Hamilton

 

Hamilton

By Joanna Langfield

Lin Manuel Miranda’s brilliant musical, with this intimate and often thrilling film presentation, bows again as the gift that keeps on giving. Not only is this stunning biography now more accessible, it resonates in some surprising new ways.

Those of us who have already seen the show and/or listened to the cast recording so often it is now a part of our DNA (tmi? Sorry.) have already been dazzled by the concept and consistently revealing lyrical creation. This look at one of the lesser known American founding fathers is told with a fearless mix of just about every type of style, musical and theatrical, imaginable. The story is of a man, of a time, yet it is timeless, made even more haunting and relatable thanks to that urgent, creative fusion.

When Hamilton first took to the New York stage, the world was in a different place. Lines like “Immigrants: we get the job done” were greeted with warm, knowing applause. Now, it’s lyrics such as “the world turned upside down” and “how lucky we are to be alive right now” that drew me to astonished tears.

Thomas Kell directs the film of his stage creation with respect and just a teeny bit of cinematic flair. Often, we see the show as if we are sitting in the best seats in the house. Once in a while, we get an overhead shot or side view, mostly to give us a better peek at some terrific choreography. But, with his use of close ups, Kell reveals even more from some great actors, including Renee Elise Goldsberry, Leslie Odom, Jr, Christopher Jackson and especially Jonathan Groff and Phillipa Soo. He also knows to just let the camera roll on the great Daveed Diggs, a special effect all on his own.

Watching this Hamilton made me more excited than I have felt about anything in the past several months. Thank you.