Greatest Showman,The : Movie Review


The Greatest Showman (2017) - Movie Poster
"The Greatest Showman" is as joyous and magical as any film released in 2017, a wholly original musical arriving so fully formed, so vibrantly accomplished, and so clear of vision it feels as if it's been a beloved classic for 50 years. In loosely adapting for the big screen the life of famed showman P. T. Barnum, director Michael Gracey (making a dazzling directorial debut) and screenwriters Jenny Bicks (2014's "Rio 2") and Bill Condon (2006's "Dreamgirls") have crafted a pair of quite literally soaring love stories set against the backdrop of the museum-turned-sideshow business Barnum created. Initially focused on little more than making money for himself and his family—supportive wife Charity (Michelle Williams) and young daughters Caroline (Austyn Johnson) and Helen (Cameron Seely)—P. T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) ultimately gave voices to his hired "human curiosities," the disenfranchised souls living in the margins of a heretofore unaccepting 19th-century society. Emboldened by a sparkling soundtrack from songwriter-composers Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (2016's "La La Land"), a miraculous score from John Debney (2011's "No Strings Attached") and Joseph Trapanese (2016's "Allegiant"), and lustrous lensing from cinematographer Seamus McGarvey (2017's "Life"), "The Greatest Showman" is glorious cinematic spectacle done exactly right.


See Dustin Putman, TheFilmFile.com. for full review

Author : Dustin Putman