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| Barnum movie musical isn't getting the 'Greatest' reviews | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 11:20 am EST 12/20/17 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 11:11 am EST 12/20/17 | |
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| David Rooney in the Hollywood Reporter: ''This ersatz portrait of big-top tent impresario P.T. Barnum [in 'The Greatest Showman'] is all smoke and mirrors, no substance. It hammers pedestrian themes of family, friendship and inclusivity while neglecting the fundaments of character and story. ... Despite a cast of proven vocalists led with his customary gusto by Hugh Jackman, the interchangeably generic pop songs are so numbingly overproduced they all sound like they're being performed off-camera. ... This is territory that co-writer [Bill] Condon explored more satisfyingly in his unjustly short-lived 2014 reworking of 'Side Show.' But the warmth and unity of that community of carnival outsiders are missing here.'' Justin Chang in the L.A. Times: ''Directed with bland competence by Michael Gracey, "The Greatest Showman" is both a fitful hoot and a remarkably upbeat con job, one that seizes upon Barnum's talent for hoodwinking his customers and tries to foist it in turn upon the audience. There's pleasure to be had in a good hustle, and from time to time Gracey's movie offers a reasonable facsimile. It has bright colors and high spirits, and it's held together by a song score (from the Oscar-winning "La La Land" duo of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul) whose creamy-vanilla smoothness is as insipid as it is hard to resist. You don't believe what the filmmakers are selling for an instant, but at times you can almost believe they believe it themselves.'' Brian Truitt in USA Today: ''The soundtrack for the P.T Barnum biopic musical The Greatest Showman is chock full of amazing and catchy tunes you’ll be humming after the credits roll. The actual movie? Send in the clowns. Michael Gracey’s directorial debut (*½ out of four; rated PG; in theaters Wednesday) is a disappointing circus of thinly developed characters, overly earnest melodrama and song-and-dance sequences that are more like unrelated music videos sewn together for a threadbare narrative. Hugh Jackman’s the ringmaster of this disjointed affair, though it’s not entirely his fault Barnum’s the least interesting part of his own movie. ... Dazzling show tunes like these deserve better than a failed 'Showman.' '' More than a few reviewers compared ''The Greatest Showman'' to ''Side Show.'' So far, the majority of reviews look negative, but here's a rave: Owen Gleiberman in Variety: ''“The Greatest Showman” is a good, old-fashioned, wholesome PG musical that is also a scintillatingly flashy — and woke! — immersion in up-to-the-minute razzmatazz. It takes the life of P.T. Barnum, who is played with irresistible effervescence by Hugh Jackman, and turns him into a saintly huckster-maestro who invented the spirit of modern showbiz. ... How piously anachronistic is that? Very. Yet “The Greatest Showman” wants to give you a splashy good time, and does, and it’s got a genuine romantic spirit. The numbers are shot like electro-magnetic dance-pop music videos. ... You know you're watching conventional chorus-line-with-a-beat flimflam. ... [Barnum] would have approved.'' |
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| Link | Official trailer: ''The Greatest Showman'' |
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| re: Barnum movie musical isn't getting the 'Greatest' reviews | |
| Posted by: AnObserver 08:33 am EST 12/21/17 | |
| In reply to: Barnum movie musical isn't getting the 'Greatest' reviews - WaymanWong 11:11 am EST 12/20/17 | |
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| I think the country has had enough with con men and con jobs this year. Who needs to see a movie about one and IS one? Laurence Mark is by all accounts a nice man, but never forget he also produced the 2001 Mariah Carey movie GLITTER. Be sure to read the comments on the Variety review that says the reviewer is "on the take" unless the publication has removed it. I saw Jackman in The Boy From Oz and that was enough cheese. The Hollywood Reporter is probably very correct. There's nothing interesting about those songwriters. They are merely talented/ordinary. |
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| In their defense... | |
| Posted by: GrumpyMorningBoy 02:03 pm EST 12/21/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Barnum movie musical isn't getting the 'Greatest' reviews - AnObserver 08:33 am EST 12/21/17 | |
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| Watch this clip. They wrote this while they were in undergrad... There's a genuine talent there. - GMB |
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| Link | EDGES: "In Short" -- by Pasek & Paul, performed by Whitney Bashor |
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| Currently Holding a 48 Rating On Both Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes | |
| Posted by: pierce 12:59 am EST 12/21/17 | |
| In reply to: Barnum movie musical isn't getting the 'Greatest' reviews - WaymanWong 11:11 am EST 12/20/17 | |
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| For those unfamiliar with these sites: The 48 on Metacritic translates as "Mixed or Average Reviews." On Rotten Tomatoes, any numerical rating of 60 or above is considered "Fresh," while anything below that is "Rotten." By those standards, The Greatest Showman is considered "Rotten." |
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| I guess we're seeing the reason for that whole embargo and all. (unsurprised.) | |
| Last Edit: GrumpyMorningBoy 02:05 pm EST 12/20/17 | |
| Posted by: GrumpyMorningBoy 02:03 pm EST 12/20/17 | |
| In reply to: Barnum movie musical isn't getting the 'Greatest' reviews - WaymanWong 11:11 am EST 12/20/17 | |
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| From the first trailer, i was bracing for the worst. I do not understand why Pasek and Paul get roped into these things. I honestly think they're better than this. And sadly, I've decided that Bill Condon's instincts served him best in "Gods and Monsters," and I suppose the adaptation of "Chicago." But his direction on "Beauty and the Beast" was straight up bad, if you ask me. Emily Yoshida at New York Magazine is extra harsh: "The lyricists are Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, two young men that as far as I can tell are getting away with murder in the musical-theater world right now. They’re best known for this year’s Tony winner Dear Evan Hansen (“So let the sun come streaming in / ’Cause you’ll reach up / And you’ll rise again / Lift your head and look around / You will be found”) and the lyrics to Damien Chazelle’s La La Land (“Someone in the crowd could / Take you where you wanna go / If you’re the someone ready to be found.”) They have lent equal incisiveness to the songs for The Greatest Showman, which have the nondescript sheen of an L.A. pop factory writing camp... The Greatest Showman’s factual fakery isn’t what makes it so aggravating. It’s the fakery on every other level — lyrical, dramatic, and social. Perhaps Barnum would be proud. But he’d definitely get better music." - GMB |
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| Link | http://www.vulture.com/2017/12/the-greatest-showman-review.html |
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| Sidebar: Isn't Emily Yoshida a terrific writer? The theater could use her. | |
| Last Edit: Delvino 08:43 am EST 12/21/17 | |
| Posted by: Delvino 08:41 am EST 12/21/17 | |
| In reply to: I guess we're seeing the reason for that whole embargo and all. (unsurprised.) - GrumpyMorningBoy 02:03 pm EST 12/20/17 | |
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| It's the only review of this film that manages to tell me (albeit subjectively, understood) exactly what went wrong, and why and how. I now want to do some archival reading of her other critiques. I learned more from her about pop cultural influences on musicals than anywhere else of late. And for the record: I'm much more generous toward Benj Pasek and Justin Paul than she is. But she makes a compelling point about the generic blandness in the prosaic lyrics. | |
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| re: Sidebar: Isn't Emily Yoshida a terrific writer? The theater could use her. | |
| Posted by: GrumpyMorningBoy 02:01 pm EST 12/21/17 | |
| In reply to: Sidebar: Isn't Emily Yoshida a terrific writer? The theater could use her. - Delvino 08:41 am EST 12/21/17 | |
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| Agreed, and as a deeper sidebar, I do think Pasek and Paul are probably guilty of little more than being overly prolific and churning out things on quick deadlines. When they give their work the time to revise and develop, their work seems richer and more nuanced. I mean, honestly, wtf do I know?! We all need to pay the bills. We can't fault them for making some money while the chances are here. But I have a hunch they can tell the difference between the tunes they crank out quickly versus the ones they nurture for a long time. And one thing I can say about my favorite musicals is this: they generally sat in the minds and notepads of their creators for years before we ever heard them. - GMB |
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| Pasek and Paul | |
| Last Edit: Delvino 09:38 am EST 12/22/17 | |
| Posted by: Delvino 09:36 am EST 12/22/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Sidebar: Isn't Emily Yoshida a terrific writer? The theater could use her. - GrumpyMorningBoy 02:01 pm EST 12/21/17 | |
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| I thought LA LA featured songs and lyrics*consistent with the voices of the young, starry eyed characters. And the film is a stylized fable. Even the L.A. portrayed is through a specific prism, and shot to look like -- well, LA in a musical film. (I lived there 9 months, and commuted regularly; I have some integrity behind my observation.) I feel like the jury is still out on this team, an admittedly ludicrous statement in light of their success. They are wisely taking advantage of being the flavor of the year(s). I remember when Ashman and Menken went Disney, and many bemoaned losing theater folk to commercial factories. But Menken produced some of the most beloved melodies, ever (and Ashman, tragically gone before his time, was a muse who inspired). Songwriting isn't profitable without some corporate investment, with few exceptions. I hope the next show or film is ambitious. Now watch these Showman songs take off in Karaoke heaven forever. *Re-listen to "Someone in the Crowd" or "Another Day of Sun" and getting those dance breaks out of your head. They are unique songs that way -- those instrumental sections are actually the hooks, not the lyric-driven verses or chorus. |
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| re: Pasek and Paul | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 10:56 am EST 12/22/17 | |
| In reply to: Pasek and Paul - Delvino 09:36 am EST 12/22/17 | |
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| Delvino, I couldn't agree with you more. ... I actually LOVED ''La La Land'' and Pasek and Paul's work on it (and think it's their best yet). Their lyrics were so spot-on and evocative of Gosling and Stone's characters, and perfectly paired with Justin Hurwitz's catchy melodies. I was soooo happy for Pasek, Paul and Hurwitz winning the Oscar for Best Song (and soooo pissed ''La La Land'' lost Best Picture). |
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| re: Barnum movie musical isn't getting the 'Greatest' reviews | |
| Posted by: Thom915 11:41 am EST 12/20/17 | |
| In reply to: Barnum movie musical isn't getting the 'Greatest' reviews - WaymanWong 11:11 am EST 12/20/17 | |
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| It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I don't think it is going to be anywhere near La La Land and following the ratings failure of A Christmas Story Live, Pasek and Paul are luster is going to be undeservedly dimmed. I assume however at least one of the songs in the movie (Come Alive?) will be nominated for an Oscar and a repeat win would help them as a team. I am afraid the movie however is destined to become a staple of the Disney Channel and ABC teevee. | |
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| re: Barnum movie musical isn't getting the 'Greatest' reviews | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 09:44 pm EST 12/20/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Barnum movie musical isn't getting the 'Greatest' reviews - Thom915 11:41 am EST 12/20/17 | |
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| I don't think the dimming of their "luster" is undeserved. Their Oscar win is what was undeserved. And, in my opinion, their Best Score Tony. And I would also say that even having a live tv production of A Christmas Story the musical was undeserved. | |
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| A CHRISTMAS STORY LIVE! | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 05:01 pm EST 12/21/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Barnum movie musical isn't getting the 'Greatest' reviews - Chazwaza 09:44 pm EST 12/20/17 | |
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| "And I would also say that even having a live tv production of A Christmas Story the musical was undeserved. However you feel about Pasek and Paul, I think it goes without saying that the choice of A CHRISTMAS STORY for live TV production was based on the familiarity of the title (from the original movie) and the subject matter rather than on anyone's opinion of the quality of the songs in the musical. |
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| re: Barnum movie musical isn't getting the 'Greatest' reviews | |
| Last Edit: Delvino 08:33 am EST 12/21/17 | |
| Posted by: Delvino 08:31 am EST 12/21/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Barnum movie musical isn't getting the 'Greatest' reviews - Chazwaza 09:44 pm EST 12/20/17 | |
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| The NY Magazine review (quoted above) absolutely supports your POV, citing lyrics from both "Evan" and La La." It is the first to contextualize the voice of the lyrics and find a prosaic quality in the expressed emotion. | |
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| The "Side Show" factor touches more than one point: the creatives. | |
| Last Edit: Delvino 11:46 am EST 12/20/17 | |
| Posted by: Delvino 11:37 am EST 12/20/17 | |
| In reply to: Barnum movie musical isn't getting the 'Greatest' reviews - WaymanWong 11:11 am EST 12/20/17 | |
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| The "Side Show" comparisons* are interesting, because the man who exploited the handicapped and eccentric is the villain in that piece (there are two, if you include Browning in the denouement); here he's treated as a weird flavor of humanitarian, unlocking the door for the world to learn from the marginalized and "different." That's not even close to the whole or partial truth about Barnum, but in fairness to those times, he had no idea that displaying "oddities" exploited rather than humanized. It's now being served up to be viewed through the 2017 prism. Maybe it works by omission, because apparently the film barely dramatizes even the racial implications, let alone the physically challenged. We shall see. It has a 40 on Rotten Tomatoes. *Prior to these reviews, did anyone else notice that Bill Condon co-wrote the screenplay? (I didn't.) The director/writer who came to "Side Show's" revision? Did Condon join this project after working on the B'way revisal? (He now has co-authorship with the wonderful Bill Russell.) I Googled: The Hollywood Reporter first mentioned his involvement with "Showman" in October 2013. "Side Show" finished up at La Jolla in December of 2013. |
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| re: The "Side Show" factor touches more than one point: the creatives. | |
| Posted by: BillEadie 04:20 pm EST 12/20/17 | |
| In reply to: The "Side Show" factor touches more than one point: the creatives. - Delvino 11:37 am EST 12/20/17 | |
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| At the time, a big deal was made about Bill Condon’s participation in the La Jolla version of “Side Show,” both as director and as collaborator on a revisal. Bill, in San Diego |
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| re: The "Side Show" factor touches more than one point: the creatives. | |
| Posted by: peter3053 02:37 pm EST 12/20/17 | |
| In reply to: The "Side Show" factor touches more than one point: the creatives. - Delvino 11:37 am EST 12/20/17 | |
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| I saw the trailer for this film before a movie I was watching, GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN. The movie was exquisite; told with surprise and insight. The trailer for SHOWMAN, by comparison, seemed to be a compendium of clichés both in dialogue and images. I really wondered what it said about the film that they couldn't even make the trailer seem fresh. Guess I'll dust off the old Barnum DVD with Michael Crawford to get my flim-flam kicks this year. |
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