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| HUGH JACKMAN -- Films, Stage, TV | |
| Last Edit: BroadwayTonyJ 11:31 pm EDT 03/22/21 | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 11:26 pm EDT 03/22/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Is it time for a CITY OF ANGELS revival? Perhaps starring.....? - jo 07:49 pm EDT 03/22/21 | |
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| Jackman has had a lot of success in films, primarily as Wolverine. I have enjoyed those films in which I felt he was well cast. I thought his performance in Les Miserables was admirable and powerful at times -- I was not disappointed. I thought The Prestige was not an especially good film and Jackman was out of his depth, just IMO. I'm glad you liked it more than I did. However, when it comes to playing dual roles in a film, I would not put him in the same category as Ronald Colman and Bette Davis. The Greatest Showman got mostly mixed to negative reviews when it opened in movie theaters. I decided to pass on seeing it at that time. Nevertheless, it became a blockbuster hit with audiences and made a ton of money, most likely because of Jackman's undeniable appeal (and talent) as a song and dance man. When it appeared on cable TV, I DVR'd it, but could not watch it all the way through. Jackman gave an agreeable performance, but was it historically accurate? I disliked the film intensely. I think the musical Barnum did a much better job of honestly depicting Barnum's career. I even preferred the Wallace Beery portrayal in the old 1934 film. Again I'm glad that you and millions of others found it more enjoyable than I did. On the Broadway stage, there is no question that the guy is a star of a magnitude we haven't seen in decades, although he's only done 4 shows so far. I saw him twice in The Boy from Oz, which is just an average musical, but Jackman made it something special and turned it into a sizeable hit. I saw the original production of A Steady Rain in Chicago. It's a gripping little play, but rather slight, essentially a series of dueling monologues. At the Royal George, it was well-acted by two very gifted actors who, nevertheless, were not big names -- a wise choice which made the story powerfully effective. I had no desire to see such a slight drama on Broadway with such huge film and stage stars. There is no question that the teaming of Jackman and Craig made for a box office bonanza. Jackman has an engaging personality and his appearances on late night talk shows have always been very entertaining. I've enjoyed watching every one I've been fortunate enough to catch. |
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| re: HUGH JACKMAN -- Films, Stage, TV | |
| Last Edit: jo 12:08 am EDT 03/23/21 | |
| Posted by: jo 12:02 am EDT 03/23/21 | |
| In reply to: HUGH JACKMAN -- Films, Stage, TV - BroadwayTonyJ 11:26 pm EDT 03/22/21 | |
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| To each his own! Many audience members liked The Prestige ( 92% approval rating for Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes)...and many Nolan fans rate it highly. Interesting quote from a respected actor Robert Downey, Jr on the movie -- "• Robert Downey, Jr. on The Prestige: “It’s like the old film The Seven-Per-Cent Solution – that Sherlock Holmes movie – it was so not what you expected. To me, it was a Ferrari engine of a script, and Christian Bale is always exciting and innovative. The scene where Hugh Jackman is dying and then has a page and a half monologue… How do you deliver a speech like that? But Jackman handled it." The Greatest Showman is not a pure biopic, more of an idealized version of the master impresario developing the central theme of the movie, which is the birth of mass entertainment (aka showbiz). But I prefer the more powertul film adaptation of Les Miserables over The Greatest Showman. The Les Miserables film adaptation focused more on the dramatic elements of Victor Hugo's novel compared to TrevorNunn's original English version. Compare how Valjean's first epiphany, articulated musically and acted very well in The Soliloquy was treated in the film compared to the stage musical treatment ( simply more like a bridge to another timeline). Also, interestingly, the original Paris musical preceding the English version by 5 years was originally written for a baritone and performed by a baritone. It was transposed to accomodate Colm Wilkinson's tenor range when he was cast. But I am also a great fan of the stage musical version per se and have seen it on Broadway, London and even Paris. Acting-wise, The Greatest Showman was not a big challenge for Jackman. But people are impressed with his acting when he discovered how good Jenny Lind was and presented a means to achieve his ambition of being recognized for bringing entertainment to the social register. It is the role of Valjean which presented the much greater challenge and led to an Oscar nomination. If you have seen Bad Education which drew universal raves for his acting, it is another revelation on how nuanced he can create in a portrayal. A heel behind a hero facade. Btw, Wolverine was never an engaging personality, more like a compelling one, as portrayed by him. Have you seen LOGAN - more of a dramatic triumph hailed by both critics and fans? But thanks for your views. |
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