Cabaret

Starring: Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Helmut Griem, Marisa Berenson, Joel Grey
Directed by: Bob Fosse
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama, Musical
1972

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: An American entertainer (Liza Minnelli) befriends an English writer (Michael York) in Germany, as the NAZI party rises to power around them.

Review:

Tim: I have to admit that I'm shocked Cabaret won 8 Academy Awards. I know that musicals aren't my favorite genre, but I've really come to appreciate them more. I've seen other musicals of this era that I really liked, so I know it's not a prejudice that tainted my opinion. I just felt like this was an average movie. It was decently entertaining, but I never felt any emotional connection to the characters, and I never felt really invested in anything that happened on screen. I understand some of the film's strengths, but as a whole, I feel like critics vastly overrated this movie's quality.

One of my biggest problems with the film is that I did not care about a single character in the film. I appreciate that these were complex, multi-dimensional characters, but I wanted someone to really like. That did not happen. Liza Minnelli plays the lead role of Sally Bowles. I actually believe Minnelli did a really, really good job. She is just bounding with energy, and it is contagious. She brought this energetic, foul-mouthed, hard-living character to life on screen. Her singing was incredible, and watching her leap and jump and move around the screen was probably the highlight of the film for me. She was excellent in the movie. Unfortunately, I did not care much about her character. She's a complicated character, to be sure, but the film didn't do enough to make me like her. I appreciate the scenes showing her issues with her father, but none of these went far enough. Still, Bowles is maybe the most sympathetic character in the film (which is part of the problem).

A lot of my issues likely come from Michael York. I just did not buy his performance at all. I understand playing the reserved Englishman, but I just found him dreadfully boring. He did show emotion well on occasion, but as a whole, his character was bland and forgettable (except for a shocking revelation later in the film). I never felt much chemistry between York and Minnelli, which really made their relationship hard for me to invest in. York might be a good actor, but he certainly did not demonstrate it here. Likewise, I have to admit I'm a bit perplexed with Joel Grey. He received a great deal of acclaim for his role as the Master of Ceremonies. Grey is certainly talented, and spent the vast majority of his screen time singing or dancing. The guy has talent, but I felt like his performance just went too over-the-top. Some of that is to be expected because of his showy role, but I lost interest in Grey because he was so in-your-face. It's likely that was intentional, but for me, it was a bit of a turn off.

I also had some issues with the story. It never felt personal enough for me. We have our two main characters, who get caught in a pretty controversial, illicit love triangle. That part of the film at least made me sit up, as did the eventual resolution of it. However, for most of the film, I was barely interested in the characters or their story. Bowles might be a sympathetic character, but her relentless focus on "making it big" at all costs was a bit damaging to me. York's character just bored me to death. The third wheel of their love triangle was sleazy beyond belief. I suppose I was intrigued by the subplot of the playboy trying to woo the rich girl, but they didn't get enough screen time. We have all these stories, but they don't add up to very much.

I really do appreciate the way the film handled the rise of the NAZI party. It makes for a fascinating backdrop, but I was impressed with how little it impacted the action on screen. This is a movie about characters and relationships, and it just happens to take place in Germany before WWII. The NAZIs are never the main focus of the story, and their rise happens almost in parallel to the events we spend most of our time watching. That tactic was very effective. We are reminded from time to time of the larger political events- we see the cabaret owner beaten by NAZIs, we hear a chilling performance of "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" (maybe the most powerful scene of the film), and the ending reminds us that the NAZIs are coming and Germany will never be the same. I really appreciate that these events happened in the shadows of the main story, but were never the primary focus. That was a very interesting way to approach it.

The songs themselves left a bit to be desired. Minnelli certainly has an incredible voice, and her solo songs were probably my favorite. Most of the music just didn't connect with me, however. I do appreciate the cinematography and choreography of these scenes- that's probably what led to many of this film's Academy Awards. It is interesting that all the film's songs take place in the Cabaret with only one or two exceptions- this is not the kind of musical where characters spontaneously break into song. That is one of the most influential aspects of the entire movie.

Here are the film's Academy Award wins. Joel Grey won for Best Supporting Actor. I personally didn't love his performance, but it was unique and unforgettable, so he likely deserved the win. Liza Minnelli won for Best Leading Actress, and her performance was definitely worthy. The movie also won Best Art/Set Direction, which isn't surprising; Best Cinematography, which is a little surprising, but I can see it; Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound (all deserving), and Best Director. This one surprises me a little. I know that it wasn't easy for Bob Fosse to pull this film together, but I have to believe there were better directorial efforts in 1972. This film was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture, and I'm glad it did not win either of those. Still, with 8 Academy Awards, this film is a must-see.

I really expected to like Cabaret more. I acknowledge that this was a challenging film to pull off, and I do marvel at the end result. However, it just didn't connect with me- the characters, the story, or the songs. I admit this is at least a decent film (it's certainly not terrible), but this will never be included as one of my favorite musicals.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



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