The Prom - Review Thread

And the first thing to say about this movie is that it really does feel like an actual Broadway musical. It successfully captures/replicates the spirit and flow of a story played out on the stage, and that's something I think really works in this movie's favor. The energy this movie gives off is so infectiously bubbly and exuberant that it's hard not to get swept up in, especially if you're a musical fan. So maybe I was always going to be powerless against this movie and if you want to take what I'm saying here with a grain of salt, fine. But really, I found a lot to like here. The staging of all nineteen musical numbers here is pretty great, as Murphy finds the perfect way to combine the mediums of stage and film in a way that blends both together very well. From the cinematography, choreography, color palette and overall visual design, the musical numbers here all have a vibrancy to them that make them a joy to watch, not to mention how a couple of them delightfully recall some of the old school musical style in just how shamelessly over the top they are with their combination of all those elements. This is a movie that's clearly taking place in a "musical reality" as opposed to the real world, and the way it leans into those elements is so much fun. There's no shortage of toe-tapping and impressively choreographed/designed and just downright memorable musical numbers here and that's one of the main things you want from a movie like this.

But also, you want charming/likable characters you can latch onto, and The Prom has that in spades. Now, some may look at the group of Broadway performers within the film (Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman and Andrew Rannells) and attack their motivations, but that's the point of their arc over the course of the film. But, really, seeing the genuine connections and bond they form with the central girl of the story is a big part of what drives this movie's sheer likability. Even if they start from a decidedly selfish place, to see them ultimately come to legitimately care about this girl and go out of their way to help her as they come to care more deeply about her just comes as very inspiring and warm-hearted by the end. The movie is in no way dealing with particularly complex or deep character arcs, but that does nothing to de-value the importance of the movie's overall message. The Prom absolutely operates with more blanket themes of acceptance and homophobia, but c'mon, the material here comes from a flashy Broadway musical. Plus, it treats these issues and character arcs with no less heart and genuine care than a more nuanced film would. So when we get those inevitable teary-eyed payoffs to these various arcs, they still land.

The cast here -- even James Corden -- is all very solid, but the person truly worth singling out is Jo Ellen Perlman as Emma, the main character. This is Perlman's film debut and she's truly a joy to watch. She brings such a natural grace and grounded yet believably youthful energy and even pathos to this part that I really hope this is the beginning of a rewarding and long career for her. Also, Keegan-Michael Key damn near steals the show in terms of the adult actors. It certainly helps that he has the most likable, non-cynical character of all the adults, but he's still highly entertaining here and some of the scenes he shares with Meryl Streep in particular really crackle.