Tightrope

Rating: Null/10 (23 December 2017)

Literally and figuratively, this movie treads a tightrope. I cannot remember the last time I saw such polarized critics: from "empty, moronic" to "I was thoroughly enjoying myself", both coming from the same part of the world, the Great Lakes area (two world-class cities, in two nations).
Alternate titles could have been "birth of the circus" or "from vaudeville to big top". The trailers are misleading. In the movie itself, the only glimpse of a circus in its generally understood form is at the closing shots. Throughout the course of the movie, "circus" (a newly invented word back then) denotes a vaudeville show of freaks (apologies for my failure to resort to euphemism). The subject matter is not exactly politically correct in this time and age, hence my summary "line" (no pun intended).
Nor is it truly a biography of the famous (or notorious, take your pick) P.T. Barnum. The way to watch (and enjoy) this musical is look at it as fiction, with the idea borrowed from the real person. That way, you won't get bogged down with a lot of controversial distractions.
As a directly-to-screen musical, TGS has done a reasonable job. At least, it meets the fundamental requirement of a true musical: the songs are not just there because it is a "musical", but are there to fulfill the task of moving the story forward (e.g. the lively number through which persuasive Barnum convinces young stage play veteran Philip Carlyle to leave the high-brow circle and join him in adventures that brings out what really living is about, something like that. Most of the songs in TGS are exciting and upbeat rather than languid and romantic, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Regardless of how much the movie factal and how much is fictional, a lot the usual elements for melodrama are there (but no heavy stuff such a revenge and murder). I am not going to go through the plotline in detail. The audience will find themselves on familiar ground, with no suspense or surprise. I would rather dwell on a couple of interesting things in this movie.
The key plot element is Barnum's enterprise of assembling a group of freaks (apologies again, no euphemism) into a successful commercial show. This may attract more empathy than you might have initially imagined. All of us, dare I propose, have a little freakishness, be it some unique mannerism, a pair of crossed eyes, or a slight limp. Treading the tightrope with the skill of an expert, director Michael Gracey removes most of the offensive edge and injects a heavy dose of upbeat emotion, magically transferring the whole thing into "a celebration of humanity" which gives the members of the circle the dignity they never dream have. While this coup may be ring hollow to cynics, it scores with the general audience. There is wit too, as the ever-persuasive Barnum convinces the recruits thus: you'll be laughed at anyway, so why not get paid for it?
This is also a movie about show business. For that, all I need to do is to refer to Irving Berlin's immortal song "There's no business, like show business" (in the movie "Annie get your gun"). Listen to it, a hundred times if you have the time. It's the most eloquent presentation of what show business is all about.
In the romance department, it is the second line romance story that captures the audience's fancy, the one between Carlyle and trapeze artist Anne Wheeler. The main line is a triangle, sort of. The poor boy/rich girl story between Barnum and his wife Charity is standard staple. More interesting is his relationship with world-class Swedish singer Jenny Lind. While she has romantic inclinations, he considers their intimate relationship during a world tour he stages for her to be more of a professional partnership. The interesting thing is that he finds in her a kindred-spirit soulmate that he fails to find in his wife who does not share his experience of a deprived childhood of an underdog. Jenny does.
The cast contributes a great deal to lifting this movie a notch above what it would have been. After "Les Miserable", here is further demonstration that there is another side to Hugh Jackman than Logan Wolverine. As Charity, Michelle Williams is as dependable as ever. Zac Efron is a delightful mixture of energetic youthfulness and world-weary skepticism as Carlyle. Zendaya as Anne Wheeler illustrate the formula of beauty plus style equals class. Rebecca Ferguson made quite an impression as the MI6 agent in "Mission Impossible - Rouge Nation" (2015). No kicks and chops here from her, but sheer radiance as Jenny Lind.