Raving Review – The Greatest Showman

Okay. This is not book related, but I feel like that is alright once in a while. Right? You won’t shun me or anything from this, I hope.

I feel like I need to write this because this movie – The Greatest Showman – needs to be seen by EVERYONE, and by that I mean E.V.E.R.Y.O.N.E. Anyone who loves a good movie musical, a good love story, a good family/friendship story, a good ANYTHING story, needs to see this.

I saw it twice at the theatre. Once at the Danish premiere just after Christmas and the second in mid-January and I could have gone several times after that, but unfortunately it ran its course in the Danish theatres (almost) and now I just have to wait for it to be released because I am getting my hands on that. Digital, DVD, everything!

The story is set in New York and follows the suddenly unemployed P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) who, in order to support his wife and two children, decides to do a little fraud, borrow some money and open up his own museum of the weird and freaky. But it’s not enough, people are not interested so he begins to find people who have been shunned from society because of their differences, embellish a little and add them to his growing act of performers who sing and dance their beautiful hearts out much to the joy of the audience. Buut, like all stories, something is bound to go wrong.

Add in the most amazing, addictive and brilliant set of original songs, Zac Efron singing and dancing again, some beautiful costumes and you have yourself the best movie musical in modern time! In my opinion at least.

This was Hugh Jackman’s baby and it’s just so evident on screen how much love and effort has been put into this movie that took 7 years to make! Two talented men, Pasek and Paul, wrote all the songs and man, what a job they did. Each song is so perfectly integrated and relevant to the story and you really have a hard time not singing along or tapping your foot to the anthem-like rhythm. Which is probably why they chose to rerelease the movie in a sing-along version! HELL-TO-THE-YES!

This version is coming to Denmark in early April and I’m 99% certain I will go – the 1% remaining is because I don’t know if anyone will go with me and I’m not sure about singing with a bunch of strangers, despite us all being in love with the music. I have an anxiety issue with speaking up around strangers, let alone sing. But it’s just a great opportunity to see the movie again and actually sing the songs and not be quiet! So we’ll see if I’ll eventually go or chicken out.

So if you have seen this movie, what were your thoughts? And if you haven’t seen it yet, please do yourself the favour and do so when it becomes available. It really is an incredible masterpiece and the title can very suitably be changed to
The Greatest Showmovie.