REVIEW #277 The Greatest Showman (2017)

P T Barnum becomes a world wide sensation, putting on an imaginative and innovative show that elevates him to the top of his game!

I know I am rather late to this one but I was surprised to see the pretty low critics ratings, it felt like this movie was all the rave upon its release! Nonetheless I went into it with an open mind and hoping to fall in love with the songs that conquered the charts in 2017. The soundtrack is certainly a really catchy one and combined with the illustrious choreography it’s hard not to smile whilst witnessing the show unfold. I’m regards to the storyline itself, I do think it is rather cliche. Man born into poverty hustles his way to wealth but never realises his limits which ultimately leads to his downfall before a big redemption conclusion. So I’d say that was probably the weakest element of the movie but it there’s a lot of heart at its core and I loved the reference from the critic in the film which describes the show as “A celebration of humanity”. That really summed it up well.

The cinematography on the other hand was excellent, the way the choreography was captured was brilliant but I didn’t expect to witness so many fantastic shots. It included a nice range of colours whilst incorporating silhouettes really nicely. The finale show sequence was a particular favourite, it included a bit of everything, realistic visual effects, set design, camera positioning, the lot! So I certainly had a really enjoyable time watching the film but I don’t think I could give it a higher score just because the plot wasn’t exactly anything we haven’t seen before, it just had a circus spin on things. But it’s definitely worth a watch.

Overall (7.3/10)

Thanks for reading.

Callan


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