Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Hamilton

This is a perfect musical! Now I’m not saying that just to heighten the hype that it already has but it truly is a perfect show. From the music to the staging, lighting and the incredible performances it’s a emotionally charged show that teaches you so much about history and the human condition. Lin Manuel - Miranda educates others on the story of Alexander Hamilton while showcasing such a compelling story from a different perspective and what I mean by that is the story is brought to life through rap and R&B style of singing. It’s perfectly done and lyrically beautiful. Hamilton is an outstanding piece of theatre and storytelling that will have you singing, crying and cheering Hamilton is a triumph. 

Firstly, The way in which Alexander Hamilton’s story is told through the course of the 2h and 40 minutes of the show is richly showcased.  As the story of Hamilton is brought to the stage in such a inspiring but also heartbreaking way as we see him come from rags to riches over the course of the show and it’s done in a way that we find out everything about him but also the people that had such a big impact on him too. So we learn about his lovers his friends his colleagues and his enemies in such a well fleshed out way and each character gets time shine. It takes its time to set it up what we’re going to see in the first act and then by the second act everything just explodes in unpredictability and absolute heartbreak. The compelling story is just so well told onstage by everyone involved and especially the way the songs were worded to really suit the way characters felt or what the situation was around them and it was beautiful the lyrics are catchy and have this soulful uniqueness to them as the words hit you so deeply as their so full of passion emotion and great life. A story which many aren’t familiar with is greatly done and as well an idea that on paper seems like a impossible feat to do by showing one of the founding fathers of the United States story though rap and hip hop style song I never thought that would even work. But Lin Manuel - Miranda’s defies expectations with his outstanding story that captivates you and impacts you to your soul and brings you to tears.  The story will have you captivated the moment it starts incredible writing not just from a narrative stand point but also by a lyrical stand point as well it’s incredible storytelling on the highest level. 

Secondly, The performances are freaking amazing! Theirs so much to unpack just from the performances alone. First off theirs is the electric and charismatic Lin Manuel - Miranda who delivers a performance of strong wielded emotion and incredible force of passion that will have you captivated and in absolute awe of his portrayal of Alexander Hamilton. Then theirs Leslie Odom Jr who for me is the one out of two people that absolutely steals the show as he brings this really interesting approach to Aaron Burr in at times charismatic and optimistic but then the next can be very shady and questionable and he brings a balance to both of those tones greatly through a powerhouse performance that is jaw dropping amazing. Then their is Daveed Diggs who has two roles in the show and both which are brilliant as he gets to show two very different sides to him one side is playful and fun the other is more restrained and serious. As you can tell he is really soaking up every drop of both characters and delivers not one but two outstanding energetic supporting performances that’s impossible to not get swept up into. Also Johnathan Groff gives a truly marvellous turn as King George the third he’s only on stage for nine minutes but wow does he put so much passion and heart into the songs he has onstage making his great presence known. He has the persona of a very playful Portrayal of the king but also has this sinister aspect bubbling under the surface that makes for a creepily optimistic performance that is so much fun to watch. Johnathan Groff is an absolute gem as King George the third. Then last but not least you have Phillipa Soo who gives the second scene stealing performance of the show for me as she plays Eliza Hamilton in such strong emotional intensity you can’t take your eyes off of her as she chews up every scene she’s in with her authentic and honest emotion that makes you just feel for her. As when she’s in sheer joy you can’t help but smile for her but when she’s at her lowest your heart breaks for her Phillipa Soo delivers an incredible performance that is one of the best musical performances I’ve ever seen. Everyone in the cast is truly amazing and all make their characters stand out by bringing different qualities that make them memorable the entire cast is brilliant all giving next level performances. 

Lastly, Hamilton is one of the finest musicals I’ve ever seen! From the way the story of Alexander Hamilton unfolds through the 2h and 40 minute runtime is pure brilliance as it not only explores the humble beginnings of Alexander Hamilton and then his eventual heartbreaking demise. The show also explores everyone Around him and the incredible Impact he had on their lives and it’s so well told in such a unique and captivating way that you can’t look away from. The performances as well from the cast all give tremendous performances and you will cry cheer and be in complete awe from what your witnessing in front of you. Lin Manuel - Miranda has crafted a show of such beauty and richness Hamilton is one of the best musicals ever and this is one of the best films I’ve seen this year by far. Everyone should check this out you’ll absolutely love it. 

This film centres around one of the founding fathers of the United States Alexander Hamilton and his story from a humble upbringing to his Heartbreaking Demise. 

Rated PG - 13 : for language and some suggestive material 

Lin Manuel - Miranda : Miranda delivers a powerhouse performance of Alexander Hamilton! Lin Manuel - Miranda has established Himself as a genius storyteller even being compared to Shakespeare in his literary strengths. His ability to channel such raw emotional depth in this complex character was amazing to watch unfold over the course of the show. His portrayal of Hamilton is one of great optimism and passion as when he delivers the words to someone or even to himself you can see the truth and in his eyes and in his voice. He hangs on to every word and makes it have such impact to what he’s discussing. Miranda soaks up every aspect of Alexander and goes in head first as you see in his eyes the sheer commitment he has to the role is incredible as Hamilton was a person who stared off very humble and pure but over the course of the story began to spiral out of control with what he was doing. We see that decadent into not madness but paranoia and absolute tragedy and Miranda opens his heart and exposes himself raw to bare to the audience and results in a captivating performance that is truly moving. He doesn’t play the character in a over the top or cartoony way but the way he should of been played on stage as honest and truthful as possible showing so many sides to him. We see the family man he was and how gentle he was with his wife and then we would see how he could shift in emotion to a more angrily passionate man at work and on the battlefield. The amount of depth and layers this man had is amazing when you sit back and think about it and Lin Manuel - Miranda not only does it greatly but is able to go through all the layers the man had and show them as brutally honest as possible even when you start to question if you should still root for him or not. Miranda draws the audience into his portrayal of one of the founding fathers of the United States and moves you to tears by his fantastic lead performance of great emotion and complexity Miranda delivers what I think is the finest performance of his career and a performance of man  that is both inspiring but also heartbreaking Miranda is absolutely brilliant as Alexander Hamilton. 

Leslie Odom Jr : Leslie delivers a scene stealing performance of incredible emotional strength! Leslie plays Aaron Burr in such complexity as he keeps the audience guessing if we should root for him or question his ethics. As he’s a very mysterious person as he’s one of the few people we know very little about as sure we find out a bit about him but his character is more emotionally reserved and keeps to himself. And what I love about how Odom Jr plays the role is in the first half of the narrative we see him as that kind of person well kept and keeps to himself and the only times you see him express his full emotions is when he’s by himself. I love that though as you then see when he speaks to people he expresses his feelings and very authentically but it’s when he’s alone he pours everything out and just lets out what’s been filling up inside him emotionally. Odom shows that brilliantly as you can see the things people say him can be upsetting but he keeps his composure because that’s the way he was brought up was to always take the high road but then like everyone else he needs an outlet to explode In emotion and when he’s alone you can hear the sheer raw passion and emotion coming through his voice. Then further into the story he does start to crack and starts to break the rules he made for himself and lets his emotions get the best of himself as he then starts thinking emotionally more then rationally. So you get to see that steep decline into him loosing control of his judgment and Odom brings a sincere charismatic emotional depth to Burr. When you hear Leslie belt out those lyrics theirs such a ring of truth to his delivery of them as you can feel them come from his soul and he means every word he speaks. Odom Steals each scene he’s in with his incredible onstage presence and oozing charisma. He makes you sympathize with Burr even when he’s at his most questionable it’s all due to the great writing but also Odom’s ability to win over the audience by hooking them in with his raw passionate emotion he speaks onstage. Leslie Odom Jr is the scene stealer of the show as he captivated me with his raw honest emotion of Burr that made me feel for him but also drawn into him due to the incredible performance Leslie was delivering a performance of great layers and depth that really grabs a hold of you and impacts you Leslie Odom Jr delivers a masterful performance! 

Daveed Diggs : Daveed delivers a electrifying supporting turn in not one but two fantastic performances! Daveed is amazing as Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson both very different kinds of People. He really gets to bite into very juicy roles as first off you have Lafayette who is a very optimistic and over the top kind of person. He spews such joy and optimism that everything will be okay and David brings this joyous spark to the performance that just leaps off the stage and feels so infectious. He brings a fun playful energy that makes you unable to take his eyes off him. He seems like a person you want on your side and he is so full of good Will and strong courage David just explores great depths of Lafayette in such joyful fun but unapologetic passion as well that is impossible to not have a smile on your face when seeing him onstage. Then theirs his performance as Thomas Jefferson bringing a very fun quality but has a dark depth to him that you don’t expect from him. Diggs is able to make Jefferson seem at first glance like a relaxed guy who enjoys the spotlight but then takes a total turn showing his more sinister intentions as he’s a person who will cut corners if it means he gets his way and it’s shady as hell and despite his cruel doings he draws you in by his charming personality. As he was friends with Hamilton but also enemies like Burr but Jefferson definitely was more of the loose cannon who you never knew what he would do or say next and Diggs shows that unpredictably brilliantly through his delivery of his lyrics as well as his fierce passion. Jefferson is totally different then the other role he plays and it was great fun to see him tackle both as Lafayette is more of the fun relaxed guy and Jefferson is way more darker and emotional more complex and so we see total different sides of Digg’s range as an actor and channel very different emotional depths into two very different roles onstage. His performance as Lafayette is playful and energetically engaging and then his turn as Jefferson is sinister but compelling to witness unfold David Diggs is truly magnetic in this show giving an outstanding turn in two truly phenomenal supporting performances. 

Phillipa Soo : Phillipa delivers a tour de force performance that rattled me! Phillipa plays Eliza Hamilton the wife of Alexander Hamilton and wow did she blow me away. I loved Elizabeth Moss in the invisible man but this is easily my new favourite performance by an actress this year as Yes Phillipa is that good. In the beginning she’s so full of hope and young love and such positivity and nothing can bring her down but as the story progresses we see her start to break emotionally inside. Phillipa isn’t doing a lot of the fun stuff the guys get to do but she has such an important role to the story as she is the voice of caution for Alexander as well as the person to comfort him at his darkest moments. Phillipa brings such a gentleness to her portrayal of Eliza as she just shows such unconditional love for Alexander and when you see her in love with him Soo brings such a authentic realness to her her delivery of her words she speaks. Then when you see the heartache later on her performance of the song Burn is one of the most emotional and truly heart shattering performances of any song I’ve seen from an actor onstage. You can feel the pain through her eyes and from her words she speaks in such a heavy delivery. She wraps herself up in such gripping emotion that brought me to tears and she is so incredibly captivating giving such a pure emotionally raw performance that is one of the best performances in musical theatre history Phillipa Soo is a tour de force! 

Johnathan Groff : Groff gives an incredible supporting turn in this show as King George the third! Johnathan isn’t in the show much he only has nine minutes onstage. But for the time he has he’s incredibly memorable showcasing such incredible range as he plays the king in such a gitty and playful way that is so engaging. But also he has this creepy subtle sinister side to him that’s never addressed but bubbling underneath and it comes across so creepy and optimistic all at once. You can feel the sheer passion he’s giving to every word he delivers and he’s so emotive with his eyes and draws you in the second he comes onstage. He’s not in it much but for the time he has onstage he’s incredible delivering a truly astonishing supporting turn! 

Thomas Kail : Thomas Kail brings such a captivating approach to showing this brilliant show! Thomas Kail has such a cinematic approach to how the show was shot as the camera would sweep into these really fantastic close ups and riveting angles that make you feel like your onstage with them. And he gets the actors to deliver top notch performances that they have already perfected by then. The show felt so perfect in its transitions especially the lighting the stage was perfectly shown through the lens and he brings this fantastic close up approach to the stage that is so big but also intimate all at once that worked so greatly. Thomas Kail did a truly fantastic job at not changing anything about the show but just making it feel so intimate with the audience but also cinematic all at once and he did a marvellous job.