Musicals & Music Films > Fosse, Bob Musicals & Music Films

Advantages: Great Film, Big Spender!
Disadvantages: Not Very Well Known!

Sweet Charity, 1969, Running Time 149 min, Rating PG. The Story: Set in the 60's Charity Valentine is a dancer in a seedy night club, she is desperate to fall in love and leave the club and settle down with a nice man. After a series of disastrous relationships Charity still manages to look on the bright side of life, and in a twist of fate she meets Oscar in a lift -Could he be the man of her dreams? My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this film, it ...
...many Broadway hits prior to Sweet Charity, she has since appeared in many great movies including 'Steel Magnolias', 'Postcards from the edge', 'Bewitched' and 'In her Shoes'. Oscar Lindquist is played by John McMartin, Oscar is a nervous guy whose worst fear is getting stuck in an elevator - which is exactly what happens the day he meets charity. With Charity's help and encouragement he gets out unscathed, but his heart now belongs to her. John ... Read review

Advantages: Different from other musicals.. and great songs!
Disadvantages: Quite dark in some places

...life of working in a cabaret bar and her life outside the cabaret in 1930's Berlin. It also deals with the rise of Nazism in Germany. An English scholar, Brian, comes to Berlin to teach English and moves in to one of the rooms in Sally Bowles' building. The two fall for each other but Sally is unfaithful, and we find out that Brian has also been unfaithful with the same man. Sally reveals that she is pregnant but she doesn't know who the father ...
...matter and he wants the baby no matter what, and says that she should come back to England with him. Sally realises she couldn't lead that kind of life and has an abortion. Then Brian leaves to go back to England and Sally stays Berlin. Great, great, great songs! And Liza Minelli's acting in this is well deserving of her Oscar win of best actress in a leading role. The choreography is also brilliant, I really enjoyed watching the performances in ... Read review

Advantages: good story great dances.
Disadvantages: story is hard to follow

...and sweet charity All that jazz is written by and directed bob fosse and is loosley based on his own life. it tells the story of a drug addict, womanizing dancer and how the drugs slowly take over and start to rule his life. the advantages to this film are the dance numbers, they are amazing, very original and interesting and typical bob fosse style. the disadvantage is you sometimes get a bit lost in the story as it is hard to tell what is real ... Read review

Advantages: A star - studded cast, value for money format.
Disadvantages: ?

...Fosse. ***THE STORY*** Cabaret brings 1931 Berlin (The Weimer Republic era) to life inside and outside the Kit Kat club ( A female girlie club). Starry eyed American Sally Bowles romances 2 men while the Nazi party rises to power to become a brutal force in the streets outside. Whilst inside impish "emcee" (Joel Grey) and Sally sound the call for decadent fun. Into this world comes British language teacher (Michael York) who falls for Sally's charm ...
...***MY OPINION*** Cabaret is more than a musical, it is a tough, satirical, acrid and provoking show, I found it racy and very sexy. As a background to the entertainment some insights into life in pre Nazi Germany as the Nazi party rise to power. An eerie, glowing tinderbox full of grinning souls and desperate laughter. I really enjoyed it and will probably watch the DVD again. The central characters are well played by York, Minnelli and Grey. York ... Read review

Advantages: Bright, loud and alot of fun
Disadvantages: Musical purists will not be impressed.

A bit of backstory first... Me and my other half often disagree and bicker about the movies we see. Our preferences are along traditional gender lines: ME - action movies, something intellectual or a bit juvenile will normally hit the spot. HER - something girlie: kookie or romantically inclined. She has seen Twilight 4 times and counting... Case in point was Juno,se loved it whilst I fell asleep halfway through! Never before could people be ...
...to grease the wheels slightly (and to earn a few brownie points into the bargain) I opted to see a film of her choice. "How about a musical?" I asked - "there's that adaption of the West End show with all the Abba songs in it." Now, for me a musical is something for theatrically minded ladies (and gents); the idea of someone bursting into song for no apparent reason is an anathema. It just does NOT compute. Still, Im always open to new experiences ... Read review