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| Hugh Jackman promises joy, magic and show on this poster for Michael Gracey's The Greatest Showman |
P.T. Barnum grew up in poverty but had a family and a dream to dazzle, which made him create the New York circus with a multitude of American oddities, winning him renown the world over.
The Greatest Showman is written by Jenny Bicks (Sex and the City (1998-2004)) and Bill Condon (Dreamgirls (2006)), based on the life of P.T. Barnum, and directed by debuting Michael Gracey (Ned Kelly (2003), digital compositor).
Although based on reality, The Greatest Showman offers glittering fantasy from beginning to end, it seems, or more accurately, it wraps the reality it loans from in bright colors and costumes, eye-popping visuals and, most crucially, a barrage of pop songs, stars and upbeat showmanship with current themes of inclusion and diversity underpinning its plot.
It is a film it is easy to scoff at, - indeed its effervescent, unreal glamour and style nears the ridiculous and phony at times, - but it nevertheless bound to make your feet go ticking to the rhythms of its catchy songs and your heart race at its audacity and pathos-packed stretches, unless it is carved of stone. Because this imaginative take on Barnum is fueled with an undeniably likable sincerity, enthusiasm and spirit.
It is delivered through the engaged, sympathetic performance by Hugh Jackman (Logan (2017)), a performer with tremendous skill and range. Michelle Williams (Species (1995)) plays his mighty pretty housewife, who puts him right, while Zendaya (Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)) and Zac Efron (High School Musical (2006), TV movie) enjoy sweet chemistry and both have a luminescence that rockets their scenes upwards. Rebecca Ferguson (Life (2017)) is excellent in the dramatic part as opera singer Jenny Lind, lip-syncing her swelling Never Enough convincingly, while Keala Settle (Ricki and the Flash (2015)) as the bearded lady sings for real and has the film's best song, the truly fantastical This Is Me.
The music is a box of delights, and the costumes, hair and makeup help make the film's wealth of characters come to boisterous life. Seamus McGarvey's fluid cinematography is a joy, and the film is ripe with visual knockouts, unhindered by constraints of realism or convention.
Musical fans will adore The Greatest Showman with glee for although modern and hip, it is also a throw-back to some of the genre's greats from many decades ago. The Greatest Showman is a big, loud, infectious - and rare - spectacle, brimming with heart and soul.
Watch a trailer for the film here
Cost: 84 mil. $
Box office: 104.9 mil. $
= Too early to say
[The Greatest Showman premiered 20 December (Taiwan, South Korea and North America) and runs 105 minutes. The project was announced with Jackman in the lead in 2009. Gracey was chosen to direct in 2011. Lyricists Pasek and Paul were hired in 2013. Jackman has revealed that the long development process was due to the studio being reluctant to finance an original musical. Shooting took place from November 2016 - ? in New York. Veteran filmmaker James Mangold was credited as an executive producer and directed re-shoots for the film. The film opened #4, behind holdover hit Star Wars: The Last Jedi and fellow new releases Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Pitch Perfect 3 to an 8.8 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it rose to a 15.5 mil. $ second weekend, still at #4, one of the biggest second week increases for a wide release ever, testifying to its great word-of-mouth among audiences. The film is still missing a Chinese release date, but it is set to open in Norway, Finland, France and the Philippines later in January and in Japan in February. It is nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Gracey is set to return as director with ninja-adventure Naruto. The Greatest Showman is rotten at 56 % with a 6/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
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