The Greatest Showman has left me in a very difficult position; as a spectacle, it's a stomping success complete with fantastic musical numbers, terrific performances and visual grandeur - but it doesn't have the narrative substance, balance or grit to make it a wholly satisfying affair. I left knowing these songs and performances would ring in my head for days (I'd eventually cave and buy the soundtrack) without feeling all that impressed by the overall film.
The Greatest Showman is inspired by the story of P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) and his creation of the Barnum & Bailey Circus, exploring the highs and lows of his rise to fame and the increasing hostility towards his 'circus of freaks'. A passion project for Jackman years in the making, The Greatest Showman places strong emphasis on his crowning achievements - he essentially coined the term 'showbusiness' - while glossing over the more morally-choice aspects of his life. It left me with a slightly sour taste, all told.
La La Land's lyricist provides the musical numbers and there are some terrific pieces on offer: This Is Me, the film's soaring anthem, is an easy highlight and has rarely left repeat since. The Greatest Showman is a stomping opener, effectively setting the tone for the duration of the picture, while Never Enough is a genuinely touching moment for reflection, so exquisitely performed Rebecca Ferguson and Loren Allred. In fact, there's no real weak link in terms of the songs and the performers put their heart in the musical numbers in particular.
Of course, Hugh Jackman is front and centre and deservedly so; he has dedicated years of his life to turning The Greatest Showman into a possibility and you can see the dedication in his eyes and performance. Balancing the passion and the emotion efficiently in the face of a one-note character caricature, Jackman elevates the entire feature-length to new heights. Bolstered by terrifically generous and talented supporting performances from the likes of Michelle Williams (as consistent as ever), Zac Efron (as charming as ever), Rebecca Ferguson (as poised as ever), Zendaya (a star is born, again) and Keala Settle (an utter revelation), The Greatest Showman's ensemble are a finely-tuned bunch.
Jackman is easily the life and soul, holding together a narrative that very quickly begins to strain. Showman's problems lie in the scattershot approach to its complex and fascinating true-life figure and the selective emphasis of certain, more easily-digested elements. Barnum is not the glossy American hero the film paints him as; with well-recorded details of his problematic behaviour and viewpoints the film seems only too willing to sweep under the carpet. Now, this is family-friendly entertainment so I understand the decision to sanitise - but a stronger film lies in the material swept under the rug and shielding audiences from these details didn't sit quite right with me. The tonal message of acceptance and inclusion didn't feel genuine or authentic and there is a constant disconnect between what characters are saying, what they are thinking and what they are doing, and it started to grate on me.
Manifesting in the script, these issues are the fault of the screenwriter, the studio and a director who doesn't have the experience to iron out these issues as effectively as desired. Fox no doubt heavily-tinkered and restricted which elements would translate from the history books to our screen and maybe that was the right decision with their audience in mind - but it's failure to unearth the full story was uncomfortable and noticeable. Despite the man's complexity, the Barnum we see in the film is surprisingly one-note; Jackman saves the day somewhat but even he cannot work miracles. Furthermore, the film seems to make big strides to connect the musical numbers together and they don't slot in as seamlessly as one would like; they're an absolute treat when they do arrive with is, but the connectivity tissue wears thin.
Michael Gracey demonstrates promise and some skill with the reigns but entrusting a $84 million production budget to a first-time director was a risky move that saw the film reportedly undergo reshoots and extensive post-production with James Mangold at the helm; clearly overwhelmed with the scope and energy needed, Gracey could have done with more experience before working his way up to this film, which would have resulted in a far tighter product. Still, the visual spectacle is solid and it truly feels at home on the big-screen, clear through those well-staged musical moments that audiences the world over are lapping up.
No one can deny the stellar music, fantastic performances glossy production design and crowd-pleasing spectacle of The Greatest Showman, as well as the clear joy poured into the piece from long-term spearhead Hugh Jackman. It's such a shame that the narrative is so shallow and stitched together so arbitrary however. I'd conclude that The Greatest Showman would operate far more effectively as a stage musical and it is something I would be eager to see; I can't say I'm racing back to see it in feature-length form as enthusiastically. While the spectacle soars, the script struggles to hold up its end of the bargain, leaving The Greatest Showman as a musical that doesn't achieve the highest note.
Summary: What The Greatest Showman lacks in substance and in its failure to deliver the full story, it makes up for in style, spectacle and soaring musical numbers brought to life by a terrific ensemble lead by Hugh Jackman as its leading man with so much heart and passion for his project.
La La Land's lyricist provides the musical numbers and there are some terrific pieces on offer: This Is Me, the film's soaring anthem, is an easy highlight and has rarely left repeat since. The Greatest Showman is a stomping opener, effectively setting the tone for the duration of the picture, while Never Enough is a genuinely touching moment for reflection, so exquisitely performed Rebecca Ferguson and Loren Allred. In fact, there's no real weak link in terms of the songs and the performers put their heart in the musical numbers in particular.
Of course, Hugh Jackman is front and centre and deservedly so; he has dedicated years of his life to turning The Greatest Showman into a possibility and you can see the dedication in his eyes and performance. Balancing the passion and the emotion efficiently in the face of a one-note character caricature, Jackman elevates the entire feature-length to new heights. Bolstered by terrifically generous and talented supporting performances from the likes of Michelle Williams (as consistent as ever), Zac Efron (as charming as ever), Rebecca Ferguson (as poised as ever), Zendaya (a star is born, again) and Keala Settle (an utter revelation), The Greatest Showman's ensemble are a finely-tuned bunch.
Jackman is easily the life and soul, holding together a narrative that very quickly begins to strain. Showman's problems lie in the scattershot approach to its complex and fascinating true-life figure and the selective emphasis of certain, more easily-digested elements. Barnum is not the glossy American hero the film paints him as; with well-recorded details of his problematic behaviour and viewpoints the film seems only too willing to sweep under the carpet. Now, this is family-friendly entertainment so I understand the decision to sanitise - but a stronger film lies in the material swept under the rug and shielding audiences from these details didn't sit quite right with me. The tonal message of acceptance and inclusion didn't feel genuine or authentic and there is a constant disconnect between what characters are saying, what they are thinking and what they are doing, and it started to grate on me.
Manifesting in the script, these issues are the fault of the screenwriter, the studio and a director who doesn't have the experience to iron out these issues as effectively as desired. Fox no doubt heavily-tinkered and restricted which elements would translate from the history books to our screen and maybe that was the right decision with their audience in mind - but it's failure to unearth the full story was uncomfortable and noticeable. Despite the man's complexity, the Barnum we see in the film is surprisingly one-note; Jackman saves the day somewhat but even he cannot work miracles. Furthermore, the film seems to make big strides to connect the musical numbers together and they don't slot in as seamlessly as one would like; they're an absolute treat when they do arrive with is, but the connectivity tissue wears thin.
Michael Gracey demonstrates promise and some skill with the reigns but entrusting a $84 million production budget to a first-time director was a risky move that saw the film reportedly undergo reshoots and extensive post-production with James Mangold at the helm; clearly overwhelmed with the scope and energy needed, Gracey could have done with more experience before working his way up to this film, which would have resulted in a far tighter product. Still, the visual spectacle is solid and it truly feels at home on the big-screen, clear through those well-staged musical moments that audiences the world over are lapping up.
No one can deny the stellar music, fantastic performances glossy production design and crowd-pleasing spectacle of The Greatest Showman, as well as the clear joy poured into the piece from long-term spearhead Hugh Jackman. It's such a shame that the narrative is so shallow and stitched together so arbitrary however. I'd conclude that The Greatest Showman would operate far more effectively as a stage musical and it is something I would be eager to see; I can't say I'm racing back to see it in feature-length form as enthusiastically. While the spectacle soars, the script struggles to hold up its end of the bargain, leaving The Greatest Showman as a musical that doesn't achieve the highest note.
★★★★★★✬☆☆☆
(6.5/10)
Summary: What The Greatest Showman lacks in substance and in its failure to deliver the full story, it makes up for in style, spectacle and soaring musical numbers brought to life by a terrific ensemble lead by Hugh Jackman as its leading man with so much heart and passion for his project.