Full of charm and delight!

Rating: 10/10 (6 February 2018)

There hasn't been that many movies where we feel its joy right away. I didn't expect The Greatest Showman to be so charming, but it had me under its spell in an instant. What can I say, I loved this film. Its happiness is immensely contagious, and it took a great deal of effort to stay put in my seat! Sometimes first impressions in a movie is everything, and Hugh Jackman leaves an extremely positive one from the very first scene. He was the life of this film. I was wondering throughout, is there anything Hugh Jackman can't do? He can sing, he can dance, he can act - and he also melts our hearts with his adorable family (Michelle Williams, and two very cute girls - Austyn Johnson and Cameron Seely). Jackman is a very lovable guy playing a very likeable character, and his amazing showmanship skills is in given ample fuel to truly dazzle here.
The stern show critic in the film described P.T Barnum (Hugh Jackman)'s show as 'a celebration of humanity' and in my opinion, it is a perfect summary of what this film is. It is a celebration of our differences, of the courage to be yourself, of love, of family, and of the simple pleasures that we often take for granted in the pursuit of what we perceive at the time to be something greater. It is a singing and dancing fairytale that will quite literally, lift you out of the shadows.
It seems that's the case for many of the characters in the film too. They are marginalised, and excluded from society for their unique features. They live in hiding and in shame. Barnum pulled them from the darkness, and gave them a chance to realise their worth and their individual strengths. Zendaya and Kaela Settle both showcased a quiet resilience that is admirable and inspiring. Their profound talents and astonishing voices gave the heart and warmth to Justin Paul and Benj Pasek's (who also wrote the songs for La La Land) brilliantly written songs (particularly 'This is me', which I have no doubt will win the best song category at the Academy Awards this year). Personally, I was so moved by the songs that I immediately downloaded the soundtrack when I got home!
It is hard to believe that this is Australian director Michael Gracey's first feature film. I could understand the approach that he decided to tell Barnum's story, and I am very glad that he chose to tell his story in a dream-like way. He captured the vision of Barnum with his own imagination, and weaved into his film the idealism and the optimism Barnum's ideas embodied. It is an incredibly uplifting film, and with the colour and magnificence created by production designer Nathan Crowley (the Prestige, Interstellar) and cinematographer Seamus McGarvey, I felt like I was right there - being a part of Barnum's spectacularly enchanting show.
It isn't easy to tell a story through music and songs, but the 'the Greatest Showman' is a great one that you shouldn't miss. I guarantee that if you go see it, you will leave the cinema with a huge grin, with your heart full, and for a little while, you will forgive the muddy troubles this world has, and that is definitely worth experiencing these days.