A Sea of Ink

The Greatest Showman was entertaining, but an excess of characters and events cost the film almost all depth in plot and characterization. Although the first few songs hinted at promise, most of the soundtrack (barring standouts “A Million Dreams” and “Never Enough”) is generally unimpressive and commonplace. Both the choreography (the highlight of the movie being the “A Million Dream” dance number between Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams) and the visual design are worthy of high praise, but the lackluster army of characters and lack of clarity in the passage of time turned what might have been a cinematic masterpiece into an unrealistic and often confusing storm of scenes. The writers would have been better served by isolating a smaller slice of Barnum’s history for recreation and making allowance for greater care and detail. The movie was dazzling but hollow, without real insight into the history it portrayed.

Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, starring Kirsten Dunst in the title role, has been around for more than a decade; however, the movie hit Netflix only recently.  This film received mixed reviews due to the unconventional way in which it told the French queen's history. As Dunst said, "It's kind of like a history of feelings, rather than a history of facts." Though the American faux-French accents are admittedly cringe-y at times (that of Rose Byrne, as the Duchesse de Polignac, especially), all cons are outweighed. Sacrificing historically accurate language and music, Coppola focused instead on the essence of who Marie Antoinette really was-- a teenager. The rock soundtrack, featuring tunes such as a remixed version of "I Want Candy," contributes to this point of view and gives the movie a youthful tone relatable to the teenaged target audience. A scene set at a masquerade ball includes the blasting electric guitar and drums of "Hong Kong G...