Probably the last of the great Hollywood musicals - 87%

Rating: 8/10 (25 October 2011)

If you're reading my reviews in chronological order then you'll probably laugh at the contrast between this and the last movie I talked about! But sometimes, you have to let the Better Half dictate the viewing and so it was here. Given that it is a widely adored piece of cinema and that it is a musical (which is one of my least favourite genres) then there is a good chance that my views won't sit too well with some of you. But bear in mind that I went into this trying to ignore my prejudices and forgetting that it is almost fifty years old.
Salzberg in Austria in the dying days of the 1930s. Rebellious trainee nun Maria (Julie Andrews) has stepped on the toes of the Mother Abbess (Peggy Wood) one too many times and she finds herself shipped off to be the governess of one Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) and his seven children (Charmian Carr, Heather Menzies, Nicholas Hammond, Duane Chase, Angela Cartwright, Debbie Turner and Kym Karath). At first, she struggles to fit in to the fabric of the family which is strict and joyless but Maria's zest of life, love and song soon melts the heart of the Von Trapps as the gathering storm of the Nazi threat swirls at the fringes of the story.
Camp and colourful it may be but only the most stone-heartened of viewers would argue that "The Sound of Music" is all gloss and no substance. The story, while clearly nonsense, is a winner and performed with enthusiasm and gusto from the cast. Andrews is a revelation, being both a glorious singer as well as an emotive actress. Plummer is equal to the task and the scenes between them are simply magical, full of chemistry that you rarely see on screen these days. The soundtrack is also a winner - each song is memorable and even if you've seen it before (as my Better Half has), you'll be helpless to join in with them. But it is also surprisingly evocative. Even I struggled to suppress the lump in my throat at times and as the Nazi element grows, the film takes a dark twist towards a genuinely tense finale. The other thing I loved was the cinematography - it is a wonderfully pretty picture with sweeping panoramas of the Alps and the lakes between them.
Assuming that this hasn't passed you by completely then the chances are that you would have had some exposure to "The Sound of Music", whether you record it at Christmas or go to the Singalong showing dressed as a nun. To be honest, I struggled to keep my cynical comments to myself when I watched it as it is impossible to take it seriously. But even I, who was ready to hate this, can't deny that this is a wonderful feel-good movie that allows you to let your hair down and just enjoy yourself. It won't be to everyones tastes and I personally would have liked more songs rather than the same six or seven repeated over the course of the film. But those that are there are like the rest of the film, joyous and youthful and completely deserving of your attention.