It's true this is a product of it's time really but that of course
actually at the same time also helps to make this an interesting
production.
The way I see it; this musical movie is one made right between the days of the good old fashioned, happy-go-lucky and colorful type of productions and the more serious and drama realistic drama orientated one of the later years. It makes this an interesting combination of different old fashioned and more modern genre elements, in which it leans more toward its drama than its entertainment.
It's not just a personal and human drama but also a movie that deals with some much bigger issues. It's a social commentary and one that makes a couple of statements and raises one or two interesting questions throughout. Some of its themes must had been quite controversial for its time, which must have also added to the popularity of the play and movie at the time.
Besides, this is not the type of musical in which someone suddenly bursts out into singing in the middle of the street or in the middle of a sentence. It's only a musical because its main character is part of a cabaret and the movie features the occasional performance by her. This always have been the type of musicals I prefer watching and obviously also work out as the more convincing ones, while they are not completely deprived of its fun and entertainment as well.
And this movie of course also features some great and classic musical numbers, that basically everybody knows and heard before, probably not knowing it's actually from this musical.
It's funny how much Liza Minnelli actually is like her mother, Judy Garland. Both weren't terribly handsome but yet they had a great screen-presence and definitely knew how to perform when doing a musical number. You could say that if Minnelli was born 20 years earlier, right in the heyday of musicals, she would had most likely been a much bigger star, just like her mother. But regardless of that, she did actually won an Oscar for her role in this movie, which is something her mother never achieved, unless you count the special juvenile award, which isn't even a real category, she got in 1940. The movie further more stars an excellent and still very young looking Michael York who, no, doesn't sing.
As far as more modern type of musicals go, this is one of the better and more interesting ones story-wise. If you are into this type of movies, it's an obvious must-see. If you aren't, well, than this movie most likely isn't going to be your cup of tea either.
8/10
The way I see it; this musical movie is one made right between the days of the good old fashioned, happy-go-lucky and colorful type of productions and the more serious and drama realistic drama orientated one of the later years. It makes this an interesting combination of different old fashioned and more modern genre elements, in which it leans more toward its drama than its entertainment.
It's not just a personal and human drama but also a movie that deals with some much bigger issues. It's a social commentary and one that makes a couple of statements and raises one or two interesting questions throughout. Some of its themes must had been quite controversial for its time, which must have also added to the popularity of the play and movie at the time.
Besides, this is not the type of musical in which someone suddenly bursts out into singing in the middle of the street or in the middle of a sentence. It's only a musical because its main character is part of a cabaret and the movie features the occasional performance by her. This always have been the type of musicals I prefer watching and obviously also work out as the more convincing ones, while they are not completely deprived of its fun and entertainment as well.
And this movie of course also features some great and classic musical numbers, that basically everybody knows and heard before, probably not knowing it's actually from this musical.
It's funny how much Liza Minnelli actually is like her mother, Judy Garland. Both weren't terribly handsome but yet they had a great screen-presence and definitely knew how to perform when doing a musical number. You could say that if Minnelli was born 20 years earlier, right in the heyday of musicals, she would had most likely been a much bigger star, just like her mother. But regardless of that, she did actually won an Oscar for her role in this movie, which is something her mother never achieved, unless you count the special juvenile award, which isn't even a real category, she got in 1940. The movie further more stars an excellent and still very young looking Michael York who, no, doesn't sing.
As far as more modern type of musicals go, this is one of the better and more interesting ones story-wise. If you are into this type of movies, it's an obvious must-see. If you aren't, well, than this movie most likely isn't going to be your cup of tea either.
8/10
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