A good girl meets a bad boy or a Boring and disappointing cult musical with cult status

Rating: 6/10 (16 May 2020)

Musical. A screen version of the stage musical of the same name by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, from which some social subtext was removed and the sharp edges were smoothed out. I looked at the picture again on the recommendation and ... however, about that after. I note that this picture has a cult status in the West, which has not subsided so far, which has become news to me if I have garlic, but despite this fact, I will still judge it by my personal impressions that arose me while watching it. And here is my brief opinion - a frustrating and boring musical. Quietly, without nerves, dear and respected fans of the picture, I will explain my position and intend to describe not only the minuses, but also the advantages of this movie, for which it is deservedly loved and appreciated. Let me begin, then.
So, the pros:
1. Atmosphere - what is wonderful in this picture is just that. The picture is filled with a light, romantic mood, which will completely freely disperse the melancholy of dull gray everyday life. And I'm not joking right now. If you do not believe me, then check it yourself. Yes, I watched this picture on the recommendation, but I myself had a desire, which only accelerated. After watching a war movie, I wanted some lightness and musicality - and in this regard I was not deceived!
2. Fifties - Elvis, a special style of youth, cars of the thirties, skillfully remade by these very guys into something special, summer, romance, and most importantly - the music itself, the influence of which cannot be overestimated. All this is, it all looks almost perfect. What to do, because the fifties for America really stood out calm and musical at the same time. What else to do, how not to love and be loved?
3. A simple story is the classic love story of a bad boy and a good girl, before which various and such familiar to everyone obstacles come up, ranging from different circles of interest, moral views and ending with a radically different look at the future. Of course, the ending of this story is predictable, and this is good. For the genre, this is it, because the emphasis is on something else, which will be the next plus.
4. Songs - why love this picture? Yes, it's for the songs, light, romantic, vulgar (as without it), but so emotional and sometimes even touching. Songs from this picture occupied the highest places, and some were even nominated for the then-prestigious Academy Award. One title track is worth it!
5. Dancing - there are a lot of dances in the picture, and a lot of extras. Moreover, the characters dance so flawlessly and expertly that it causes genuine admiration even today, in the age of high technology and computer graphics. Some dances are already unknown to a wide range of viewers, because the fashion for them has passed, so this picture can be safely used as a history textbook on dances of the fifties. They are vulgar, sometimes very - but very shocking, you can't argue with that. I especially want to note the patience and work of the masters in choreography, because what frame do not take - movement, plastic, everything is almost perfect. And given the number of dances in the picture and extras - this is really an achievement.
So cons:
I warn you, now I will whine and find fault with the cynicism of the pathologist! I warned.
1. Not hooked! - I love musicals, although there are hundreds of us in Russia, if not tens, of the same kind, for example, among my acquaintances and friends, no one likes this genre. So, I watched both old musicals and new ones, and in each I found something special, usually a song, or several. There were times when the musical was well shot, but the songs are a complete failure. But here is the bottom. The songs are completely unremarkable, despite the good performance by the actors. Melodies - similarly. Everything seems to be monotonous, sometimes crumpled, torn, and most importantly - uninteresting. At one time, I criticized "The Greatest Showman" for everything except the title track, so here it is not. Already in the twentieth minute I wanted to turn it off, but I restrained myself, because there was still hope inside, as when watching the picture "Spike Island". There I waited for a sweet and touching scene, after which the picture began to sparkle with new colors, but this did not happen here. As at the beginning the picture was dull and uninteresting - by the end it remained the same. The dummy that I spent two hours of my time on. Well, it happens.
2. Vulgarity - the fact is that they did not show the picture in the Soviet Union, because censorship did not pass, considering it to be "vulgar and licentious" - and this is true. No, there are no explicit scenes here, but hints, movements, some dances clearly indicate the object of desire. I didn't like this, and if I forgave Spike Island due to good, sweet, touching and dramatic scenes, I won't forgive Briolin, because he has no such excuse.
You can throw tomatoes, apples at me, but I'm telling the truth. I have no one to crouch in front of, I am frank with you. I wanted to enjoy the picture, but in the end I only paid tribute to its technical part, which saddens.
A little about the main characters:
1. Danny Zuko performed by John Travolta is a bad boy, the leader of the school company, not indifferent to the weaker sex. Having met a new girl, I realized what the strange word "love" means. It is changing before our eyes. Young Travolta is admirable. Dancing, singing, playing - just great. Well, appearance certainly plays a key role!
2. Sandy Olsson, performed by Olivia Newton-John, is a good girl who fell in love with a boy who turned out to be a little not as romantic as she knew him. A naive, radiant, beautiful girl that Olivia brilliantly performed. Her Sandy turned out to be a classic good girl, but this image has always been, is and will be popular. Good girl!
As a result, we have a boring musical with cult status, with a simple and memorable story, great atmosphere and aesthetics of the fifties, famous songs and magnificent dances. The duet of Travolta and Olivia is wonderful!