The Greatest Showman (2017) (Review)

The Greatest Showman director by Michael Gracey is a film based on a true story. That of Phineas Taylor Barnum, who founded the Barnum Circus, which soon became a prosperous and famous business, thanks in no small part to its “freak shows”. He also exploited the potential of advertising, still little used in the mid-19th century. He also left his mark on popular culture through Barnum’s American Museum, helping to create the commercial culture of Broadway.  After… it’s still a musical!!! In other words, it’s very unrealistic. People explain themselves by singing and dancing like in Walt Disney. Love stories are easily settled. 

I wonder why we so often hear the term Musical Comedy, but rarely, if ever Musical Tragedy?

This film brings joy. When it came out in 2018, a friend asked me “Have you seen The Greatest Showman? If not… what are you waiting for???” It took me 5 years to finally see it. 

The spectacle created by the film’s protagonist is grandiose. The choreography is magnificent. 

The music is brilliant. In fact, the soundtrack has sold 6 million copies worldwide.It sometimes seems that all Hollywood actors have exceptional voices too. 

I don’t know whether I preferred Moulin Rouge or not. In any case, I thoroughly enjoyed these two musical films. In fact, I thought it was Baz Luhrmann who had directed this one too. But it wasn’t. 

Hugh Jackman has been an actor I particularly like for a while now.On the other hand, I didn’t adore Zac Efron, Zendaya & Michelle Williams. But here, all three have won me over.Keala Settle is an excellent surprise. I don’t think I knew her, but she really shines here.Rebecca Ferguson has wonderful charisma. I haven’t seen The White Queen, so I didn’t know this Swedish actress. 

I’m not going to review all the other actors, but very good time.It’s not a film that really helps you realize all your/our dreams, as I was clumsily told, but it’s worth seeing.In the end, to get back to Walt Disney, it’s a bit like Phineas Barnum: what you can learn from these gentlemen is that they had no limits in their heads, in their minds.And that’s what allowed them to go so far. 

But of course… it won’t work for everyone. But that’s no reason to stop believing in yourself. My rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rent or Buy on Amazon (AMZN PAID LINK)