Season 9 Movie Club Reviewing thread: The Greatest Showman

[pcmaster]

I didnt like La la land too Breathe. This was much diferent and better.

Do you think Jackman slept with a singer?

[breathe123]

In the movie, not sure.

He used her talents in singing to earn respectability off his rich counterparts & i that one scene you could tell when she sang it looked like he fell in love with her ~ the movie showed them in too cozy and close encounters & his wife was obviously aware of how either he felt for Lind or how Lind felt for him. But it was unclear in the movie if they had a sexual relationship since it was a family type movie musical I would say probably not but there was clearly a lot of intimacy between the two that would be considered boundary crossing in most relationships. Lots of sexual chemistry going on.

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To add to the previous ~ On the comparison of ugly real-life people ( reality) and good looking actor counterparts( movie) look at this one. Charity Barnum vs Movie counterpart Michelle Williams who they made look like cinderella .

[pcmaster]

^This is one thing about the movie. Costumes was really modern there, looked like nowadays clothes in some scenes. So yeah that was relaxed part, they didnt try too hard to create old days atmosphere.

[lovebroken]

OMG, she is sad looking, compared to the fairytale princess type they turned her into for the movie. Yikes

That is a good point you made [MENTION=42177]pcmaster[/MENTION] about how the costumes were way too modern for the era they were portraying in the musical/movie. They could have made the costume more set to the day and made them also fashionable enough for a fantasy musical. I think they were going for beautiful all across the board, in stylish costumes and appearances.

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I wish I could pull off Zendaya's hair color on myself. The color and style are gorgeous.

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Allison Janney would have made a good Charity.

[dollhouse]

I watched and I liked it... out of the other mentioned musicals I definitely preferred it over the corny Grease and the annoying Moulin Rouge one but I still preferred La la land because it was more character driven then this movie was, IMO. Just went about doing it in a different style, but both were stylish AF but I give this musical the best out of all musicals mentioned the best soundtrack of all of them.

The actress playing Jenny Lind looked stunning, as did, Williams and Zendaya..they did these women right with hair, and makeup.

I wish since the length of the story they would have dropped some things to tell us more about other people in the movie, not just Barnum, even more on his wife would have been nice and even general tom thumb...I know Jackman is the star of this but spread the story around is all. I found Williams character of Charity Barum actually boring and one dimensional.

The magical atmosphere was delightful, almost like that other movie we reviewed with Robin Williams about the afterlife.

I'll give The Greatest Showman a... 7 of 10....I will come back and add more as time of the reviewing continues, I never wrote out a review in advance because my time has been slim for doing that so typing it as I go right now, haha. But I enjoyed the movie, good suggestion pcmaster.

[TheEvilJester]

I watched it this past weekend. I loved it. I don't have the patience right now to go into a detailed review, but I may soon. It actually hit home for me a lot more than I thought it would, though. There was so much of it that was about people who feel like they don't fit in, who have always been made to feel like freaks, finding a place where they can be accepted. I really can relate to that feeling, but NOT to the fairy tale idea that you can finally belong. I've grown old and wise enough to know some of us never will.

Though, I think that is one reason why the bearded lady was one of my favorite characters. I think maybe even my favorite character of all. The scene where Barnum shuns his new family to hang out with the very same stuck up, snobby rich a-holes he always used to hate. Instead of letting that break her, she uses it to empower her. To accept that she deserves happiness and to find her place in life and if others are going to try to keep her from that, she'll just take it herself. She became a leader for that group when the one they thought they had proved to be a fraud.

I admired that character so much after that. It reminded me so much of my own journey, and especially lately. There are no happy endings for creatures like me.... so I just have to MAKE my own.

I'll be back with more detailed thoughts the more we continue to discuss this, but I wanted to at least get some quick initial thoughts down. But, I loved this movie. Definitely one I will be adding to my collection.

On a semi-related side note (since a few others mentioned it): I've seen La La Land before and was HUGELY underwhelmed. I thought it was just very "meh." Especially the ending. I never quite understood the outpouring of love it got. I mean, it wasn't BAD, I guess, but I didn't think it was all that great.

[lovebroken]

I liked her character too, and I felt the exact same way about the movie as in what you said in your first paragraph, not sure if you saw my post but I am right there with you on that and the film does a nice job relaying that exact message. Differences should bring us together not tear us apart or be something to be fearful of.

[Jffs24]

Logged in last week I think it was --saw what movie was picked and then watched it with the girlfriend just to get the post a comment on it out of the way.

She enjoyed it, I thought it was alright, the music was A+ so that was a plus. Jackman was good enough in it too. The story held up, and my attention, Jackman's Barnum was probably more relatable than the actual Barnum really was. He began with the best of intentions, to better him and his family and along the way, he lost what he began it for until his circus performers reminded him. It provided a few life lessons along the course of the movie and of course that inevitable happy ending that always seems to be required in these kinds of movies. I think he used Jenny Lind to legitimize himself after always being accused of his circus is full of fake and she was the real deal and elevated his stardom and name, what any good business would do, really, lmao.

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In the movie, not sure.

He used her talents in singing to earn respectability off his rich counterparts & i that one scene you could tell when she sang it looked like he fell in love with her ~ the movie showed them in too cozy and close encounters & his wife was obviously aware of how either he felt for Lind or how Lind felt for him. But it was unclear in the movie if they had a sexual relationship since it was a family type movie musical I would say probably not but there was clearly a lot of intimacy between the two that would be considered boundary crossing in most relationships. Lots of sexual chemistry going on.

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To add to the previous ~ On the comparison of ugly real-life people ( reality) and good looking actor counterparts( movie) look at this one. Charity Barnum vs Movie counterpart Michelle Williams who they made look like cinderella .

R o F L GD -- the real people compared to the actors is polar opposites.

[TheEvilJester]

Differences should bring us together not tear us apart or be something to be fearful of.

That's a wonderful thought. It will never happen, but it is such a beautiful thought.

Not surprised to see that the actors look NOTHING like the real people. That's Hollywood for you. The main characters always have to look beautiful.

[lovebroken]

I am beginning to think as the years go on and we had into the future people are becoming worse and worse humans, less compassion and the idea of being nice and accepting one another is somehow foreign and beyond the capabilities of most.

[topazlight]

Coming back on to give some thoughts on the movie since I watched it, but, I will still need to type up a more detailed review of the movie, maybe do another rewatch of it, as to not miss the more finer points of the film and capture all I want to say on this film.

I enjoyed it immensely.

It is one of those Gets you in the feels ..kind of films. You get dragged into its make-believe world of story and beautiful imagery and lose track of where you are, time, it all. I love when a movie can feel like it has literally transported you elsewhere and you completely forgot what decade you are actually living in, lol. Good work was done by the actors, cinematographers, director in achieving this feat.

All the aspects of the movie are very relatable to today and will be into the future, on how people deal with and see each other. Class and station in life. Acceptance. Family, friends being your family. Loss and the power to start again.

It was a real joy to watch! I am definitely going to buy this one. I would score the film a 9/10.

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Hugh Jackman never gets enough credit due for his good work in all genres. He made this film a treat for me.

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Hugh Jackman never gets enough credit due for his good work in all genres. He made this film a treat for me.

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Okay, once again forum is not working right for me. SIGHS!

[TheEvilJester]

I'll say this about the movie, though... I was so confused. I kept waiting for Wolverine to bust out the claws and kick some butt and he never did. Hecka disappointing, you guys.

[pcmaster]

Its funny that you was thinking about it cause today I been thinking about him ejecting his claws in this movie.

[lovebroken]

That is funny, [MENTION=71386]TheEvilJester[/MENTION]. I would have if Mr. Jackman looked as hot as he looks as Wolverine but to me, he looked older in this movie and weirdly sick looking. IDK why I felt that like he was exhausted preparing and playing this role compared to his past roles.

[topazlight]

[MENTION=77017]lovebroken[/MENTION] I thought he looked very thin and sickly too compared t how he normally looks, I know he can that skin cancer scare again on his nose I think, maybe he has cancer?

I didn't like how they tried to pristine up PT Barnum's character from the man he actually was in real life to this saintly ( but minorly flawed) genius of a man in the film but Jenny Lind, they try to besmirch her character making her into some cheap floozy trying to break up the marriage of PT and Charity Barnum. I can't imagine her relatives would like that untrue portrayal of her. In the film they made it look like PT wanted her for her draw, and prestige to make him part of the "in" and "rich" crowd and not a man who peddles circus freaks, but only slightly attracted to her, but only for his financial gain off her, whereas she fell in love with him, and couldn't resist him and tried to break up his marriage with that staged kiss that made the papers. Why recreate the historical truth on her, but not keep to the facts on Barnum? That bothered me.