Friday Movie Review (a day late)

For the past 5 years or so, I've been going to the movies with my sweet friend, Bill, almost every Friday morning (yes, we happily get most Fridays off). So, along with my "New Music Tuesday" picks, I've decided to add a "Friday Movie Review" piece to the blog. I/We have seen A LOT of movies this summer (Harry Potter, Die Hard, Licensed to Wed, Evan Almighty, Knocked Up, Pirates, Once, 28 Weeks Later, A Mighty Heart, Paris Je T'aime, Broken English and The Namesake to name a few...).

Yesterday, we saw HAIRSPRAY, the movie version of the Broadway musical, based on the original 1988 John Waters' flick. Not surprisingly, the movie was a water-downed, mainstream version of the fabulously campy and much saucier original. BUT, although I'm not a fan of musicals in general, I actually really enjoyed this movie!!

You basically can't resist the music, dancing and the overall story (discriminated people rise up against the squares and prejudice of the early 1960's and find love too). The entire talented cast was fabulous! Zac Efron, who played heartthrob Link Larkin, was adorable, and teen girls in our theater were actually squealing whenever he was on screen. If I was 10-15 years younger, I probably would have acted the same way.

The only actor who was a tad annoying was John Travolta, in drag playing Edna Turnblad (the mother of the teen heroine, Tracy). His accent and mannerisms were off-base, BUT (here's another big BUT, Pee-Wee), in the end, he works in the movie. Not only is he a super-star draw for the production, but he truly is the King (well, Queen) of movie musicals. Thinking back to Saturday Night Fever, Grease, (my personal fave) Staying Alive, Urban Cowboy and even Pulp Fiction, you realize that there was no one else for (this modern, mainstream version of) the role.

In any case, Bill and I recommend HAIRSPRAY. It's just down-right entertaining!