11 EXHILARATING Scenes From Average Movies
7. The Greatest Showman - The Bar Scene
The Greatest Showman's tone-deaf retelling of the controversial circus-leader Barnum is almost saved by its incredible soundtrack. Almost.
It's a little jarring that the happy, jolly tunes accompany the con-man who mistreated animals and performers alike. But even then, the film's plot is awkwardly paced and inexplicably keeps its focus away from the circus performers, rather focussing on Barnum, his family, and Zac Efron's playwright Phillip Carlyle.
Yet the bar scene is a wonderfully choreographed back-and-forth between Barnum and Carlyle as Barnum tries to convince the playwright to join his circus. The stakes and subtext are clearly stated as both actors chug back shot after shot with mesmerising speed. The bartender is the scene's unsung hero, who supplies the two with an abundance of shots, chairs, and spill wipes.
All in all, it's an enthralling performance that blows most of the other dance routines out the water. I mean, has anyone worked out the physics of Zendaya's and Efron's rope dance yet?