had a definite knack for dialogue when it came to writing this, because the characters had so many awesome and memorable lines that were natural and fit them brilliantly.
In addition, the morals that the film had were so astounding and powerful. Among those morals was that no matter how different each of us are as individuals, whether by look or belief, we’re all the same. Another is that everyone also has a gift and talent to share, and we should never give up the dreams we have involving them. And finally, the family and friends you have, as well as doing things for them more than yourself, is more important than the careers you have and your own desires. Those morals were ones that struck me deeply, and I believe all of you guys are gonna feel the same way thanks to the elegant execution of them. In a time like today, where conflicts have become easier to ignite, these morals are additionally ones that I find everyone should learn and remember.
The acting, casting, characters, and character development were at a complete 100% as well. Every actor and actress in the motion picture appeared to have put their hearts and souls into being their characters, conveying actual emotion into their performances and making their characters so realistic. It was the perfect live-action film to introduce Hugh Jackman in and showcase his talents outside of the violent Wolverine films he starred in (which are films that I don’t intend on seeing at all). It’s also the perfect film to help the rest of the cast, such as Zac Efron and Keala Settle, earn fame and recognition.
The character development of P.T. Barnum was so transformative every step of the way. It wasn’t just him that had excellent development, but Phillip Carlyle, the circus performers, etc.! Every character had development that built them up as people, such as Lettie Lutz going from someone extremely shy to a supportive leader that looks out for others.
Something I can’t help but additionally note would be involving the upper-class, protesters, and thugs. To me, the upper-class represented the critics who barely have creative taste, vision, and imagination, while the thugs and protesters represent the people who troll and bully films, like this one, as well as the people involved in those films.
James Gordon was a lot like the upper-class (with some slight trolling on the side), in that he didn’t like the circus and Barnum, but then…when the film was approaching its climax, he suddenly became someone that deeply respected Barnum and the circus, and someone who was really kind.
The audiences outside of the three kinds I mentioned, beforehand, represented the ones who actually have creative taste, visions, and imaginations, as well as know something great when they see one.
Finally, it all comes down to the music.
You wanna know what I think of it?
It’s completely EXTROADINARY!
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul KILLED it with the songs they wrote, and John Debney and Joseph Trapaneses’s scoring for the film was ear-catchingly sensational. Every lyric that was written for each song was so memorable and catchy, and the songs themselves held so much heart and meaning. The score from Debney and Trapanese, from even a single beat, can resonate so well with one’s emotions, whether character or audience. I myself liked the songs so much, I bought the whole album from iTunes.
In conclusion, this musical masterpiece is a dead-on must-see, and it’s in every way an instant classic that will brighten you up with no problem.
So, I rate “The Greatest Showman” a solid five out of five stars.
This sounds really good! I’ll definitely watch it eventually!
Love this movie greatest soundtrack
It was a good movie, despite some historical inaccuracies.
I love, love, loved this movie. I'm glad that you thought so too.
Back in December of 2017, my high school class went to the movie theater, and the options were this or The Last Jedi. I wound up seeing the latter.
5044138
Did you eventually go on to see this film?
What do you think of this review here?
5044139
No, I didn't. But I do remember hearing the big controversy after it got negative reviews from critics, and high praise from audiences.
But it sounds like a good movie all around. :)
5044144
Thanks.
This movie has its fair share of criticisms. First, the autotune. Second, the "Million Dreams" song feels like it takes a million years to sing. It can drag. Third, P. T. Barnum was a jerk in real life. He caged and jailed his own show attractions and beat them. He coined the phrase "There's a sucker born every minute." He also killed six whales. Fourth, the love triangle in the movie was entirely manufactured and never happened in real life. Fifth, this wasn't Hugh Jackman's musical debut. He displayed his musical talents before in other places. He was in Oklahoma! and Les Miserables as Jean Valjean.
5044150
I remember.
But, I thought that this was a more notable piece for everyone to see.
I take it you don’t like this film then?
5044155
Not as much as other people do. It's fine by my standards, but nothing about it stood out in a good way.
5044161
That’s a shame.
I thought it was an awesome film.
5044150
Actually, that phrase has been misattributed to him. No one knows who coined that phrase, but historians doubt it was P.T. Barnum.
Oh yes, I rather enjoy this feature very much. The songs for me scream 'broadway'. It may not be the most historically accurate portrayal of P.T. Barnum's life, but I do not come for the true story but rather to be entertained and see history in a different light. Sure the movie has it's problems, but what movie doesn't? If viewers like myself can still find joy in a world where the freaks are looked down yet shine brilliantly like stars in the night sky, it's A-Okay in my book.
Well at least hugh jackman performance was great after wolverine
I Love this film.
I Hope i'll get this film on DVD.