Good, but if only...

Rating: 7/10 (9 September 2018)

This is a good, uplifting musical that, had more care been taken with the screenwriting, could have been an all-time classic.
The music is quite excellent. A good mixture of up-tempo and meaningful numbers that all fit the mood nicely. The characterisations are all excellent as well; this film is well cast and performed.
The big hole in this film, for me, is the lack of backstory in the first third. We blitz from Barnum's childhood to the opening of his museum in what feels like a matter of minutes. This picture really needed 30-40 minutes of character work, detailing his upbringing, romancing of his wife and his early business ventures. There were just enough shots here and there to make the screenplay passable, but a production of his magnitude needs a script that is vastly more fit for purpose.
That additional 30-40 minutes of investment in Barnum's backstory would have taken the running time to around 2hrs 20mins, which, considering the length of some of the great musicals, would, as well as being perfectly reasonable, have lifted it from a good film to a great one. As it is, it's a pleasant way to pass a dark, gloomy night, but not much more.
Towards the end of the picture, Barnum's wife tells him, "I want the man I fell in love with." Hard for that line to make any impact on the audience when the lead couple's initial courting was glossed over so quickly..