Review | Film review: The Greatest Showman – Hugh Jackman is out to entertain in glossy original musical
The tunes are by the Oscar-winning team who penned La La Land’s songs, but lack their rough edges, while the story, based around the life of 19th century circus impresario P.T. Barnum, is formulaic in places but entertaining enough
3/5 stars
After putting his Wolverine character to bed this year in the splendid Logan , Hugh Jackman returns in a film designed to show another side to his skills. A glossy original musical based around the life of 19th century circus impresario P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman, directed by former commercials director Michael Gracey, puts Jackman centre-stage as the family man with big dreams to entertain the masses.
The first act devotes itself to Barnum (Jackman) meeting wife-to-be Charity (Michelle Williams), an impossibly sunny beauty with well-to-do parents, who disapprove of her love interest. After setting up a museum of curiosities – which flops – he decides to put on what can (impolitely) be called a freak show. His “oddities” include a dwarf, a bearded lady, a giant and a tattooed man.
