| This is a musical of the life of P T Barnum, the American showman whose name is still well-known today. Hugh Jackman gives his all in the title role of a film which was neither good nor bad.
A musical needs good music, obviously, and this was my biggest objection to giving a high rating. The tunes were not memorable, and unless I was mistaken the opening number was repeated several times. It all had that computer-synchronised sound that so much music has nowadays, and none of the rough edges which make rock or pop more fun to listen to.
When Barnum promoted concerts by Jennie Lind, the “Swedish Nightingale”, she sounded very modern, like a reality TV contestant. It would have been interesting to hear what the real Jennie Lind might have sounded like. Whether she did turn Barnum’s head, as Mrs Barnum (Michelle Williams) thought, who knows but it was an inevitable plot device.
A quick glance at Barnum’s Wikipedia entry reveals a man rather more multi-layered and interesting than the film shows, but also a man whose flaws would not allow him to pass today’s censorious audience. It would have taken a very long film to cover his full career.
What the modern audience will be happy with is the way he championed those known as “freaks” in making up his shows, midgets, giants, Siamese twins, a bearded lady, and numerous nationalities. Needless to say there were those back in the mid-nineteenth century who did not like such people in their midst.
In truth, Barnum was no doubt exploiting these people as well with his often false claims, but that isn’t how it is represented here.
Jackman is lively and Michelle Williams can carry any role, though she doesn’t get an awful lot to do. Zac Efron is Barnum’s partner but I find him hard to take. Overall, it isn’t a great film.
|
