Hamilton (2020)

• Year: 2020
• Released: 03 Jul 2020
• Country: United States
• Adwords: Won 1 Primetime Emmy. 18 wins & 46 nominations total
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8503618/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hamilton
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/hamilton
• Available in: 720p, 1080p, 2160p
• Language: English
• MPA Rating: PG-13
• Genre: Biography, Drama, History
• Runtime: 160 min
• Writer: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ron Chernow
• Director: Thomas Kail
• Cast: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Phillipa Soo, Leslie Odom Jr.
• Keywords: biography, musical, based on play or musical, 18th century, spectacle,

	8.4/10
	90/100

Hamilton Storyline

“Hamilton” is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and show tunes, “Hamilton” has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theater–a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. Captured at the Richard Rodgers Theater on Broadway in June 2016, the film transports its audience into the world of the Broadway show in a uniquely intimate way.

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Hamilton Movie Reviews

Blimey!!

I know a little bit about America’s founding fathers. Not a lot, it’s not really taught in the UK. That’s not important though. Knowing any history to enjoy this I mean, not America’s independence. Musicals aren’t my thing either and certainly not musical theatre, which this is with several exclamation points. What we have here is the theatre production, filmed, fairly simply. A few camera angles covering the stage, mostly wide to show off a lovely set, occasional close up to, well to provide some variation in the edit, nothing more. This is the thing, it’s a show designed to be enjoyed in the room. There’s no set camera positions. The camera is normally your eye from your seat. That’s not possible right now though, which is why this exists. So it’s not a film. It works though and it’s undeniably a spectacle. If you don’t like singing and dancing, you might think you’re buggered. Honestly though, this is pretty top quality singing and dancing, you’re in safe hands. It’s fast and fun, the energy dialled all the way up. The mix of humour, hip hop and show tunes will make even the most hardened cynic smile. Alright it’s gimmicky, actors spitting bars wearing frock-coats, declaring war, but I guess the rules are different in theatre and it’s very effective. In film it’s often said that if the actors look like they’re having too much fun, the audience aren’t. I don’t think that applies here either, everybody looks to be having the time of their lives and the live audience, that we hear but don’t see, seem to be too. It’s pretty lengthy, but there’s a lot in there, not least a pretty eventful life story. Alexander Hamilton. Rags to revolutionary. A social climbing agitator, with a love of writing and setting up financial institutions. Weddings, duals, adultery, bribery, a bloody big war and a lot of political manoeuvring. The historical content is top line stuff, covering the basics. They’re touch points really, never allowing the story to get too dry, but it manages this without dumbing it down too much and the razor sharp humour helps, “Immigrants we get the job done”. The cast are wonderful. Daveed Diggs as both Lafayette and Jefferson is the standout for me. There are quieter moments, but there’s sequences where it’s one bombastic banger after another. Canon fire and scratching, the score gets pretty raucous. I went it with a little trepidation, but Lin-Manuel Miranda has indeed created something marvellous. It. Is. Spine-tinglingly brilliant. I might have to stop saying I don’t like musicals.

just superb

Greetings again from the darkness. You know what it’s like when people start talking about some great new restaurant that just opened (think back to pre-pandemic)? And then you start to hear your friends and co-workers raving about it … best ‘steamed broccoli’ (ok, insert your favorite entrée) I’ve ever tasted! Having been burned many times with high expectations, you remain skeptical, but make the reservation. Well, that’s been me with “Hamilton.” For almost 5 years, the hype was just too much. Surely folks were caught up in the frenzy, and peer pressure was such that no one would admit it wasn’t all that. So, now I’m here … throwing myself at the mercy of the Theater Gods. Thanks to Disney Plus, I only needed to invest a little (ok, a lot) of time, rather than a few hundred dollars for a ticket. This is me humbly admitting I was wrong. The show is fantastic, and I only wish my first viewing had been a live performance.

Unfortunately (because of what I mentioned above) this can’t be a comparison of a live stage performance and the film version. Instead, this will briefly outline what I noticed in the movie. First, and I believe this is key, the original stage director Thomas Kail is back to direct the film. It should be noted that the film version is a blend of a couple of recorded live shows, plus some recorded songs seamlessly edited in. This is the original cast doing what they do best, and the edits are imperceptible. Second, the main cast is filled with dynamic performers. In many stage shows, one or two actors are head and shoulders above the others. Not so here. At a minimum the top seven actors are as skilled and fun to watch as any you’ve seen. Third, this is a true musical in that the songs drive the story. Some of the early songs require serious concentration to catch the lines, but even if you miss some lyrics, the gist of what’s happening is pretty clear. These aren’t so much catchy sing-along types, but you’ll easily recall the scenes when you hear the songs again at a later date. We see a perfect melding of music-performance-story.

Of course most everyone knows that Lin-Manuel Miranda is the creative force behind the show. He credits writer Ron Chernow’s book on Alexander Hamilton as the inspiration for the production, but it’s Mr. Miranda that appeared on every talk show for a couple of years, and he also performs as Alexander Hamilton. Daveed Diggs has dual roles as the flamboyant Marquis de Lafayette and the equally flamboyant (at least here) Thomas Jefferson. Renee Elise Goldsberry takes over the stage with her powerful voice as Angelica Schuyler, and Chris Jackson is a dominating physical presence as George Washington. Jonathan Groff (from “Mindhunter”) is absolutely hysterical and unforgettable as King George III, both through song and strut. Everyone will have their favorite performers, and truly they are all exceptional, and I’d like to point out the two that took my breath away. Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton has a pristine voice that will bring tears to many eyes. She may not be as involved with the political elements of the story, but in the most emotional moments, she is front and center. Lastly, the passion Leslie Odom Jr brings to his role as Adam Burr is beyond description. He may be the “villain”, but he makes Burr accessible and easy to understand … plus Odom is a terrific singer and performer, and he lights up the stage.

It’s easy to overlook the dance and stage choreography since it’s never over-the-top, but the dancers are terrific and the performers make great use of the single set – although props are regularly brought in and taken away. Perhaps what really makes this click as movie entertainment is the expert use of cameras and editing. We see the full stage when we should, and we are offered close-ups when it’s most effective. I do hope to catch the live show at some point, but if my Hamilton experience is limited to this cinematic version, well … “that would be enough.”

Theatre not Cinema but Spectacular Nonetheless…

A Phenomenal, incredible and stunningly astounding spectacle but is it a movie or just moving, worthy of an Oscar(s) or just a Tony(s), legitimate film or deceptive phony? Thoroughly enjoyable whatever it is, mandates a trip to the box office, as live it must be bliss.