EUROVISION SONG CONTEST: THE STORY OF FIRE SAGA
HIT MUSICAL HAMILTON COMES TO THE SCREEN (AT HOME) AND IT’S ALMOST AS GOOD AS WATCHING IT IN THE THEATRE (12)
★★★★ ★
THERE’S music and mayhem in this Eurovision comedy which is as stupidly camp and delightfully daft as the contest itself, and where off-stage shenanigans mean it’s not just the songs which are being murdered.
At times very funny while always being affectionate to the long-running contest, this is a musical underdog story that combines elements of mock
Daveed Diggs as Thomas Jefferson stage and the regimented, muscular choreography of Andy Blankenbuehler.
The first lingering close-up is Miranda’s face as he introduces himself and with subsequent crescendos, we are close enough to see beads of sweat glistening on brows, a tear of anguish coursing down a grieving mother’s cheek or spittle trembling on Jonathan Groff’s lip as he makes a show-stopping entrance as preening King George III.
Fixed overhead shots of the stage are visually arresting but seldom enrich the narrative except for the song The Reynolds Pamphlet, which captures a confetti-like
Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams
Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr) and Alexander Hamilton
rockumentary Spinal Tap and Mel Brooks’ The Producers.
And like the Mamma Mia! sequel, it’s at its best when it channels the irresistible spirit of pop legend Cher.
Musical to our ears: LinManuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton and Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton
cascade of accusations of marital betrayal as they literally swirl around the title character.
Prefaced by a heartfelt introduction from Miranda and Kail in lockdown, Hamilton is an electrifying encapsulation of the theatre staging that comes satisfyingly close to replicating the exhilarating shared experience of live performance.
Snappy one-liners warrant giggles and a ripple of applause greets Angelica Schuyler (Renee Elise Goldsberry) when she passes judgment on the notion that all men are created equal by adding “When I meet Thomas Jefferson/I’m a’ compel him to include woman in the sequel”.
The ensemble cast strains every sinew, tears visibly glistening on lower eye lids as political machinations and bold ambition cleave apart marriages and spatter the pages of history with fresh blood. How lucky we are.
■ Streaming on Disney+ from July 3.
gfWill Ferrell and Rachel McAdams star as Icelandic singers Lars and Sigrit, who are given the chance to represent their country at Eurovision.
After her scene-stealing performance in 2018’s comedy Game Night, it’s no surprise McAdams is a fabulously earnest and sweet soul who still believes in elves, while Ferrell – famous for playing an elf – is once again playing an overgrown man child with daddy issues.
His screen daddy is played by Pierce Brosnan, which might
make any of us feel insecure, and Pierce adopts an Icelandic accent which is far more convincing than fellow 007 Sean Connery’s would have been. Another plus is Brosnan isn’t tempted to sing
– we suffered enough of that in the Mamma Mia! movies.
Lars and Sigrit’s songs, and those of the other competitors, are perfectly pitched Eurovision cheese, delivered with winning sincerity, impressive vocals and some outrageous showmanship.
Volcano Man is an anthemic wonder, while Ja Ja Ding Dong is
a unique sing-a-long example of Icelandic folk rock pop.
Real-life Eurovision presenter Graham Norton keeps a straight face playing himself, while Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens play a louche Russian singer.
This year’s contest was cancelled, of course, so if you’re in need of a Eurovision fix you’ll love this, which at its best is a pop-tastic piece of ridiculously sequinned escapist fun.
■ Available on Netflix now.
■ Review by Christopher Hunneysett.