Gil Hates Everything

A short and sweet review, this one. The show description doesn’t sound very interesting, and from the soundtrack this doesn’t sound like it’s greatly special; it generated a few hits, including “If My Friends Could See Me Now”, “Big Spender” and “Rhythm Of Life”, but my pick from the soundtrack is “My Personal Property”. Warning: if you’ve heard the bouncy but clean choral version of “Rhythm Of Life”, this version is quiiiite different. Furthermore, I’ve seen clips from the movie, and that looks utterly bonkers. In particular, the average-to-nice very-60s instrumental “The Rich Man’s Frug” is turned by Fosse into an anatomy-straining classic which has been copied in recent years by Emma Bunton and Beyonce amongst others. Watch the cancer-tastic original here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llNcOIZ5PQQ

I’d be inclined to give this one a pass for its so-so music on account of Fosse’s presence; it seems to me that there aren’t many choreographers who make otherwise dull shows worth watching, and his involvement probably promises originality. Still, in terms of the actual songs here, this doesn’t sound thrilling, so Random Averaging Panda awards it six out of ten pieces of bamboo in a kind of mealy-mouthed compromise, although really it ought to be Songs At Most Four, Fosse Participation At Least Eight. But my heart isn’t really in it today. shrug

(originally posted 2009)