A Chorus Line (C or 2/4 stars)
'A Chorus Line' may be considered as one of the greatest Broadway musicals of all-time; as well as one of the longest running one's. Howwwever, that does NOT mean that that success would translate over to the cinematic medium and, well, that is the case with this 1985 film version, directed by the typically stellar Richard Attenborough. Sure, there are aesthetically & sonically pleasing aspects, here; I mean, the songs ARE the songs. But there is a real, shall I say, dorkiness, about the proceedings that kinda confounded me as I watched. The plot focuses on a small group of hopeful musical performers auditioning for spots on the chorus line of a new Broadway show; all while revealing their hopes, their dreams, & their greatest fears.
Michael Douglas stars as Zach, the no-nonsense choreographer who is supervising the auditions for his new Broadway musical. From his all-seeing perch at the back of the auditorium, he insistently instructs the 17 finalists, who are competing for only 8 spots in the production, to share something about their own lives; he wants to find a spark in them. Among the most intriguing are Sheila (Vicki Frederick), a jaded dancer who has been around the block on the Broadway audition scene; Morales (Yamil Borges), a feisty Puerto Rican performer; Richie (Gregg Burge), a very dynamic dancer; Bebe (Michelle Johnston), a spirited artist who is overcoming a recent nervous breakdown; & Paul (Cameron English), a homosexual with a tale to tell.
Along with there being such an odd undercurrent of dorkiness about the proceedings as I watched, I also must mention a misstep in the casting of Alyson Reed as Zach's ex-mistress who has resurfaced; desperate for a job in his play. Reed may be a lovely woman with some degree of talent, but it is not exhibited in the film, as she lacks the necessary fire, passion and, well, 'goods' to fill this integral role. She does, after all, sing one of the big numbers, Marvin Hamlisch's "What I Did For Love" and it lands with a THUD. This number should be a highlight and, instead, it is wholly anti-climactic.
Really, it just seems that everyone in the cast that I've mentioned - along with Terrence Mann, Audrey Landers & Michael Blevins - are either not giving it their all, or that each of them feel like they're acting in a completely different movie from everybody else -- that's a huge problem of tone. A story {and a movie} like this needs consistent tone. For instance, Michael Douglas brings a sharpness & intensity to his choreographer role that is simply absent from anyone else in the film. The proceedings are too cloying, too sentimental & too dopey. And there is no dramatic tension.
The dance numbers choreographed by Jeffrey Homaday are relatively exciting & nicely edited; placing us viewers in the heart of the action. That said, a Bob Fosse would've provided more scintillating maneuvers. As for the big musical number, "One", well, that's a song that I performed in high school as part of a singing competition far from home; so I have a great connection to it. To that, finally seeing it 'in action' on screen was a deflating experience. It just lacked the je ne sais quoi pizzazz that I was expecting. You know, Richard Attenborough clearly adores & respects the source material {an adult musical for like-minded fans to enjoy}, but maybe it was too tall an order to convey the magic of the Broadway show onto the big screen, this time.
Michael Douglas stars as Zach, the no-nonsense choreographer who is supervising the auditions for his new Broadway musical. From his all-seeing perch at the back of the auditorium, he insistently instructs the 17 finalists, who are competing for only 8 spots in the production, to share something about their own lives; he wants to find a spark in them. Among the most intriguing are Sheila (Vicki Frederick), a jaded dancer who has been around the block on the Broadway audition scene; Morales (Yamil Borges), a feisty Puerto Rican performer; Richie (Gregg Burge), a very dynamic dancer; Bebe (Michelle Johnston), a spirited artist who is overcoming a recent nervous breakdown; & Paul (Cameron English), a homosexual with a tale to tell.
Along with there being such an odd undercurrent of dorkiness about the proceedings as I watched, I also must mention a misstep in the casting of Alyson Reed as Zach's ex-mistress who has resurfaced; desperate for a job in his play. Reed may be a lovely woman with some degree of talent, but it is not exhibited in the film, as she lacks the necessary fire, passion and, well, 'goods' to fill this integral role. She does, after all, sing one of the big numbers, Marvin Hamlisch's "What I Did For Love" and it lands with a THUD. This number should be a highlight and, instead, it is wholly anti-climactic.
Really, it just seems that everyone in the cast that I've mentioned - along with Terrence Mann, Audrey Landers & Michael Blevins - are either not giving it their all, or that each of them feel like they're acting in a completely different movie from everybody else -- that's a huge problem of tone. A story {and a movie} like this needs consistent tone. For instance, Michael Douglas brings a sharpness & intensity to his choreographer role that is simply absent from anyone else in the film. The proceedings are too cloying, too sentimental & too dopey. And there is no dramatic tension.
The dance numbers choreographed by Jeffrey Homaday are relatively exciting & nicely edited; placing us viewers in the heart of the action. That said, a Bob Fosse would've provided more scintillating maneuvers. As for the big musical number, "One", well, that's a song that I performed in high school as part of a singing competition far from home; so I have a great connection to it. To that, finally seeing it 'in action' on screen was a deflating experience. It just lacked the je ne sais quoi pizzazz that I was expecting. You know, Richard Attenborough clearly adores & respects the source material {an adult musical for like-minded fans to enjoy}, but maybe it was too tall an order to convey the magic of the Broadway show onto the big screen, this time.