OUR Hamilton Reviews- Page 7

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 7/6/20 at 4:08pm

I am someone who also did not like it but also really have nothing much bad to say about it.

It just wasn't my thing.

It's impressive and brilliant and some of the lyrics and raps are really stunning,

but I was never compelled by it or emotionally engaged with it mostly cause it felt so stuffed with quickly passing historical events.

I get why it is beloved, and I was ready to love it because of how much I loved In the Heights.

But In the Heights I was so much more connected to the characters. I felt at arms reach with all of the characters in this.

 

So keep on loving it and I respect that, but I think it's totally fair for people to not be into it.

Daveed Diggs though stood out as so engagingly fun.

[ImaginaryManticore]

Posted: 7/6/20 at 5:43pm

I'm glad Hamilton's been a success story for Disney Plus. I waited until Friday to download it because I was hoping there would be a big bump. Maybe Disney and other platforms will consider filming Broadway productions for streaming.

While watching the film, something else that struck me was how much the close-ups added to the character relationships. You could see the way the actors interacted with each other in detail, which added extra character notes in a show with not much room for quiet moments.

The CNN article makes some very valid criticisms, but I still don't think they should come close to overshadowing all the good Hamilton represents. It's unfortunate that the more progressive a work of art is, the more it is targeted for criticism for not being progressive enough.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/6/20 at 11:24pm

rattleNwoolypenguin said: "
but I was never compelled by it or emotionally engaged with it mostly cause it felt so stuffed with quickly passing historical events.."

What about the finale? I agree with some of what you're saying, but the finale always makes me choke up, whether I'm seeing it live or watching the film. It's such a beautiful moment for Eliza. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/6/20 at 11:50pm

rattleNwoolypenguin said: "But In the Heights I was so much more connected to the characters. I felt at arms reach with all of the characters in this

So keep on loving it and I respect that, but I think it's totally fair for people to not be into it."

Funny, I'm the opposite. I LIKED ITH, but was never floored by it. I love Hamilton, and connect with many of the characters.

You do you! 

[bear88]

Posted: 7/7/20 at 12:29am

While I wrote a rave review of the filmed production earlier in this thread and am a big fan of the show, I never fault anyone for not liking it - or any play or musical. rattleNwoolypenguin didn't hate it, just didn't find the show emotionally involving. (One of my daughters and my spouse love the show; my older daughter didn't like it at all. Different strokes.)

But I'll take the opportunity to shower the show with praise again. Last night, I wanted to rewatch "You'll Be Back" just to see the now-famous Groff drool - because I was too busy laughing to catch it the first time. (I'm with HogansHero that it was a good directorial choice to leave it in - the dude is crazy; that's the point.) The first great thing is that I was able to do that. Would that I could do the same for many other musicals I really enjoyed or that I never saw. But what happened next was the sort of thing that I associate with older films I like: You catch it on television and then you end up continuing to watch.

Even though it was late, I just kept going - finished the rest of the first act and only turned it off after "The Room Where it Happens" because it was almost 1:30 and my partner insisted on going to sleep.

I was too picky the first time I watched the show, mostly because I was worried it wouldn't live up to my expectations and memories from seeing most of the original cast in 2016 - and judging it more critically. If you really don't like the show, the film probably won't totally change your mind, although the "seats" are quite good and the performances top-notch. Renee Elise Goldsberry has never been matched as Angelica, and Philippa Soo's performance is wonderful throughout in a role that's tricky because Eliza is supposed to be such a good and selfless person.

I started doing what I've done on repeat visits to the stage show: notice other things I wasn't focusing on the first time, especially the lighting and ensemble. The one-two punch of "Helpless" and "Satisfied" still gets me, and then Leslie Odom Jr. gives his best vocal performance of the film on "Wait For It," a song I've tended to appreciate more than love in the past. And then there's Daveed Diggs. His performance on stage was a marvel, and it's so great to see it again. "Guns and Ships" is such a fantastic blizzard of words and energy, and Christopher Jackson's soulful conclusion is an unsung favorite. "What'd I Miss" is a perfect introduction to Jefferson - and Diggs' larger role in the second act.    

But what popped for me, because I was watching on a better television, is the lighting and movement by the dancers. It's such a smartly constructed show with so much to watch even though the camera is guiding you. The film reminded me of why I've seen it five times in person, always noticing something I hadn't caught before. And the score, my goodness. Everyone has their own taste, but it's one of the best I have ever heard.  

I know there's a tendency towards Hamilton burnout from some people, a fact made worse by the relentless promotion. Even I have occasionally felt that way; it's hard to root for the overdog, the show that costs a fortune to see. The backlash over the sugercoated portrayals of the Founding Fathers - always there but getting a lot more attention due to this year's Black Lives Matter demonstrations - is a legitimate critique of a show that should be treated seriously. Recent events have raised the question again of whether Hamilton will turn out to be regarded as an Obama-era relic that won't speak to theatergoers or young people in the future. 

But the film records Hamilton at its peak (even if the show's status as Broadway's best-selling musical could only be stopped by a pandemic). It's such a treat to see it.

Updated On: 7/7/20 at 12:29 AM

[DigificWriter]

Posted: 7/7/20 at 2:23am

Just finished watching this earlier tonight.

When I initially tried to listen to the Original Broadway Cast Recording of the show, I had a hard time getting into the music despite loving the OBC of In the Heights and being a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda from his work on that recording, and consequently had little interest in ever seeing the show.

However, with the premiere of this live-performance film featuring the original principal Broadway cast, I decided I had nothing to lose by devoting a few hours of my time to checking it out, and came away having an appreciation for the score that I hadn't before.

As far as the OBC itself is concerned, Lin-Manuel was at the top of his considerably talented game and had excellent chemistry with all 3 of the show's principal female leads, which is kind of a hard thing to achieve.

Leslie Odom Jr. was also excellent as Aaron Burr, with the character's individual journey wisely paralleling that of both Judas from Jesus Christ Superstar and Javert from Les Miserables minus death.

The one thing I didn't like was the initial characterization of Thomas Jefferson, whose introduction in the song "What Did I Miss?" came across as being overly effeminate to the point of being borderline offensive. The character was thankfully toned down as the second act went on, though, which I appreciated .

Regarding the production of the film itself, it is my understanding that the actual staging of the show involving the actors' performances consists solely of footage captured on film for posterity over the course of 3 nights in June 2016 while all but three members of the original cast - the exceptions being Jonathan Groff (who returned for a limited engagement specifically for the shows being filmed) and two female ensemble actors - were still actively performing the show, and that only a few 'setup shots' were filmed without an audience being present.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/7/20 at 5:50am

Wow, the thought of Jefferson being effeminate never crossed my mind. Flamboyant, sure - but I took it in a bro-like, cocky way.

[DigificWriter]

Posted: 7/7/20 at 7:49am

dramamama611 said: "Wow, the thought of Jefferson being effeminate never crossed my mind. Flamboyant, sure - but I took it in a bro-like, cocky way."

Now that I think about it, effeminate was the wrong word to use; flamboyant is a better description for how the character initially came across, and it felt to me like they went too far at the beginning.