But even rarer is to see an *original* musical, one not based on any Broadway shows or pre-existing properties, make its way to the screen. 2017 alone has yielded two epic results, Pixar's Coco, and this Christmas season's release of The Greatest Showman, inspired by the Prince of Humbug P.T. Barnum. I guess Barnum was right, and I'm that sucker born to indulge in unabashed romps like this one. So how did this one stack up?
Entrepreneur and showman Phineas Taylor Barnum (Hugh Jackman) dreams of more than a static making end's meat job, providing for his wife (Michelle Williams) and two daughters. Able to swindle and talk his way to pricey bank loans, he soon founds a museum and circus of eccentric and curious individuals, who instantly become big hits to the general public, even if drawing ire and controversy in the meantime. Teaming up with wealthy actor Philip Carlyle (Zac Efron), Barnum continues to grow into a prolific name, but continues to dream higher, courting the talents of famed opera singer Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson), breaking away to venture into "legitimate" showmanship, and losing focus of those allies and employees that made him a household name.
As some may already know, The Greatest Showman isn't the first attempt to cover the life and exploits of P.T. Barnum in musical form, having previously been adapted into the Broadway musical Barnum, and I feel it's almost inevitable to compare the two, given that they make for markedly different depictions of their titular subject. Whereas Barnum was much closer to the opportunistic businessman that preyed on the naivete of his audience, The Greatest Showman feels like a more distinctly "Disney-fied" representation of the man.
All throughout the film, I found my mind wandering back to that same sentiment, as it truly doesn't feel outside of that wheelhouse, serving as a massive revisionist take with dramatic and drastic liberties taken to Barnum's history. Give the film a hand-drawn cosmetic overlay, it wouldn't feel out of place with the likes of Hercules or Hunchback, or even Newsies for that matter. I guess it technically counts as a Disney musical now, considering the Fox buyout. And not that I'm one to bemoan a film for taking liberties with history, but this ends up backfiring on the film tremendously.
Gone is the twinge of cynicism behind Barnum's elaborate hoaxes and humbuggery, swapped out here for a wide-eyed and sugary sweet sense of wonder, not too dissimilar to the character Mickey Rooney might play. And not that I'm against a film trying to make Barnum more digestible, and more endearing as a main character, but the film is so toothless when it comes to saying anything truly negative about him. By sapping away the riskier and off-color traits of Barnum's business, and showing no faith in the viewer being able to handle those elements, they've stripped him of everything that made him such a fascinating individual.
As a result, the film plays much closer to one of Barnum's idealized fantasies, pulling the wool over the eyes of the viewer, and while delivering on big spectacle, feels empty in content, and comes apart more quickly than the Fiji Mermaid with any sense of scrutiny. What doesn't help is the movie's shoddy sense of structure, as the film ultimately lacks a real sense of rhythm, as it just rushes to the end and slips from scene to scene without any real sense of transition. This is even apparent in regards to character introductions, including Zac Efron's aspiring entrepreneur Philip Carlyle, who awkwardly stumbles into the main storyline rather than naturally ease into it, and with all the fascinating personalities and curious folks that Barnum was able to attract for his business, it's a shame to see so many of them get sidelined until the film suddenly remembers they're in the movie. Such issues immediately make sense upon discovering the *six* credited editors of the film (including Oscar winners Joe Hutshing and Tom Cross), suggesting a film that must have been trimmed from a much longer running time, and shows a lack of discipline as the film chugs along to the finish.
But even if it was only superficial, I still enjoyed my time with The Greatest Showman. If nothing else, the spectacle Barnum became a household name for has been successfuly translated. The film marks the debut of director Michael Gracey, who has an extensive career in commercials and music videos, and that experience serves him very well in crafting the visual side of the film, coming to life like a colorful zoetrope of enchanting tricks and flourishes, from blinding and colorful synchronized light, to blankets that literally sway in time with the actors.
And for as tame and cookie cutter as Barnum is, Hugh Jackman is still a terrific fit for the role. Does it outshine anything that he managed to accomplish in Logan? No, but it's no less of a physically demanding performance, depending on his strength and ability to engage the audience with his spiels and charm, and Jackman firmly seizes the role with both hands, clearly at home in his natural element. Michelle Williams unfortunately gets underused as his wife, but manages to make those unified moments shine thanks to her commitment and shared passion. I wish I could say that Zac Efron and Zendaya fare better, because despite the fact that the two are both capable performers, they lack the chemistry needed to make their romance work. Outside of the under utilized Circus performers, the other prominent name, Rebecca Ferguson's Jenny Lind (with obvious musical dubbing by Loren Allred) manages to leave an impression in her limited screentime, but we're still left wanting more than what we're given.
But what about the reason we really watched it? One would correctly expect the musical numbers to be the highlight of the entire film, here penned by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, best known for Broadway's Dear Evan Hansen, and their Oscar-winning work for La La Land. Rather than try and nail the era-specific styles of music of the time, Pasek and Paul have decided to forgo traditional circus fare, in favor of deliberately anachronistic and poppy modern instrumentation, often venturing closer to rock. It's almost Baz Luhrmann-esque in how it applies those musical moments, but continuing to indulge in the pure fantasy of its accompanying film, I think the songs are each fantastic in their own ways, even if you may have some trouble picking a distinct favorite of the batch.
So, ironically, it seems The Greatest Showman lived up to the reputation of its main subject. It's a misguided and untruthful trap that plays to my most superficial feelings of enjoyment, but I'm not at all angry over how the show exploited my feelings. At the end of the day, even if Barnum was a swindler, can we truly be angry with him when those silly sideshows managed to bring such genuine enjoyment? I guess in that sense, the film was the most perfect Barnum trick one could ever hope for. Unfortunately, unlike Barnum's clever hoaxes, this film as a whole isn't one that's likely to linger with you. A sucker is born every minute, and clearly the filmmakers were their own suckers as well.
Merry Christmas, and happy humbug to you all!
**1/2 / *****
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