I wasn't supposed to like The Greatest Showman...

Who was P T Barnum? Did he invent the modern day circus? Can I ever just watch a movie and not get hung up on the details? I didn't look for the information it found me and after all that I know, can I still enjoy The Greatest Showman?

Before you go any further I have a confession. For many people this is a deal breaker, I just don't feel I have the luxury to feel this way considering how many people actually love musicals. Here goes...I hate musicals, passionately. This kicks off the long list of why I was not meant to enjoy The Greatest Showman. I went to the cinema to spend time with teammates, no inkling whatsoever what we'd watch. To be honest since streaming became a thing, no movie is worth watching in cinemas in my book but I go to the movies to make memories so that I don't turn into a hermit, which would be perfectly fine for me.

Upon realising that it was a musical I was skeptical. If you love musicals, I apologise in advance for what I'm about to say but then again no one has ever apologised for musicals so I'm not terribly sorry. How can you justify people randomly breaking into song mid-sentence? It makes no sense. Once at boarding school, a group of girls decided to sing everything they meant to say and I will tell this, it was not pleasing for anyone, musical lovers alike. Furthermore, must they have so many songs in such a short space of time? We all need some time recover or appreciate (whatever) the last song before they break into another song about something that could have been cleared in a few lines. Without the often dreadful music most of these plot-starved movies would probably be an hour long and more bearable.

Deep breath

I believe every single word I just said, and non violence me is willing to fight you over this topic so explain to me why, as I write this, the words to one of the songs from the movie blasts loud and clear through my mind. I loathe musicals but months later, I shamelessly play and sing along to all the songs from the movie. I feel like I am betraying myself but I don't feel bad.

As if my hatred for musicals wasn't enough, the usual liberties that Hollywood takes when it comes to truthful or accurate storytelling usually puts me off. P.T Branum in the movie was undoubtedly charismatic, you couldn't help hoping the best for him. The people he worked with loved him and would follow him through fire (pun unintended). I really doubt that the actual Barnum accomplished all his goals at the ripe age of 60 in a similar manner. Learning the actual history of Barnum, his relationship with his wife, or the slaves and underprivileged people he "employed" was shockingly distasteful. To say Hollywood adapted his life story loosely is the understatement of the year.

While this usually qualifies for me to hate a movie, the gross misrepresentation I saw in the film led me to accept that Hugh Jackman was simply playing a character who shared the same name as this popular P. T Branum but certainly not his experiences. Looking at it from that point of view I can definitely forgive myself for actually loving this movie that was supposed to be based on such a heinous human. But considering that I learnt that Mother Theresa and Gandhi lowered the bar for saints significantly, I'm not surprised that media continues to sell us imperfect humans as role models.

See what I mean?! When I take the time to dive into the movie and take it apart I find no foundation for my love for this movie to stand. I'm simply floating on the superficial. The songs were catchy, the cast was amazing and lovable, heck, the writers spun the most amazing fictional story of the year...all of it balancing on the thinnest fragment of humanity needing someway of escaping reality into the made up. Even the harshest critic can't help loving this movie.

So I concede. Despite every reason to hate this movie, I admit that I thoroughly enjoyed this musical and for the foreseeable future I will apologetically sing along to the soundtracks.