Hamilton 2020: a Review

*practices cool stance in front of mirror*

This film was way too epic to not review. ;)

I saw this film last month, so I'm going to be racking my brain on some of the finer details here, but I do remember certain things that stood out to me!

So, I will start by saying I knew the soundtrack, but didn't know it like the back of my hand (like, say for example, Les Miserables ;)). I also don't know my early American history in full detail, nor am I a huge fan of rap music. 

But I thoroughly enjoyed it! 

For days afterwards, my mind was still turning over all the great ideas, punchlines and creative genius that Hamilton was overflowing with. (I even wrote down ideas for my own plays. That's when I know it was a good musical - the overflow of inspiration. ;)) 

So instead of going the direction my brain would normally go, I'm going to categorize this to make the review a little less disjointed.

AWWWW

THE GENIUS OF LIN-MANUAL MIRANDA

Okay, so can we just appreciate how much work Lin-Manuel put into this? He wrote the whole thing AND took the lead role (naturally). The witty lines, the punchy jokes, the well-crafted dialogue... I just appreciated everything. It was one of those musicals where there was so much DEPTH and DETAIL that I could tell he put so much work and heart and effort into it. I could watch and listen to it a dozen times and still be picking up on new things hidden beneath. It is a true gem.

THE CHARACTERS

This is where I'm going to do a quick lil' shout-out to some of my favourite character portrayals in this film. 

Alexander Hamilton - Well, obviously. His drive, his determination, his wits, the speed of his brain... he was very moving to watch. He made me want to fight for what I believed to be right, and know where I stand. Watching him, I felt an urge to value true boldness and strength, because it can move people to do such incredible things. I thought Lin really brought the fierceness to this character in a great way, while showing the softer side at times.

Angelica Schuyler - Wow wow wow this girl is FIRE! I loved how Angelica was not going to be content with anything less than what she thought was right. Her sass, her strength, her loyalty, her love for her sister... this woman was incredible, and "Satisfied" is definitely one of my favourite songs from this show. Renee BROUGHT IT.

The sass pose

Eliza Hamilton - I almost want to cry whenever I think of her. Phillipa brought so much emotion to this character, and I was drawn to her throughout the entire story. While I love "Helpless" and "Burn", her other songs like "That Would Be Enough" and "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" moved me even more. The strength and grace of this woman was so inspirational... I actually think I admire Eliza just as much if not more than Hamilton himself. What would he have been without her?

Aaron Burr - Yikes, Leslie was so INTENSE in this role! I loved it! I could rarely take my eyes off of him, he held the stage so well. And "Wait for It" was pretty epic!

Marquis de Lafayette - guys, I have no words. Pretty sure this guy was THE MOST FUN out of everyone!

 

He's so bouncy, haha

He was basically the life of the party! Daveed was absolutely hilarious with his timing, his expression, and his performance, and I couldn't get enough of his time onstage. Also, that guy can rap faster than I've ever heard before. :O

King George - Cause how can you not mention this guy. ;) He was so creepily fantastic and disgusting and annoying and I can't imagine anyone else playing him. (But the spittle thing though? I didn't really need that. :P) Jonathon Groff looked like he had a lot of fun with that role. I even liked the way the show started, with his voicing overhead. So good!

I'm trying REALLY hard to not let this ruin Kristoff

I wish I could go on and talk about John Laurens and George Washington and Peggy etc, but for the sake of time, let me just say that I genuinely admired the whole cast and would probably watch a movie or musical just for the sake of any of them. ;)

THE MUSIC

This musical was long... very long. And what's more, the music was actually fast. I heard that if the music was sung at the average speed of musicals, it would take 6-7 hours. That's how FAST they rap! I must admit that sometimes I wished they could slow down a little, but c'mon, "Guns and Ships" is just so much fun I don't really care that I have no idea what they're saying! xD My particular favourites from this film would be "Alexander Hamilton" (how EPICCC! "We, fought with him. Me, I died for him. Me, I trusted him. Me, I loved him. And me, I was the damn fool that shot him."), "The Schuyler Sisters" (the sass! Somebody cool 'em down!), "That Would Be Enough" (so sweet :')), "Guns and Ships" (because, hello, LAFAYETTE!), "History Has Its Eyes on You" (so haunting!), "Dear Theodosia" (aww, so precious <3)... and I could go on!

I want an epic coat like that, please

THE CHOREOGRAPHY

Okay guys, this needs a shout-out! The choreographer, Andy Blankenbuehler, also did Bandstand, and his detail and intention behind every little thing is insane. The choreography may not have been happy little tap dance breaks like I am a huge sucker for, but it added a completely different layer to the story and made it even more moving. I watched a couple videos about the detailing of this film, and it was mind-blowing. Did you know that they made the rolling, spinning part of the stage to move anti-clockwise, signifying time was passing? Or how Burr often moves in straight lines on stage to symbolize how he thought and acted, whereas Hamilton moved in circular, wide angles to symbolize his open mind and actions. It was just so clever!

He be flying!

THE ENDING

This was by far my favourite part of the film. The way Lin used the duals to level up the climax, and the timing of everything... it was wonderfully done. I loved seeing "what happens after" and everything Eliza did after the death of her husband. Eliza's lines were truly so powerful, and I was almost in tears during the last part.

"I stop wasting time on tears, 

I live another 50 years, 

It's not enough"

"I ask myself, what would you do if you had more time

The Lord, in his kindness

He gives me what you wanted

He gives me more time"

"And when my time is up

Have I done enough?"

Overall, this film was very long, and I will admit I felt as though there was an insane amount of detail (I sometimes thought "do we really need ALL of these songs??") but because of that, it gave them the ability to take the story deeper. You got to see a lot of people's motivations, desires, and struggles during this story, and it made so much more of an impact. They handle some serious issues and topics in this musical with care, and I appreciated that. I also loved how the cast was very inclusive of race and culture, and broke away from a lot of stereotypes. 

This musical was full of sass, honesty, integrity, sacrifice, love, determination, forgiveness, loyalty, and purpose. It was overflowing with creative ideas, catchy music, and strong stances. It does have some mature themes, and I would not recommend it for younger viewers, but for anyone who loves a good musical, appreciates closer, in-depth looks at history, or strong, complex stories, I would definitely recommend giving it a go!

The genius of that brain

And now I really want to watch it again. ;)

I would love to hear your thoughts on Hamilton! I am fully prepared to discuss this with you in the comment section below! ;)