Review: "Hamilton"
Monday, July 6, 2020 at 12:30PM by Eric Blume
Disney+ made a shrewd and smart move by releasing the filmed-stage movie musical Hamilton over the July 4 weekend, at a time when the country really needs it. The themes and ideas of this Pulitzer Prize-winning theater phenomenon from five years ago seem even more relevant and powerful than they did upon arrival, and the movie version, which debuted this weekend, is a stage capture of the principal original Broadway cast, edited together from three live performances filmed in June 2016.
Filmed versions of staged material always have their limitations: one can never capture the visceral pump of energy that’s happening in the Richard Rodgers Theater before and during a performance of this show in particular. As such, the Hamilton movie ultimately succeeds best in preserving an unbeatable group of actors in the biggest show of this century, exactly as the original creators intended it to play...
Thomas Kail, who directed the stage version with breathtaking imagination and laser focus, serves as the movie’s director as well. Kail knows what he’s doing behind a camera: he directed five of the eight episodes of FX’s Fosse/Verdon with control and style, guiding his now-girlfriend Michelle Williams to the all-time best performance of her career. He’s placed cameras across many areas of the stage, and he’s coached his actors to be at the height of their powers (each one literally tears into each number with electrifying force). Where the movie falls apart, here and there, is in the editing.
The first two numbers out of the gate, the intro song and the famous “My Shot”, contain a colossal amount of narrative, introducing key characters, complex relationships, time and place in a way that sets up a context for what’s to come. The editing does the audience no favors here. If you’re coming into Hamilton cold, you’d be hard-pressed to find your bearings, because there are limited medium and close-up shots here. The editing finally starts to come together with the show’s third number, “The Schuyler Sisters” which introduces the female characters with a clarity we haven’t seen before.
Filming and editing this movie could not have been easy: in addition to the typical challenges that come with filming stage material, the set contains a double(!) turntable, which makes editing a particular challenge, as you’re not set up for success for match shots, and Kail’s original direction of the show is so meticulous, so full of constant large-scale tableau, that you need to see wide shots as often as possible to get a sense of the full stage picture. So the film sometimes finds a good balance between its intimate shots and its other locked-off wides, but other times the editing between its shots does not help the storytelling.
Sound is another challenge for this film, as composer Lin-Manuel Miranda has written this piece with a full-on assault of verbal wordplay and fast-driving hip-hop patter, and swaths of information (and characterization, and history) come at you from character after character. The sound mix for the movie isn’t great, and this is where the editing could have further helped. In short, one of the most thrilling things about seeing Hamilton onstage is that Miranda really makes you listen, with great intensity, and the engagement of your senses is so high. You find yourself literally leaning into the stage, which could have been mirrored with more medium and close shots. Film obviously has different technical components to tell us how to listen, where we should focus, and how the story is told. There are moments throughout Hamilton the movie where it probably would have benefitted to have done a few more set-up shots without an audience present to nail down a few more tight shots that could have helped the storytelling. In defense of the editing, though, none of the show is chopped up or made to look like a music video. Ultimately, the editing preserves the integrity of the staging so this was a minor quibble.
At the end of the day, we have here the definitive Hamilton, and how often do we get a record of such things? Hamilton is incredibly dense, and preposterously ambitious, and what’s preserved here is the unity of vision: the text, the music, Paul Tazewell’s inventive costumes, Andy Blankenbuehler’s amazing and original choreography…all of the elements are a blend of period and contemporary, realistic and stylized, all in the same fashion, mirroring and supporting each other. This is artistry of the highest, highest level, and it releases the actors to give intense and inspired performances.
Leslie Odom, Jr. creates a complex and moving Aaron Burr. His singing and acting are both exhilarating. Nothing he’s done since (yet) has captured the intelligence, bravado, and mastery he displays here. As his foil, Miranda hasn’t ever received enough credit for his acting contribution to the show: he keeps everything simple and true, with a nice undercurrent of rage, and a keen instinct to nail every bit of funny possible.
Tony winner Renée Elise Goldsberry takes the relatively small role of Hamilton’s sister-in-law and goes balls to the wall with it. She provides possibly the high point of the show, her number “Satisfied”, where we see a previous scene from her point of view. Kail’s staging of this number, which takes place largely in literal reverse, was jaw-dropping onstage, and while we don’t get a perfect sense of that here, the veracity and force of Goldsberry’s singing and acting is unparalleled.
Fellow Tony winner Daveed Diggs isn’t helped as much by the camera's framing as Goldsberry, but his humor, resourcefulness, and finesse are in splendid form, and Phillipa Soo’s singing as Eliza Hamilton is exemplary. Christopher Jackson’s impressive balance of swagger and rueful sadness come alive on film.
And of course Jonathan Groff, in his small recurring role as King George, couldn’t be funnier. Groff has a gift of being able to play both broad and small at the same time; his gigantic voice wraps itself around his Elton John-like trio of musical interludes with seeming effortlessness. It's hard to imagine anyone else wringing more confident comedy from the material.
It’s a major work of art, a bold, imaginative, challenging piece of theater, enshrined here in its rhapsodic joy and sorrowful tragedy. It’s incredibly rare to have this many extraordinarily talented people capture lightning in a bottle, a group with aspirations this high and the collaborative skills and generosity to bring everything together. There were moments where my heart was soaring so loftily I could barely contain my happiness. Hamilton the show is an A+, and Hamilton the movie rates at least an A-. This Hamilton, right now, is such a gift.
Reader Comments (22)
Will they still try to make a full on movie of the play after this? I'm assuming this version is not eligible for Oscar consideration.
Tom G: It WAS supposed to be a theatrical release, even if next year, and the Academy HAS said that movies intended for theatrical release put on streaming in this pandemic are eligible. And after last year, movies mostly imbibed through streaming aren't any level of verboten anymore. Now, how friendly the Academy will be to nominating something like this (which ISN'T a conventional film adaptation) for Best Picture, meanwhile? That's more the open question. If it DOES get the Best Picture nom, I think conventional Les Miz or...Cats(coughcoughcough, what's this that was in my throat) style adaptations happening will REALLY struggle to justify themselves afterward.
Not much of a fan of this style of music, but it ain't half bad. Lots of effort and creativity and Diggs is so damn fine.
Loved this so much! Definitely the best thing i’ve seen this year but I’m not sure I would be ok with the idea of this being oscar eligible! It’s kind of weird to me if for example someone wins both oscar and tony for the same performance!
Just not for me.
Does anyone remember Renee Elise Goldsberry on One Life to Life in the late 90s/early 2000s? She played a district attorney.
She looked so familiar in press photos, and I finally thought, oh she looks so much like this actress that used to be on One Life to Live.
But she didn't look liker, she IS her. And doesn't look a day older in a role probably younger than the one she played 20 years ago.
Kelly -- she's such a strong actress. LOVED her in "Waves" last year. hope she gets a tv or movie career out of this (given that Broadway is no more for the time being)
I'd give Renee Elise Goldsberry an Oscar for this.
I hate filmed plays/musicals so I’ve been avoiding this one but I’ve been really curious.
I went in almost completely blind, having not listened to any of the music with the exception of the Tony performance (which kinda left me cold at the time), and I enjoyed it. I wasn't blown away, but I appreciated the craft it took to translate this behemoth to the screen in such a unique way. Goldsberry, Soo, and Odom were standouts for me, but I also see why Diggs became such a star after this show. I'm not very familiar with Miranda as an actor, he's very likable, but his strengths seem to be more as the creative force behind the show than as an actual performer. He wasn't bad, but his singing and acting wasn't on the level of the rest of the cast to me.
It'll be really interesting to see how this does with awards. Odom won the Lead Actor Tony, but I can see him going Supporting for the Oscars.
Lastly, I'm sure it's probably been discussed, but does anyone else get strong "Mozart v. Salieri" vibes from the Hamilton/Burr dynamic?
It seems This is not going to be an oscar player! Variety just reported:
https://t.co/Bk7WqtmHdT?amp=1
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS WINNER RENÉE ELISE GOLDSBERRY, LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN
Kelly Garrett, big OLTL fan here! I loved her character--Evangeline Williamson. Even though she was involved in a love triangle that pitted her against my favorite heroine, Natalie. Renee received two Daytime Emmy nominations for the supporting role. Incredible talent.
Watched this over the holiday weekend like a lot of people and I'm just SO, so happy that they were able to film this cast and to have it air so quickly. One of the best things about the creatives of this show is their relentless goal of making theatre accessible. Yes, there are people who pay $100+, $500+ $3000+ a ticket to watch this, but with their robust $10 lottery, initiatives for school kids, and now this film... it's taking it to a whole new level.
As for the film itself, it's amazing and wonderful, and surprisingly it hasn't diminished my need to go see the live show again on Broadway (whenever that happens; hopefully it happens).
The cast is RIDICULOUS and every element (music, book, staging, etc.) is just so thoughtfully executed. It's shocking just how much of that actually comes through in the film version, but boy oh boy it's that much more unbelievable when you see it live.
@ brookesboy
Wasn't she in a triangle with NuTodd and Blair (or Téa)? Or am I just repressing the Cristian & (ugh) Natalie pairing? ;-)
"Will they still try to make a full on movie of the play after this?" - After seeing this, I'm not sure a film adaptation is necessary or even possible. I think filming the play is the best possible cinematic incarnation this piece will have. You need to find a way to turn what was special about the play and turn it cinematic which would be very difficult to do.
It's a very good show and you have to give credit to Miranda for his ambition. I am not a fan of rap but here it actually worked and Jonathan Groff steals the show as the King. He should win an Emmy for this- will it be considered a tv production- it doesn't feel like a movie. A film version would be very expensive to pull off- the stylized theatricality worked to it's advantage. I would like to see another actor in the lead- Miranda does not have the star quality to pull it off and yes like I said before the Groff is as showstopper. I hate to get political but I can not understand these woke types who are attacking the show because it glorifies slave owners- seriously this a Broadway musical written by a Latino playwright -composer and featuring a cast of Black and Latino actors in roles they would have never been cast in if the show had been written by somebody else.
"...these woke types..."
They want cancel Hamilton just right now.
Overrated.
Hi working stiff--
There was a flirtation between Evangeline and Todd, but it never really went anywhere. She was too smart for that. Evangeline was involved with John after he broke up with Natalie, and then, him being the douche he is, wanted Natalie back. Hated that guy!
This is my all time favorite work of theatre -- I have seen it four times with the splendid San Francisco casts -- and while this filmed stage version had its shortcomings (I agree about the sound at times, and the need for more closeups) but as Mr. Blume wrote, " There were moments where my heart was soaring so loftily I could barely contain my happiness."