The Producers
I have mixed feelings for this musical film.
Some parts are good and some are just plain draggy.
While Chicago feels updated (and creative) for a film based on a musical, this one is just plain direct translation of a Broadway show to film.
It felt like a 1950s black-and-white musical film when songs and dances are mandatory by the leads, accompanied by a troop of showgirls dressed in glittery costumes, batons under the arms and at times break into tap-dancing frenzy with unison steps. You know, we get to glimpse at snippets of such films when they pay tributes to old stars in the Oscar or Academy Awards.
Mathew Broderick and Nathan Lane are okay helming the show as producers of a Broadway show that is made intentionally as a box-officce flop so they could getaway with the investors' money.
Uma Thurman seemed to be even leggier than ever as Ulla, the Swedish airhead secretary, she too sang a number and did some dancing which doubles are obviously used for some difficult spins and twirls. Will Ferrell is surprising good in singing as a Nazi playwright and delivered some very good laughs with his numbers.
The gay director Gary Beach for the musical and his assistant Roger Bart provided some laughter with their exaggerated broken-wrist brokeback moments when they are being poached to direct the musical.
Oh, if the name Roger Bart doesn't ring a bell, he is the psychotic George in Desperate Housewives who is fatally attracted to Bree, the no-nonsense housewife, who happened to have a uncanny resemblance with Claire. In fact, behind her back, we nicked her Desperate Housewife in the company.
I guess probably only older folks would appreciate this film.
It's so not my cup of tea.
Some parts are good and some are just plain draggy.
While Chicago feels updated (and creative) for a film based on a musical, this one is just plain direct translation of a Broadway show to film.
It felt like a 1950s black-and-white musical film when songs and dances are mandatory by the leads, accompanied by a troop of showgirls dressed in glittery costumes, batons under the arms and at times break into tap-dancing frenzy with unison steps. You know, we get to glimpse at snippets of such films when they pay tributes to old stars in the Oscar or Academy Awards.
Mathew Broderick and Nathan Lane are okay helming the show as producers of a Broadway show that is made intentionally as a box-officce flop so they could getaway with the investors' money.
Uma Thurman seemed to be even leggier than ever as Ulla, the Swedish airhead secretary, she too sang a number and did some dancing which doubles are obviously used for some difficult spins and twirls. Will Ferrell is surprising good in singing as a Nazi playwright and delivered some very good laughs with his numbers.
The gay director Gary Beach for the musical and his assistant Roger Bart provided some laughter with their exaggerated broken-wrist brokeback moments when they are being poached to direct the musical.
Oh, if the name Roger Bart doesn't ring a bell, he is the psychotic George in Desperate Housewives who is fatally attracted to Bree, the no-nonsense housewife, who happened to have a uncanny resemblance with Claire. In fact, behind her back, we nicked her Desperate Housewife in the company.
I guess probably only older folks would appreciate this film.
It's so not my cup of tea.