TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR

I am not a Taylor Swift fan, but I was curious to watch this given the high ratings. I went in without expectations and was greatly impressed by the concert, quality of camera work, costumes, set design, and impressive level of crowd participation. For a concert film, the production value is spectacular and credit is due to the excellent direction by Sam Wrench. The dancers here are really talented and she surely is a great live performer. Highly recommended even if you may not consider yourself a Swift enthusiast.

There were a few standout moments for me in terms of songs. Anti-Hero had the best songwriting on display, objectively. Love Story is definitely a good song even if she was tonally flat for a good portion of it. Cruel Summer is a great track. She tapped into something nice there.

However, I can't help but find that her lyrics come across as somewhat corny, often incredibly basic, and her performance feels sometimes unauthentic, never reachinhg greatness. She's having trouble hitting vocal notes for someone who's supposed to be the most powerful pop star right now. Kudos for not using live Autotune, though, like most artists out there right now, or lip-syncing to her own backing tracks.

Set rankings:

1) Anti-Hero 2) Cruel Summer 3) We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together 4) Love Story.

Not only were Swift's tickets expensive as hell (700+ for a VIP. What?) but I would have had to travel to a different city and stay the night in a hotel to see the concert.

Not worth it.

So I was really pleased when Swift announced a movie of her 3 hour long concert for theaters.

And boy was this amazing.

The sets, the costumes, the lighting, the props and the videos were absolutely sublime and gorgeous to look at. The dancers and the backup singers gave it their all in their choreography and singing.

And then there's Taylor herself.

Her goofy, lovable personality was on full display, as well as her prowess and blooming confidence as she strutted the stage in hella sparkly costumes crooning out all of her best hits from all her albums.

Had I been there, no doubt my bank account would have been empty and I would have ended up being squeezed with a bunch of Swifties, barely catching a glimpse of the songstress. Instead, the camera focuses lovingly on Taylor from all angles throughout the show. And no extra charge for a pair of glasses. Plus I giggled as the ardent Swifties in the cinema got up from their seats to dance and form circles in front of their beloved.

Great choice to film and to share it in the cinema. :)

I didn't know what to expect as I am an older guy out on a date with my wife. We first noted that every girl was dressed up and was just so happy. When the film started, there was an excitement I've never experienced. Everyone was so happy. The film started and we soon realized this would be different than anything we've experienced. As soon as the music started, every girl in the theater started to sing. And, I mean sing loud. We looked at each other and wondered if it was just the first song. Nope. It wasn't the first song as it would be every single song after that. I've never experienced anything like this in a theater. It was so much fun and highly recommended.

My wife is an ENORMOUS Taylor Swift fan and we've been trying to get tickets to see this concert for months. Suffice to say, when tens of millions of people across Canada are also trying, it's not very easy. Taking her to see this was a treat, even if our theatre was kind of quiet and lame. We genuinely expected more of a concert vibe, but unfortunately, even the amazing staff at our cinema, who tried their hardest to hype people up, couldn't do it.

To say that this concert really fits the cinematic experience would be an understatement. You don't have to love TS (although, 17 years of making music, there has to be a couple songs you know...admit it), but this concert does a phenomenal job of showcasing what makes her special. The sets, the outfits, the distinct visual and sonic style of the Eras...let's just say, the whole room shimmers.

Taylor is an incredible performer and has amazing stage presence. She simultaneously feels like a a girl sitting on the bleachers and trouble as soon as she walks in. Her outfits gleam in the Los Angeles night and she commands the room in a way few artists do. For the film specifically, the cinematography is honestly fantastic and not only makes you feel as it you're on stage with her, but allows you take in the enormity of the moment too

Don't what else to say, if you're a Swifty, you belong in a theatre watching this thing. If you're not, you'll be enchanted to meet her.

(And yes, this concert did what all great concerts do. Make you appreciate the artist even more. I'm a soft Swifty now.)

Taylor did a splendid job by dropping this film and I really loved the film. I've always wanted to be in her concert but this movie made me so happy that I actually felt like I was standing inside the crowd screaming. All the background singers and dancers made a fabulous job. The entire film is so energetic and felt so good. I would suggest this movie to all age group of people and family audience. This film breaks all the marks set by Hollywood and exceled. Taylor swift performing in a high pitch and all the colors with amazing albums make the film so satisfying. As a Swiftie I love this film and will watch multiple times.