SING
US, 2016, 108 minutes, Colour.
Matthew Mc Conaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth Mc Farlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Jennifer Saunders, Jennifer Hudson, Garth Jennings, Nick Offerman, Rhea Perlman, Laraine Newman, Peter Serafinowicz, Leslie Jones, Nick Kroll..
Directed by Garth Edwards.
Here is a cheerful show, something for the children with all the animals, something for the adults with the memories of “the show must go on� movies of the past.
The film was written and directed by Garth Jennings (Son of Rambow), who also voices the intriguing character of the secretary, Miss Crawley, very effectively and supplying other voices.
The setting is an American city, familiar to Americans and to moviegoers, a touch of San Francisco. However, it is populated by animals, no humans in sight, the animals going about their daily business, an enormous range of animals: baboons as criminals, rhinoceroses as police… This, in itself, is entertaining, a bright city, brightly coloured characters, everything sunny.
But not quite for the central character, Buster Moon, voiced with extreme energy by Matthew Mc Conaughey, and, of all things, a koala with no Australian explanation, obviously an expatriate who has absorbed American culture! He plays a failed entrepreneur, is trying to live up to his father’s reputation, the banks ready to take over his theatre, getting the brainwave to put on a singing competition – but Miss Crawley puts extra zeros inadvertently on the publicity, a prize of $100,000 – and crowds wanting to audition.
The selection that Moon makes is rather puzzling, their talent not immediately perceived by the audience. What is important is their performances, their self-confidence or lack of it, rehearsals, Moon encouraging them, their eventually succeeding – and, of course, despite the young elephant stomping around the stage and bringing the house down (literally), the final rock concert draws the crowds and is a huge success!
A great deal of the enjoyment is looking at the particular animals and listening to the star voices: Rosita, a pig with an extra large family, a talent for dancing, Reese Witherspoon; a mouse who is exceedingly vein, a gambler, but singing very well, Seth Mc Farlane; a British baboon whose father is a robber forcing his son to be a getaway driver, with a talent for piano and singing, Taron Egerton; Gunter, a self-confident dancing pig, Nick Kroll; a hedgehog, teenage, who composes her own songs, Scarlett Johansson; Meena, an extraordinarily shy young elephant, Tori Kelly.
John C Reilly is a sheep, Moon’s best friend, and Jennifer Saunders is the former diva grandmother, a performance which, of course, is absolutely fabulous.
So, what’s not to enjoy!
1. An entertaining animation film? Design, situations, characters, comedy, song?
2. The show must go on tradition? Despite disasters? And the show succeeds?
3. A world familiar to humans peopled only with animals? The wide range of animals? The population of the city? Going about their business? Families? Show business? Ambitions and dreams? Folks and robberies? Police and helicopters? Demolition and rebuilding?
4. The focus on Buster Moon? An American koala! Matthew Mc Conaughey’s voice, intonations, his father and his memories and achievement, trying to measure up to his father, the theatre, the failures, the bank wanting to take over, his work with his secretary, Miss Crawley, the idea of the competition? Miss Crawley and the extra zeros? The notices throughout the city, everybody wanting to audition, the auditions and selection? His friendship with Ed? With Ed’s grandmother? Going to see her to get backing, her rejection? His relationship with the various candidates, encouraging them? Performance, rehearsals?
5. Miss Crawley, the director voicing her, the comedy, her look, her disappearing eye? The mistakes in the office, the extra zeros on the notice? The various accidents? Yet her continued support of Moon?
6. Eddie, the sheep, friend, with money, the meetings with Moon, diffident, going to see his Nana, helping with the rebuilding, taking on the work of stage manager, successes and failures? A good friend?
7. Nana, seeing her in the past at the theatre, her achievement? Old age, her haughty manner, Jennifer Saunders’ voice? Her grandson, criticising him, seeing through Moon? Her refusal of patronage? The decision to go, in the box, the collapse of the theatre? Her change of heart, her memories of the theatre?
8. Ash, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, her partner in performance, playing, singing? His dumping her for another hedgehog? Her being upset, creating her song, Moon appreciating it, her performance, the spikes going out on everybody – including Judith, the bank representative, trying to take over? The teenage audience and response? Her boyfriend seeing it, the new girlfriend despising her and walking out?
9. Mike, the mouse, Seth Mc Farlane’s voice, vanity, able to sing? Looking down (up) on the others? His gambling, cheating? His girlfriend on the phone and his hanging up? The pursuit by the Eastern European Bears? His escape, hiding, the challenge to return, vanity, performance, applause? The Bears in pursuit, his girlfriend picking him up?
10. Rosita, the huge family of pigs, her absent-minded husband? Her singing and dancing? Reese Witherspoon’s voice? Going to the audition, with Gunter, meeting the pages to remember her moves? Her diffidence, the family? Dancing in the supermarket, the applause, her confidence? The final performance with Gunter, the whole family coming to see, the husband bewildered, the glamorous singing and dancing, his finally kissing her?
11. Moon and his schemes for the betterment of the theatre, stealing the water, despite Meena’s caution, going to the aquarium, the special effects with the luminous creatures – and the vast disaster with the water surging over everything and everyone?
12. Meena, the shy elephant, her family and encouragement, always in the background, working in stage management? Moon encouraging her? The philosophy of performance and self-confidence? Moon hearing her singing? The performance, confidence, stomping, and causing the theatre to fall down? Her final performance, the grand finale?
13. Gunter, Germanic, self-confident, dancing, with Rosita, achievement?
14. The joke about the Japanese little girls and their wanting to audition, Moon finally speaking, his Japanese and their slapping his face?
15. Johnny, British, the family gang, the robberies, Johnny and the getaway car? The audition? Singing, playing the piano, Miss Crawley coaching him? His father’s reliance on him, the getaway car in 37 minutes, going to the rehearsal, hurrying back, the traffic jam? The gang imprisoned? The father disowning his son, rejecting Johnny as he visited him in prison – and the show on television, his father hearing him, proud, escaping from jail, racing through the city, the helicopters in pursuit, embracing his son and affirming him?
16. Nana and her support, the speeded up camera work for the rebuilding of the open-air theatre?
17. The television, the compere, ridiculing Moon – but enjoying the show? More and more animals turning up, the rock concert atmosphere, the range of the increasing audience?
18. Sing 2 a probability?
