Auf Wiedersehen!

Rating: 7/10 (19 March 2019)

As a fan of Musical films, I kept putting this movie off; waiting for just the right time to guarantee a fabulous and magical experience I usually get from such movies. So, I was shocked when I found myself not instantly invested. The first sequence was so corny that rubbed me the wrong way, and I thought this is going to be the case with the rest of this movie. Fortunately, when I relaxed and just continued watching, the movie sucked me in in no time. Few and repetitive the songs are; they are, nonetheless, quite memorable and infectious. Also, the movie has some of the most hummable tunes ever written, and a fair amount of charming musical numbers which, unlike some of those in Mary Poppins, never overstay their welcome and don't seem stretched.
I'm able to digest schmaltzy, sugar-coated family and children films, I'm a huge fan of Disney Classics. But The Sound of Music isn't only a sugar-coated sweet musical film; it's coated and filled with sugar and chocolate even Willy Wonka's factory can't afford. Needless to say, I didn't find it so easy to enjoy this movie. I found many things hard to swallow such as the infuriating expository dialogue, that seem completely out of place amidst the glimmers of wit the characters show every now and then. However, I found almost every story-line quite riveting. There are some cheesy; yet so effective and engaging enchanting romances, and this movie really did take some risks and dealt with some serious issues through the protagonist Maria, played by the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Julie Andrews!
The story could be annoyingly predictable, but some aspects contain of original ingredients, while some others are encapsulated in a genuine framed to seem as fresh as ever. Another issue I had with this movie is that Ernest Lehman seems to be sure that we already believe that "The Magic of Music" can change one's mind in a blink of an eye. I know that the slightest cynicism would ruin this movie, but this is really more than I can handle.
All the above-mentioned problems pale in comparison with the major issue I have with this high-fructose musical. As I said, I was quite captivated and invested in the story with each one of its likable characters, and my heart was totally warmed. Then came the third act and brought the Nazis with it. I don't know how on earth could the Nazism have anything to do with this movie! Plausibility and reason aside, the "serious" tone that prevailed the third act clashed awfully with the sentimentality the movie is submerged in. Plus, Robert Wise failed to make his movie adjust with the serious tone, and ended up tackling the heavy themes in a most heavy-handed way. As a result, the movie left a bitter taste in my mouth after treating me with some unhealthy doses of sweet that I didn't mind at all.
The performances are impressively energetic and also sincere. The kids are all wonderful, especially Charmian Carr as Liesl, Angela Cartwright as Brigitta and Nicholas Hammond as Friedrich. Unlike Mary Poppins, Maria is plainly a flawed character, and this is exactly the role I needed to make sure that Julie Andrews is a really a talented actress who can effortlessly and gracefully conveys a lot of emotions with her magical sincerity. Christopher Plummer's performance, though, is the one who really standout for me. First things first, young Christopher Plummer looks exactly like Michael Fassbender and Christian Bale combined! :) Secondly, he gave one of the most charismatic performances I've ever seen as Captain Von Trapp. Thirdly, he elevated his character and brought it to life, although it is hindered badly by the script's issues. Eleanor Parker was really great as The Baroness, a character that might seem to be problematic at first glance, but I think it's actually a multi-layered character that really has some depth that gave the movie something special.
The Sound of Music is massively flawed, inconsistent corn-syrupy musical with a derivative and familiar story. But it's also irresistible, enthralling and undeniably charming family classic that, surprisingly, feels genuine!
(7/10)