Pleasantly surprised and relieved

Rating: 7/10 (20 January 2018)

As a frequent moviegoer but not a particular fan of musicals due to early trauma caused by the awful Mamma Mia! film (soon to be films...), I was not confident that I would enjoy the Greatest Showman; regardless, I was dragged to see this by my girlfriend, but came out the other side very satisfied with what had been presented to me.
Whilst the storyline is grandiose and fictionalised to a certain degree (such as PT Barnum being portrayed as a benevolent rags-to-riches character), the film does not require a convoluted plot - the magic is supposed to be in the eccentricity of the people, the colours of the settings and, of course, the core musical pieces. To this end, the Greatest Showman definitely succeeds: it combines all these elements into a thriving spectacle set among the gritty backdrop of a newly-industrialised New York.
Barnum (played by Hugh Jackman) and his backstory is quickly and loosely explained, requiring no more than a brief explanation of his poor upbringing, but also his love for the wealthy and elite girl, Charity (Michelle Williams). In a matter of minutes, Barnum's quest to create the museum of oddities (soon to be known as the circus) comes to fruition, allowing the big-piece spectacles to flow thick and fast. As the centre of attention, Jackman manages to exude spirit and dramatic flair on all his showman scenes, which pulls the film along, dividing his efforts between musical numbers with furious choreography and the darker, more moody storyline. The divergence Barnum takes to tour with Jenny Lind (played by Rebecca Ferguson) only proves to be a minor detour, thankfully not detracting from the core principle of the film to a degree which ruins the flow of the story.
At this point in the film, I had bought into the concept of the musical: I could now accept the film for what it was - a cacophony of colour and showmanship, to be taken light-heartedly and not to be dissected in the way the critics had approached it.