The Fantasticks
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Movie Reviews of The Fantasticks
Movie Review: Return of The Great Old Musical
Summary: 5 Stars
Well, I have seen this movie twice now since its long delayed release (shot in 1995, released in 2000, after being shelved for 5 years), and I have to say that this is just a delightful return to the days of the big production musical.
This is a very quaint and old fashioned movie that may not sit well with many of todays young skeptics, but I have to say that I am a sucker for a story of young love and for old musicals like Carnival, Oklahoma, and South Pacific.
The plot is rather Romeo and Juliet like, only with a twist in that the feud between the families of the young lovers is faked in order to bring them together. A new digital recording technique allowed the actors to sing their parts live during the dance sequences, so there is no mismatch between audio and video as there always was, to some degree, in older musicals. The cinematography is excellent, and final editing by Francis Ford Coppola cut 15 minutes off the original length, and smoothed the transitions between the acts.
Jean Louisa Kelly (Mr. Holland's Opus, and more recently of CBS monday night TV) has the voice of an angel, and Joel Gray, as her father, brings his usual magical, gravity defying, elegant , dance talent to the picture. Other notable performers include Jonathan Morris, as Carnival leader El Gallo, and Barnard Hughs, as an aging and bumbling Shakesperian actor. Teller, of Penn and Teller, adds comic relief by more or less playing himself. If you are a Boomer with Children, this is a delightful family film. It would be a good date film as well for younger romantic types, if there are any left. If you are a cynic, and would have trouble suspending disbelief for an hour and a half, this film is not for you, it's just too cute. For the rest of us it is a wonderful trip back to the old musical love stories.
Movie Review: Well, I guess it's too late now.
Summary: 1 Stars
I was very upset when the off-Broadway masterpiece closed. I expected to see it many times; take my friends to see it, take my children to see it. And then, after 42 years, it's over. But, I thought, thank God there's a movie version, although I had never seen it. I was talking about the show to a friend who, unfortunately, had never seen it. He was very interested in the story, so, we decided to get the movie from the video rental store. I was interested in seeing how they re-worked it for the movie. Well, we didn't watch past "Soon It's Gonna Rain." He got completely bored, and I couldn't stand to watch what had happened to this play. A lot of the dialogue from the play was cut, and re-done. Part of the beauty of it was the use of a narrator, which was also gone. Many of the songs ("Metaphor") were cut or badly redone. "Soon It's Gonna Rain," a beautiful song, was sung with a full orchestra and a chorus, where it was originally sung by two people, a piano and a harp. There are approximately five seconds of one of my favorite songs: "It Depends on What You Pay" at the end of the newfangled "Rape song." Joel Grey was very good in the shorter "Never Say No". Teller was good, but needs Penn there with him. Mortimer should speak ("'Die again, Motimer, die again!' Of course I never did."), and Teller, in his truest sense, did not. I was horrified to hear that they cut "Plant a Radish" from the movie. I was thouroughly disappointed. I'm very sorry that so many friends of mine never saw the play. I'm sure it will be brought back in many different venues, but nothing could beat the original. That was perfection enclosed into 90 minutes at the Sullivan Street Playhouse, and it was close enough to touch. Too bad.Movie Review: "Try to Remember" the stage play
Summary: 1 Stars
this dismal little retelling of the charmingly witty off Broadway musical (that ran for over 40 years) fails on all accounts. Perhaps that is why it sat in the vault for years waiting for a target audience.The director gives no room for audience interpretation by setting his production in a seedy side show he "dirties" the lovely story of "...a boy, a girl, 2 fathers and a wall"
Leave this one alone and rent Fiddler on the roof, Sound of music , West side story or My Fair lady instead; films that actually improved on their Broadway counterparts...
Movie Review: The charming little musical that tried to be a movie.
Summary: 2 Stars
On stage, the Fantasticks is a heartwarming moving wonderful experience about coming of age. It brings tears to the eyes and is joyous. As a movie musical, it tries so hard...like the little musical that could... but alas in the end it can't and falls flat. And that is too bad.The lyrics go,"what once was scenic in the night may seem cynic in the light." Well what was scenic on the stage was cynic on film. On stage the coming of age story is charming.
On film, it is annoying, cloying and dripping with artificial sweetener.
What is sad, is that you find yourself rooting for the film to work--but it tries so hard that it is like a horse that collapes halfway through the race . The director, I believe, gave it his best shot but this is just not movie material.
Giving way to political correctness, they replaced the hilarious "Rape" song with one not nearly as good called "the Abduction." This sets the compromised tone of the movie.
People who have never seen a stage production of this
owe it to themselves to find one and see that and not this hyper artsy fartsy thing that smells up the whole proceeding. But it is a must for people who love the musical as a study as what not to bring to the screen and how not to film a musical.
Movie Review: However enchanting, rather confusing
Summary: 2 Stars
I have heard glowing reviews about live performances of The Fantasticks, yet when I saw the DVD, I couldn't see the true magic. I suppose you have to see it on a live stage to actually have a thrill, otherwise, I'd never look at it. The movie version must have lost some sparkle in the transfer to the screen. I suggest you see the musical live (which I have never done), and if you truly enjoy it, try the movie. Don't buy the movie and then go see a live show.