I'll start by saying I'm a huge fan of live musicals and I really think West End and Broadway actors are some of the most talented performers around! I'm so sick of musical adaptions where it's such a priority to cast famous actors even when they can't sing (Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Beauty and the Beast, the list goes on). To compensate they have to auto-tune the living daylights out of every song so it sounds like you're listening to some kind of tone-deaf, mechanical monster or, when even that fails, they have the actors basically speak the songs (cough Emma Watson cough). I also don't know who decided that James Corden is the musical star du jour but I'd like to know how we get them to cease and desist. It also upsets me when they brutally cut loads of the songs for no apparent reason and/or add in new songs that are clearly just tacked on for unfathomable reasons (a la Aladdin and pretty much every movie musical I've already mentioned).
Anyway, enough moaning about other movie musicals. Given the movie's title, I shall join everybody else talking about Jamie. I like that it's not a carbon copy of the musical (otherwise why not just do an awesome Hamilton-style stage recording) but instead acknowledges that this is a new and different medium from the stage and uses this to its full advantage. All of the cast are talented actors and singers. Max Harwood is the perfect Jamie: sweet, naive and endearing with the most gorgeous voice. His performance is very different from John McCrea's but equally beautiful. All of the other actors do a great job making this as heartwarming, enjoyable and moving as the live musical with a beautiful and meaningful message about encouraging people to be their true and honest selves.
I've no idea who is giving low ratings to this but I'd really encourage everyone to watch it and make up their own minds.
