Whole does not add up to the sum of it's parts

Rating: 6/10 (21 January 2018)

Have you ever heard of the phrase "The whole does not equal the sum of it's parts"? If you need evidence of what this phrase means, check out THE GREATEST SHOWMAN.
Starring Hugh Jackman, THE GREATEST SHOWMAN follows the life of PT Barnum, who brought himself up from nothing to become one of the most famous (if not THE most famous) promoter (some would say huckster) of all time. This film is a musical and I couldn't think of a better subject matter for a musical than this.
And it starts off promising - the Opening number is fun and upbeat...and then the plot (what there is of it) kicks in...and then there's another "show-stopper" musical number...and then there's more weak plot...and ANOTHER show-stopper musical number and then...
You get the picture.
Let's start with what works - the songs. Written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (LA LA LAND, Broadway's DEAR EVAN HANSON), the songs are catchy and show-stoppery, the perfect building blocks for eye-catching, fast-paced, quick cutting, movie spectaculars. And that's part of the problem. This film jumps from "show-stopper" to "show-stopper" - there was no variety. It's kind of like eating cupcakes. The first one is really good and tasty. The 2nd one - still good, but a little less so, and so on. By the time you get to your fifth cupcake, you're sick of cupcakes and are yearning for a carrot. Such is the case here. If you take any one of these songs on their own, you'll be entertained. But - after awhile - I was just yearning for some variety.
Unfortunately...I couldn't find the variety that I was looking for in the plot. Calling the script by Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon slight would be doing a disservice to the word slight. It clearly is just an excuse to get us to the next "show-stopper" song. None of the characters are really fleshed out (including Barnum) they are all pretty one note, with one goal (respect) and one obstacle (she has a beard! his parents don't approve of him! she married beneath her!) that all get resolved in a song.
As for the performances, they are all pretty one-note as well. Hugh Jackman is all bravado as Barnum, never wavering in his appetites, his panache and his cockiness. Jackman has a million dollar smile and he flashes it constantly. The usually reliable Michelle Williams is acting in another movie than Jackman. Her scenes with Jackman as Barnum's wife don't really hit the mark and only at the end does her true acting chops show (and shows just how far better of an actress she is than everyone else in the film).
To be honest, I kind of found myself rooting for the Zac Efron/Zendaya love story part of this film. These are two very photgenic, charismatic performers - with strong song and dance chops - and when they're love song came on screen I was into it - except it was the 5th cupcake I had by that time. I really found myself wishing that their song was the dessert and not served as part of the main meal.
Special notice should be given to Rebecca Ferguson's performance as Jenny Lind. Her number, NEVER ENOUGH, had me engaged throughout. It was only later that I discovered that the singing was done by Loren Allred. That disappointed me until my wife pointed out that I was "fooled" by this and should just roll with it. I gotta admit that Ferguson acted the heck out of the role (and the song), so I'll give this one a pass.
As for the "freaks" in Barnum's show - there is a reason I haven't mentioned them. Keala Settle has the lead in the "show-stopper" number "This is Me" (a lock to win the Oscar for best song), but none of these characters are fleshed out and are even less than one-note (if this is even possible).
Ultimately, I lay the blame for this film on Director Michael Gracey. This is his theatrical film debut as a Director, and maybe that is why this film,is disjointed. Perhaps with a stronger, more experienced director of motion picture musicals like Rob Marshall or Damien Chazelle, there would have been some nuance and some change of pace and mood. We'll never know...and that's too bad, for the pieces of a good film musical were there.
They just didn't add up.
Letter Grade: B-
6 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)