A Chorus Line 1985
- Director: Richard Attenborough
- Films seen by this director: Chaplin, Cry Freedom, Gandhi, O What a Lovely War
- Based on the novel: no
- Cast: Michael Douglas, Alyson Reed
- Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
- Michael Douglas – Wonder Boys, A Perfect Murder, The China Syndrome
- Alyson Reed – Ad Astra
- Why? Recommended by two friends who have danced in this musical.
- Seen: Once before. Now 20 November 2020
Even before Corona, dancers and other
performers had a gruelling time making a living on their art. All those
shattered dreams, clashing hopes, failed auditions. This film starts with the
hundreds of hopeful dancers auditioning for a part. We follow a dozen or so
individuals through the auditioning process, personal relationships alternating
with conflicts and childhood traumas.
Great set-up. Not so great result. The singing is forgettable as are the songs. There’s a lot of kicking and arm-waving in the dancing. The actors are hammy or unremarkable. Douglas and Reed in the lead roles are lacklustre as a romantic couple and shallow in their characterisation. I didn’t much like it the first time. I thought I might like it better this time, but I didn’t.
2* of 5. Hal says
1*, he liked Michael Douglas even less than I did.
No comments:
Post a Comment