Film musicals used to be some of the most popular cash cows in Hollywood, but sometime over the years, the musical fell out of vogue. I blame the ’80s, when we got disco dreck like The Apple and Xanadu (guilty pleasures, I admit), or perhaps the ’90s (in two words: Spice World). So it was heartening for this musical fan to witness the revival of the genre that happened during the ’00s, when movie musicals re-entered the Oscar race and everyone from Tim Burton to Lars von Trier put a little razzle dazzle in their step!
Of course, this rebirth had its highs and lows. Rent was still annoying as ever, even when adapted for the screen. The Producers didn’t really work, either. On the other hand, we learned that our friends and neighbors (and husbands and boyfriends) shared our secret love of song, of seeing A-list, serious-talky actors belt out show tunes (or at least try valiantly) and dance their way across the screen. Remember Fred and Ginger? They used to sing and dance for a living, and they were great actors to boot. This decade, we got an X-Men mutant hero who could hoof his way to a Tony award and tear bad guys to shreds with his adamantium claws in the same year!
So here’s to the best movie musicals of the decade, filtered, admittedly, through my own personal preferences. (For example: I wasn’t into Sondheim’s tracks, so no Sweeney Todd. Sorry.) We’ve got Broadway adaptations, musical biopics, and everything in between, save the rockumentary, which I’d place in the documentary category - and yes, I’ve dared to rank these ten musicals of the 2000s in order from good to great to greatest.
Filed under: Fandom, Johnny Depp, Lists, Best/Worst, Nicole Kidman
Continue reading The Best of the Decade: Musicals
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