Nine

Following on from Chicago Rob Marshall would seem the right man to take another stage hit from the boards to the big screen. It seems that a who’s who of Hollywood actresses were falling over themselves to star in this as well. The people who auditioned makes interesting reading. However, I’m not sure it really matters who won the roles in the end as the film struggles to capture the imagination that Marshall showed with Chicago and the musical routines are basic at best. The story revolves around film director Guido Contini and his struggle to make a new film while trying to control the many relationships he has with the various females in his life. This isn’t all that exciting to watch. Only a few of the musicals numbers have dramatic choreography, with the rest being standard solos. Amazing to listen to live in a theatre no doubt. Not quite so good in a cinema. In between songs we get Daniel Day-Lewis faffing around as Guido. Apparently Day-Lewis did his usual immersive preparation for the role, but his accent comes across as something akin to ‘Allo ‘Allo. On the plus side, the film is beautifully shot, with some stunning lighting and cinematography. However, the overall feeling of when a successful musical / play is transformed to the big screen is usually “why?”. That is definitely the case in this instance.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict
Far too slow between the numbers, and not enough of them get the pulse racing. Should have stayed on Broadway. Rating: 4/10