Save for a cult-like legion of devoted theater fans, movie musicals are highly underrated. While other people could not care for chorus girls and line dances, these movie musicals prove that there is much story as there is song in them.
4. Once
If you loved Begin Again with Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo, you’ll love another John Carney classic, “Once”, which inspired the Broadway musical that starred How I Met Your Mother’s Cristin Miliotti and went on to win a Tony. It’s more raw, more bittersweet, and the soundtrack is a total win.
3. RENT
In the 90’s, RENT was the musical that defined a generation — complete with its contemporary rock sound, RENT told a story that was a truth at the time, the onset of AIDS. Its tale of life, passion and loss– and every way you could measure a year in 525,600 minutes spoke to this generation’s hipsters and go-getters.
2. Moulin Rouge
Seeing the film is even more timely, after a Broadway version was recently announced. You get to see Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman at their finest here, and the movie comes with the quirks and bangs and stops and whistles — it definitely won’t be a boring experience.
1. Les Miserables
Imperfect as it was, something has to be said about the Les Mis movie. Tom Hooper did succeed in putting impactful storytelling at the forefront, and the raw performances added credence to the movie’s emotional weight. They say that the screen is a different animal from the stage, and Les Miserables the movie showed that you could have two completely different takes on a powerful material.
