Le maître de la scène

I'm not a fan of musicals in general. Really I mostly can't see their appeal, but from time to time, I do find myself really enjoying one of them, especially if they are as well done as this. And the mid piece/song "This is me" is so good .. excellent! Superb! Any other great word you can think of. I had goosebumps listening to it.

Every song has its purpose (still of course you can question the why people would start just sing and dance as if they had choreographed it in advance - well they have, but you know what I mean) and it works. Be it the comedy numbers (Hugh and Zac in one instance in a bar just to name one example) or as dramatic pieces. Hugh has so much fun it transcends the screen ... if you are way worse with Musicals than me, maybe don't watch it .. otherwise give it a shot! But most definitely do listen to the song "This is me" ... phenomenal!

I love the circus. I love quality cinema. Not since Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962) has a motion picture so successfully combined these two elements. I wouldn't be surprised if it won the same awards as Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth (1952). Michael Gracey skillfully brought together the best music, choreography, cast, cinematography, visual effects, costumes, and set decoration I have seen in recent years, all fresh and original, and integrated them into nothing short of a masterpiece.

As usual, the critics fail to grasp the obvious. Does the movie entertain? Yes, it does. Absolutely. Sure, it may not match the real story, and many things are not based in reality, but that's the point! It's a movie! It is a fun musical, very well done and enjoyable.If it was a made up story about John G. Pigglestack, then the critics would have nothing to complain about. I actually likes this much better than La La Land. Guess it's more upbeat. Musicals are a rare breed. Enjoy them while you can.

Sunday was my niece's birthday. 16. I invited her and two of her friends to do whatever they wanted. They chose to stay home, eat cake and watch The Greatest Showman on HBO and I thought Oh no. But, I had cake with them and sat to watch this Michael Gracy, who? Michael Gracy to see the story of PT Barnum with Hugh Jackman. Sentimental and pretty, yes but also, engrossing, moving, beautiful and structured in such a way that doesn't fall into the usual biopic traps. It moves at a breathless pace with smart and unexpected transitions. Hugh Jackman is great and Michelle Williams truthful to a fault. She's never less than that. What a wonderful actress. Zac Effron gives, what it may very well be, his most convincing performance and the Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson was a revelation to me. The script by Jenny Bicks and the remarkable Bill Condon tells a classic tale with contemporary rhythms and contemporary pace. Needless to say, I enjoyed it much more that I could possibly had imagine. So, thank you Lilli, happy 16!

Half way through the film I was already figuring out when I can see it again!!! Incredible performances, songs and everything in between