Go For the Music

Rating: 10/10 (10 March 2018)

If you're a music lover, "The Greatest Showman" is quite a recent movie that I think is a must-see. The story describes the life of P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) and the creation of his famous circus. The movie depicts P.T. Barnum as a poor, young boy who grows up to marry his long-time love interest (Michelle Williams). They struggle to get by and provide for their two young daughters. After being fired from his job, he takes a huge financial risk and decides to create a show full of "odd" people that don't necessarily fit the mold of society. Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron), an upper-class playwright, gets roped into the show and becomes fascinated by Anne Wheeler (Zendaya), an African-American trapeze artist. The movie depicts the struggle between doing what is morally acceptable versus what is socially acceptable. P.T. Barnum in particular has to discover whether success or family is his main aspiration in life. His first taste of success causes him to turn his back on his eclectic troupe of performers and even his wife and daughters. In the end, he leaves Phillip in charge of the circus so he can focus on his family. The director, Michael Gracey, does a fantastic job of putting together this captivating movie with great special effects infused with an element of magic.
This movie is a must-see in my opinion not because of the plot but because of the amazing score. This is obviously a musical, and all of the original music was written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. They're quite a young writing duo, but have recently taken the musical theatre world by storm. They wrote the music for the musical "Dear Evan Hansen" that has been extremely successful on Broadway for over a year. As most people probably know, I'm a musical theatre fanatic, and I personally think their writing is absolutely incredible. The impeccable music pairs with very moving lyrics that transports listeners to a different world. The songs definitely carry the plot, and it's precisely the reason why people should watch this movie.
Many musicals that are made into movies are marginal at best; most of the actors and actresses are no where near the caliber of the performers on Broadway. Because the music is recorded in the studio and not performed live, many of the songs in movie-musicals sound very unnatural and touched up (because the actors/actresses aren't skilled enough singers). However, "The Greatest Showman" has songs that sound amazing in the movie and in a live-setting. Keala Settle sings a very iconic song in the movie called "This is Me". She has performed it live many times, including the 2018 Oscars, and proved to the world that she has raw talent.
Some people might think going to see a movie for the songs is a waste of time and money. There's literally tons of ways to access music, including free apps like Spotify and YouTube. One could always listen to the album in the comfort of their own home. However, I think the whole movie experience enhances the way the viewers interpret the songs. The songs come into the movie at specific times that truly transform the whole movie experience. There's something about going to a movie theatre and watching a movie on a gigantic screen. The experience is amplified; the overall atmosphere takes the watchers into another world.
Despite the rave reviews the movie has received, the music really didn't mesh well with many watchers. A reviewer on IDMB called the music "generic, bland, pop mixes" which I fully disagree with. The music channels modern musical theatre which actually does have more pop influences than the classics. Despite this modern twist that many musicals on Broadway are beginning to channel, the songs are beautiful and exciting. Another reviewer claimed all the songs sound the same. As someone who listens to a lot of music, especially musical theatre, I can whole-heartedly say that none of the music sounds the same. There's a mix of up-tempos and ballads all with varying melodies that come together and add levels to the musical. If you're not a musical theatre person, this musical is an ideal in-between because of the essence of pop music. Because it's based on an actual story, this musical is more realistic but is still injected with hints of fantastical qualities that allow the movie to appeal to a wide range of people.