High School Musical (2006, TV movie) - Ortega's universally appealing teenage fantasy

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The central six teenage characters seemingly defy gravity because they are so brimming with positive energy on this theater stage-set poster for Kenny Ortega's High School Musical

Troy is East High School's basketball star #1, but privately he dreams of living out his other talents for singing and dancing in the school's coming musical, - preferably alongside the rousing transfer student Gabriella.

 

High School Musical is written by Peter Barsoccchini (Drop Zone (1994)) and directed by great Californian filmmaker Kenny Ortega (Newsies (1992)).

Brimming with enthusiasm and love for the musical genre, Ortega here erects a new classic for the small screen with catchy songs (We're All in This Together and a bunch more) and infectious performances. The universe presented is consequent in its excessively neat Disney Channel pedigree, which is actually part of the fun attraction here.

Zac Efron (The Iron Claw (2023)) is High School Musical's big scoop and find, very cutely paired with Vanessa Hudgens (Drunk History (2018-19)). Other top-performing young stars include Corbin Bleu (Chicago Med (2018, TV-series)), Ashley Tishdale (Charming (2018)), Lucas Grabeel (Pinky Malinky (2018-19)) and Alyson Reed (NCIS (2018, TV-series)), who is quite funny as the stern drama teacher.

High School Musical is pure fantasy, - and an inspired one at that, because who wouldn't want to have - or have had - this kind of high school experience? Despite one dorky number High School Musical is an outstanding musical.

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 4.2 mil. $

Box office: None - TV movie

= Mega-hit

[High School Musical was first shown 20 January (Disney Channel, North America) and runs 98 minutes. It was commissioned as a response to musical episode specials of two Disney Channel shows proving to be highly popular with its young audiences. Efron was paid 100k $ for his performance. Shooting took place in Utah, including in Salt Lake City, and in Los Angeles, California. The film broke TV movie records for Disney with 7.7 mil. initial viewers, becoming the channel's top TV movie (their number 63), by 2019 reportedly having been seen by 225 mil. audiences worldwide. Additionally more than 3.8 mil. copies of the film's soundtrack were sold in North America alone. The home video release of the film also sold millions of copies, accruing more than 100 mil. $ in sales. A stage musical tour with the stars (minus the too busy Efron) played American venues for 2 months. An ice-skating version was created, a wealth of merchandise, a TV series spin-off, two direct sequels, a novel series and foreign adaptations also followed. Ortega returned with Gilmore Girls (2002-06) and feature-wise with High School Musical 2 (2007). Efron returned in 6 TV and music video credits prior to his theatrical return in Hairspray (2007); Hudgens in 7 TV and music video credits prior to High School Musical 2 (2007). High School Musical is fresh at 67 % with a 5.70/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of High School Musical?

Burlesque (2010) - Love the stars and the flashing lights like a real fangirl

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1 Film Excess nomination:

Best Song: You Haven't Seen the Last of Me - Diane Warren, performed by Cher (lost to The Treme Song - John Boutté for Treme S1)
 
+ Best Music Movie of the Year
+ Best Comeback Actress of the Year: Cher

Cher and Christina Aguilera on the appropriately glitzy poster for Steve Antin's Burlesque

A beautiful, blond songbird with star dreams comes to LA and promptly finds the vampy, incredible Burlesque club, where she begins to work her way up the ranks.

Burlesque is an enjoyable, glitzy trifle. If you're a Cher (Moonstruck (1987)) fan, - and this reviewer sure is, - you'll enjoy her performance, warmth and the two fine songs she performs. Christina Aguilera (Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)) also impresses with her vocal and show talents, making her starring debut here. Cam Gigandet (Twilight (2008)) is the hot roommate, Kristen Bell (The Lifeguard (2013)) is the scheming star of the club, and Stanley Tucci (Shall We Dance (2004)) gives fine life to its backstage homo.
Burlesque is a chick-flick guilty pleasure romance, and if one is in the mood for it, it's a good one of its kind. It's light as a merengue and a fantasy, essentially, - a beautiful place cut off from reality, - that magical place called Hollywood.
Burlesque is the feature debut of actor Steve Antin (Inside Monkey Zetterland (1992)), who has written and directed it. 

Related posts:

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Watch a clip from the film here

Cost: 55 mil. $
Box office: 89.5 mil. $
= Big flop
[Burlesque was released November 24 and runs 119 minutes. Filming lasted from November 2009 - March 2010. The film opened #4 (behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Tangled and Megamind) to a 11.9 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it grossed 39.4 mil. $ (44 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 9.4 mil.$ (10.5 %) and Australia 7.6 mil. $ (8.5 %). The film was nominated for 3 Golden Globes and won one of them, for Best Song (You Haven't Said the Last of Me) as well as 2 Grammys. Burlesque is rotten at 36 % with a 4.8 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Burlesque?

The Artist (2011) - Hazanavicius' magical french-kissing with Old Hollywood

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2 Time Film Excess award winner:

Best Actress: Bérénice Bejo
Best Editing: Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius

8 Time Film Excess nominee:


Best Film (lost to The Descendants)
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius (lost to Agnieszka Holland for In Darkness)
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin (lost to Jack Black for Bernie)
Best Actress: Bérénice Bejo (won)
Best Supporting Actor: John Goodman (lost to Michael Shannon for Boardwalk Empire S2)
Best Cinematography: Guillaume Schiffman (lost to Phedon Papamichael for The Descendants)
Best Editing: Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius (won)
Best Score: Ludovic Bource (lost to Cliff Martinez for Drive) 

+ 2nd Best Movie of the Year
+ Best Los Angeles Movie of the Year  
+ Best B/W Movie of the Year  
+ Best Music Movie of the Year 
+ Best Dog Movie of the Year 
+ Best Mega-hit Movie of the Year

Old-timey movie romance is promised on the elegant, mostly black poster for Michel Hazanavicius' The Artist

Hollywood silent movie star George Valentin is the grand darling of the audience of his day, when he loans some stardust to a young hopeful girl, who is then established as Tinseltown's new sensation, Peppy Miller. But when sound (in films) really conquers the town in 1929, Valentin is suddenly ditched as an old sock and vanishes for his own personal downfall.

This romantic silent comedic drama that's both silent and in B/W took the world by storm in 2011 and was beloved everywhere for its immediate and universally appealing qualities. The Artist is packed with silent and 'talkie' film references and is formed as a tribute to the fantastic, silent Hollywood-shenanigans and cinematic techniques. The film's main origin is French, which is curious, too. Hollywood-enamored Frenchmen also came up with the 'film noir' term for particular American films from the 40s and 50s, which has become integrated film vernacular.
The entire film is even shot in the old 4:3 format, and it sticks vehemently to its denial of diegetic sound, talking and color. It was shot entirely in Hollywood in splendid B/W-attuned photography by Guillaume Schiffman (The Search (2014)).
The inventiveness and enthusiasm in storytelling characterizes virtually every scene in the film; the acting between leads Jean Dujardin (Welcome to the Roses/Bienvenue chez les Rozes (2003)) and Bérénice Bejo (The Great Role/Le Grand Rôle (2004)), and supporting Americans actors such as John Goodman (Red State (2011)) and James Cromwell (Citizen Baines (2001, TV-series)) and British Malcolm McDowell (The Gardener (1998)), is infectious in its emotional intensity and serenity. SPOILER Particularly the scene in which Valentin is burning his films and is saved by his dog is moving and unforgettable for any audience-member to The Artist.
The all-around marvel that is The Artist reminds us of the construction of films, how they're made, and why we love them. It is written and directed by French master filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius (Mes Amis (1999)), whose 4th feature it is.

Related posts:

Michel Hazanavicius: Top 10: Best Hollywood-set movies

Top 10: Best French movies

2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
Top 10: The best big hit movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
2011 in films - according to Film Excess

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 15 mil. $
Box office: 133.4 mil. $
= Mega-hit (returned 8.89 times its cost)
[The Artist premiered 15 May (Cannes Film Festival) and runs 100 minutes. Writing took 4 months, inspired in particular by the film Show People (1928). Shooting took place in California, including Los Angeles, for 35 days from October - November 2010. Dujardin and Bejo spent 5 months learning tap dancing for the film's closing scene. The film opened #28 to a 204k first weekend in 4 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #11 and in 1,756 theaters, grossing 44.6 mil. $ (33.4 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were France with 26.2 mil. $ (19.6 %) and the UK with 15.7 mil. $ (11.8 %). It was nominated for 10 Oscars, winning 5: For Best Picture, Actor (Dujardin became the first French actor to win the honor), Director, Costume Design and Score (Ludovic Bource (OSS 117: Lost in Rio/OSS 117: Rio ne Répond Plus (2009))). It lost Best Actress (Bejo) to Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady, Original Screenplay to Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris, Cinematography to Robert Richardson for Hugo, Art Direction also to Hugo and Editing to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It also won 3/6 Golden Globes, 7/12 BAFTA nominations, an AFI award, 2 prizes in Cannes, 6/10 César award nominations, was nominated for a David di Donatello award, 1/5 European Film award nominations, 4/6 Independent Spirit award nominations, was nominated for a Grammy, a National Board of Review award, among many other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, in line with this review. Hazanavicius returned with a segment in The Players/Les Infidèles (2012) and with his own feature with The Search (2014). Dujardin returned in Touch of Evil (2011, short), Saturday Night Live (2012, TV-series) and theatrically in The Players; Bejo in Populaire (2012). The Artist is certified fresh at 95 % with an 8.82/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Artist?