Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Director: Michael Gracey, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya
“Without promotion, something terrible happens … nothing!” That’s a quote attributed to Phineas Taylor Barnum. This film is inspired by the life of the visionary entertainer and entrepreneur who rose from nothing to create the ‘Greatest Show on Earth, a spectacle and celebration of his larger-than-life imagination that captivated audiences around the world’.
Jackman (X-Men, The Prestige, Australia, Les Misérables) is in his element in the title role. His powerful baritone voice and energetic dance moves take us on a dazzling musical tour.
The film’s interspersed with 11 memorable songs composed by Oscar- and Tony-winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who composed the songs for the Broadway hit Dear Evan Hansen and La La Land.
Efron plays Phillip Carlyle, P.T. Barnum’s business partner, with confidence.
Ferguson is Jenny Lind, the ‘Swedish Nightingale’, whom Barnum took on a whirlwind concert tour through America.
Gracey directs with flamboyance and dynamism and delivers a story that observes diversity and with it, the significance of acceptance of all kinds.
Blu-ray watching makes the most of the special features that include a special sing-along. Exhilarating viewing!
