A true cinematic and artistic masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (2 April 2018)

Whilst The Greatest Showman is not a perfect movie (does such a movie even exist?), I simply had to give it 10 stars on the basis that there's nothing I can really critique. It's so fantastically put together and every single scene from beginning to end feels like it has purpose and meaning. Though the story is nothing particularly original or mind-blowing, it's engaging and heartfelt.
Most of the criticisms seem to be on the basis that it is historically inaccurate in its presentation of P. T. Barnum and his life, but honestly, who cares? This is a movie, NOT a documentary. Movies are made for entertainment, not to present facts, so to give it a poor rating or bad review on that basis is a pretty weak reason.
There's no doubt that The Greatest Showman is one of the best musicals I've ever seen. It ticks all the boxes - beautiful cinematography, costumes, choreography and songs; romance, friendship, family, sadness, self-discovery, loss; fantastic acting and a talented cast. Every area of the film is strong and when watching it, everything really does feel seamless. It just flows in a way that few films do.
The music is great and thoroughly enjoyable. Unlike other musicals every single song weaves into the scene its in and tells a story. The singing itself is strong from all of the cast and incredibly emotional. None of the songs feel out of place or forced, they always swell at appropriate times to allow the characters to express their inner emotions. It's exactly what a musical should be.
Hugh Jackman's performance as P. T Barnum was fantastic. Personally, I'd only seen him as Wolverine in the X-Men before now, but he proved himself to be a very versatlie and talented actor. The emotion and conviction he brought to the character of Barnum was moving and who knew he could sing! Likewise, Zac Efron's performance as Philip was impressive. Despite not featuring in a musical since High School Musical, it really seemed that he felt at home throughout the film. Just like Jackman he brought an emotional sincerity to Philip's character and being side by side with Zendaya (Anne) seemed to only further showcase his acting skills. The performances from the rest of the cast were equally as good and there's not a single cast member that I considered to be mediocre.
The Greatest Showman will take anyone that watches it on an incredibly wonderful and emotional journey, leaving you feeling uplifted and with a smile on your face. There are so many valuable life lessons in there, but the most significant one is how important it is to embrace and love ourselves regardless of our flaws and to not let other people's hurtful words define who we are.