Category Archives: Musical

1938 Films, Comedy, Kids, Musical, Musical Comedy

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm-1938

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Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm-1938

Director Allan Dwan

Starring Shirley Temple

Scott’s Review #113

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Reviewed July 16, 2014

Grade: B

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938) is one of several Shirley Temple films released in the 1930s and 1940s.

In this story, Rebecca (Temple) is a confident child singer auditioning for a New York City radio gig with her opportunistic Uncle. Through a series of mishaps, she winds up outside the city with her aunt and other people living on or near the farm.

The radio people race to find Rebecca in time and make her a star. Other romantic subplots involving the supporting characters occur.

The film is innocent and cutesy, but you must be a Shirley Temple fan to enjoy it truly. If not, you might find it contrived and sentimental.

It falls somewhere in the middle for me. While I enjoyed the Shirley Temple musical numbers and the star’s talent, the story was predictable, and no surprises were in store. It felt more like a pleasant trip down memory lane.

The film is harmless and contains the standard Temple curls, smiles, and joyfulness. The supporting cast includes Jack Haley (The Wizard of Oz) and Gloria Stuart (Titanic-1997).

2014 Films, Musical, Musical Drama

Jersey Boys-2014

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Jersey Boys-2014

Director Clint Eastwood

Starring John Lloyd Young

Scott’s Review #95

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Reviewed July 5, 2014

Grade: B+

Jersey Boys (2014) is a film version of the hit Broadway show of the same name, directed by Clint Eastwood.

It tells the story of Frankie Valli and his friends (later becoming the Four Seasons) growing up in 1950s mob-laden New Jersey and their journey through hardships and petty crime to musical success.

The film is a mainly feel-good experience as the songs alone resonate with the audience and immediately stick in one’s head as catchy as they are (Sherry, Walk Like a Man, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You) are prominently featured throughout the film making it tough not to toe-tap along with the musical numbers.

Most of the boys grow up in a heavily Italian neighborhood, which is a delight as Eastwood’s authenticity is impressive: the food, the fights, gangster mob ties.

Admittedly, I found the first thirty minutes a bit slow, but then, the film takes off.

The cast is good- John Lloyd Young is excellent as Frankie Valli, a role he also portrayed on Broadway, and it is very nice to see Christopher Walken as a kindly mob boss who looks out for the kids.

The film is wonderfully shot and the 1950s nostalgia is apparent via set pieces, costumes, etc.

Is this film edgy? Not in the least. Is it a safe crowd-pleaser? Absolutely!

It is a fun musical experience that does not delve into schmaltz and is lots of fun.

2013 Films, Drama, Musical, Musical Drama

Black Nativity-2013

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Black Nativity-2013

Director Kasi Lemmons

Starring Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker

Scott’s Review #46

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Reviewed June 18, 2014

Grade: C-

Black Nativity (2013) is a family holiday movie about a poor Baltimore teen sent to live with his affluent, estranged grandparents (Forest Whitaker and Angela Basset) in Harlem.

Jennifer Hudson plays the teen’s financially struggling mother.

The estrangement stems from a silly misunderstanding years ago when Hudson’s character was pregnant with her now teenage son.

I enjoyed the performances of Whitaker, Bassett, and Hudson, and the sprinkling of songs performed by the leads was nice, but the story was incredibly sappy and predictable and wrapped up in a nice bow at the end of the film.

Scene one screams predictable and safe.

I did not sense any real conflict or grit throughout the movie and it felt like watching a Hallmark-made-for-television movie- not a compliment.

Black Nativity (2013) is a nice family story, but a little more.

Skip unless you enjoy the watered-down family fare.

2013 Films, Animated, Best Animated Feature Oscar Winners, Disney, Fantasy, Kids, Musical

Frozen-2013

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Frozen-2013

Director Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee

Starring Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel

Scott’s Review #43

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Reviewed June 18, 2014

Grade: B

The adjective that springs to mind about the latest hit animated film Frozen (2013) that has overtaken the nation is “cute”.

The story is loosely based on the Hans Christian Anderson story (which is modified immensely) and tells the story of two royal sisters (Elsa and Anna), one of whom has special “ice” powers and accidentally injures the other causing a rift.

From this point, there are a series of misunderstandings, love interests, a handsome prince, an adventure through the snow, and a Snow White-type theme.

The story is uplifting, sweet, and targeted to kids and parents seeking a wholesome, safe experience, but is it too safe?

My one criticism is the lack of diversity and culture in the main characters as they are all similar in looks, which doesn’t set the best example for kids watching.

The musical numbers stuck in my head as I hummed them for days. The songs are very trendy, and pop-leaning which may make this film age quickly and have an overly current flavor.

I loved the frozen, icy, wintry animation sets that are perfect while watching in the winter months.

Olaf, the sidekick, the mini snowman is witty and steals the show.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Animated Feature Film (won), Best Original Song-“Let It Go” (won)

1956 Films, Best Picture-Musical or Comedy Golden Globe Winners, Musical

The King and I-1956

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The King and I-1956

Director Walter Lang

Starring Yul Brynner, Deborah Kerr

Scott’s Review #26

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Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: B

The King and I (1956) is another of the many Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals that dominated the 1950s and 1960s film era.

Having seen the stage version, I found the film contained two gigantic stars of the period (Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr), with Brynner making this role his legacy.

The story is similar to The Sound of Music, as the teacher takes on the King’s children, but it is not quite as gripping, and the chemistry among the leads is not entirely there.

The Bangkok palace set, and the costumes are stylish and fantastic in design.

As a whole, the songs are not as memorable as those in some other similar musicals, but that is to be expected given the magnificence.

Much of the cast is not Asian, a characteristic of the stage version that is often overlooked and accepted. This is not a criticism, merely a notice.

It’s a lovely musical, but not as enjoyable as others, and it’s still worth watching.

Oscar Nominations: 5 wins-Best Motion Picture, Best Director-Walter Lang, Best Actor-Yul Brynner (won), Best Actress-Deborah Kerr, Best Scoring of a Musical Picture (won), Best Sound Recording (won), Best Art Direction-Color (won), Best Cinematography, Color, Best Costume Design, Color (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: 3 wins-Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy (won), Best Actor in a Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy-Yul Brynner (won), Best Actress in a Leading Role-Musical or Comedy-Deborah Kerr (won), Promoting International Understanding

1973 Films, Comedy, Drama, Musical, Musical Comedy, Musical Drama

Godspell-1973

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Godspell-1973

Director David Greene

Starring Victor Garber, David Haskell, Katie Hanley

Scott’s Review #23

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Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: C+

Although Godspell (1973) is a popular and legendary Broadway musical production, the film left me with very mixed reactions.

The positives for me are the songs- they are memorable, and they stay in your head for days to come.

My absolute favorite is “Day by Day”.

I also enjoy the cast travels throughout NYC, as I love it when films are set here.

For the first thirty minutes of the film, I did not like it at all.

There is no plot, but simply a group of college-aged people leaving their crummy jobs and celebrating Jesus as they aimlessly flitter about the city, with nobody else in sight, singing songs of savior and celebration.

Then I realized this is not a “message” movie or an attempt to convert people to religion. Many devout Christians despise the film.

The film left me with questions.

Is it tongue-in-cheek or meant to be taken seriously?

By the end of the film, I took it for a fun musical with great songs. It offers nothing more, nothing less.