The Greatest Showman

Rating: 8/10 (6 January 2018)

I saw the trailer for the film, I assumed the song featured in it was just for a performance number, so it came as a pleasant surprise when it turned out I was watching a musical movie, at least I knew it was inspired by the story of the creation of a famous institution. Basically young P.T. Barnum (Ellis Rubin, Ziv Zaifman singing) and his father Philo (Will Swenson), a tailor, work for the Hallett family. The young Barnum has an affection for the daughter Charity Hallett (Skylar Dunn), he is reprimanded for making Charity laugh, she is grounded, she later tells Barnum that she is being sent to finishing school. Barnum assures Charity they will not be separated, the two keep in touch through letters until they meet again as adults ("A Million Dreams"). Barnum (Golden Globe nominated Hugh Jackman) and Charity (Michelle Williams) get married and have two children, daughters Caroline (Austyn Johnson) and Helen (Cameron Seely) ("A Million Dreams (Reprise)"), they live a humble life in New York City, Clarity is happy, but Barnum dreams of more. Barnum works as a clerk at a shipping company, but is laid off after the company goes bankrupt, so he takes a risky bet, he deceives the bank into accepting his former employer's lost goods as collateral to take out a large loan. With the loan, Barnum builds Barnum's American Museum in downtown Manhattan, an attraction showcasing various wax models, but sales are slow, the children suggest attractions should be "alive". Barnum advertises for "freaks", to serve as performers for his museum ("Come Alive"), the unique people he finds include bearded lady Lettie Lutz (Keala Settle), dwarf performer Charles Stratton aka General Tom Thumb (Sam Humphrey), Fedor Jeftichew the Dog Boy (Luciano Acuna Jr.) and many more. Despite protests and poor reviews, a larger audience are attracted, wanting to see unique looking people with unique talents, one critic describes the museum as a "circus", this prompts Barnum to rename his venture "Barnum's Circus", out of spite. Having found success, and making a fortune, Barnum is finally able to buy the mansion he had promised Charity when they were younger, but he searches ways to further his reputation with the upper class. Barnum meets and convinces Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron) to join his venture ("The Other Side"), Carlyle becomes enamoured with African-American circus acrobat and trapeze artist Anne Wheeler (Zendaya). Carlyle arranges for Barnum and his troupe to meet Queen Victoria (Gayle Rankin); at this meeting, Barnum meets famed Swedish singer Jenny Lind, known as "The Swedish Nightingale" (Rebecca Ferguson, Loren Allred singing), he convinces her to perform in America, serving as her manager. Lind stuns Barnum and the audience with her performance ("Never Enough"), during which Carlyle upsets Wheeler by not showing affection for her when his parents notice. The success leads to a U.S. tour, but in the process Barnum neglects his original circus, the troupe's performers feel disheartened and ignored ("This Is Me"). Carlyle takes Wheeler to the theatre, but Carlyle's parents insult her, and she leaves, he chases after her, trying to convince her that they can be together, but she rejects him ("Rewrite the Stars"). Meanwhile Charity feels isolated from her husband as she stays home and takes care of their children ("Tightrope"). While on tour, Lind becomes attached to Barnum, but he declines her advances, in anger she calls off the tour, at her final performance, during curtain call ("Never Enough (Reprise)"), Lind kisses Barnum, this moment is photographed. When Barnum returns to the circus, he finds it on fire, following a fight between protesters and the troupe, there is a moment when Carlyle believes Wheeler is in the burning building, and runs in to save her, but she emerges unharmed, Barnum runs in and saves Carlyle. After the fire, most of the set and props have been destroyed and Carlyle is gravely injured, word of Lind's cancellation and Barnum's public intimacy reaches New York, leading to him having financial difficulties and becoming estranged from his wife. Barnum becomes depressed and starts drinking, his troupe find him in a bar, they persuade him to rebuild the circus; he resolves in future to stay down-to-earth and not get carried away with reputation and wealth ("From Now On"), meanwhile Carlyle wakes in hospital, with Wheeler by his side. Barnum visits Charity, and they rebuild their relationship, he finds it difficult to find a bank willing to loan him money to rebuild the circus, but the recovering Carlyle has saved his profits from the circus, he offers his earnings to rebuild, on the condition of becoming equal partners, Barnum happily accepts. Rebuilding at the original circus location is too expensive, so Barnum rebuilds the circus as an open-air tent event by the harbour, the new circus is a great success, in the end, Barnum hands over the reins of the show to Carlyle and retires to focus more on his family ("The Greatest Show"). Also starring Paul Sparks as James Gordon Bennett, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as W. D. Wheeler, Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Deng Yan, a Chinese blade-specialist and Shannon Holtzapffel as Prince Constantine, The Tattooed Man. Former Broadway and West End performer Jackman is superb as the ringmaster, Efron is likeable as his showbiz partner, and there is terrific support from Ferguson, Williams, Zendaya and Settle. It is a fictionalised version of the true creation Barnum & Bailey Circus, and the lives of its star attractions, the real circus ran for 146 years, but it is much more about the extravagant song and dance routines, with splendidly written and melodic numbers, "Never Enough" and "This Is Me" being the highlights, a lavish spectacle and most entertaining period musical drama. It won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song for "This is Me" (it was also nominated the Oscar), and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. Very good!