It’s easy to respect the ambition behind “The Greatest
Showman,” an all-new, completely original movie musical based on the life of
circus impresario P.T. Barnum. Coming from a first-time filmmaker — Australian
music-video director Michael Gracey — the
long-in-the-works film has been something of a passion project for star Hugh
Jackman. The film’s an over-the-top, song and dance extravaganza so eager to
please that its defining characteristic can only be described as
“enthusiastic,” but it possesses a winning earnestness that helps overcome some
of its shortcomings.
Barnum was a
complicated figure, but “The Greatest Showman” has no aspirations toward
authenticity, foregoing nuance to focus on a formulaic rags-to-riches story
filled with bland platitudes about celebrating originality and chasing one’s
dreams. The film positions Barnum as the champion of society’s outcasts and
misfits, though the real-life Barnum’s actions fell much more on the side of
exploitation than advocacy.
On one hand,
that’s totally fine — most people aren’t going to a splashy, big-budget movie
musical expecting anything resembling realism — but there was certainly the
potential for something more interesting to be mined from the same material.
And while the film is simply aiming to entertain, the approach does allow the
film to fall into the uncomfortable territory of a white savior narrative a bit
too often. But taken simply as pure pop confection, the film’s not without its
pleasures, and it’s easy to get swept up in the spectacle.
The version
of Barnum portrayed in the film is a family man, the poor son of a tailor, but
with aspirations of achieving something more. And that includes the promise of
a better life for his wife Charity (a lovely Michelle Williams) and their two
daughters. He eventually finds a way to make something of himself, creating a
“museum of curiosities,” an entertainment showcase he fills with novelty acts
like a bearded lady (Keala Settle) and the diminutive
Tom Thumb (Sam Humphrey). Most would call it a freak show, though for better or
worse the film suggests it gave these unique individuals a sense of purpose and
community, presenting them with opportunities they’d never otherwise have.
As the show
grows in popularity, Barnum recruits a business partner, Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron), who immediately falls in love with pink-haired
trapeze artist Anne Wheeler (Zendaya). That love
story feels wildly underdeveloped — we never get any real sense of what exactly
attracts the pair to each other, aside from the fact that, well, they look like
Zac Efron and Zendaya. It
might have helped things if Anne were given even a mere hint of a personality.
Despite
flouting convention, Barnum still desires the approval and validation of
mainstream society, and he eventually attempts to gain legitimacy by becoming
the manager of opera singer Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson). He ushers her on a
tour across the country, which creates conflict when it requires him to be away
from his family for lengthy stretches of time.
Connecting
it all is a pop soundtrack featuring original songs by BenjPasek and Justin Paul, the prolific duo responsible
for the songs from last year’s “La La Land,” and the
Tony-winning stage musical “Dear Evan Hansen.” Their work here leans toward the
generic, overproduced sound of modern Top 40, but there are a few hummable
tunes to be found.
The
screenplay by Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon is fairly
by the numbers, and while the occasional cheap-looking digital effect sometimes
makes the spectacle seem smaller and more muted than it should, director of
photography Seamus McGarvey makes sure the razzle
dazzle shines through.
Hugh Jackman
has always been a hugely charismatic presence, especially when he’s in
song-and-dance mode. He’s the film’s secret weapon, and he sells the role of
Barnum with everything he’s got. He’s matched every step of the way by a game Efron, who seems to be enjoying getting back in touch with
his “High School Musical” roots. Their major song together, where Barnum plies
his would-be partner with booze in an attempt to convince him to join the
circus, is one of the film’s more enjoyable numbers. Besides that song, the
film’s choreography is disappointingly bland, and only the “Rewrite the Stars”
number — as Anne swings Carlyle up and around the rafters of the empty tent — truly
manages to utilize the circus space in any inventive way.
But “The
Greatest Showman” is admirably uncynical in its aims:
it just wants to leave viewers with a smile on their face, and that earns the
film a certain amount of goodwill. If you’re a musical fan who doesn’t mind a
heaping helping of cheese with your entertainment, there’s bound to be
something under this big top you’ll be able to enjoy.
This article appears in Dec 27, 2017 – Jan 2, 2018.
