Day 110: The Producers

I want to be a producer!
It’s a simple plan. Take money form private investors telling them you are are producing a hit theatre production, promising a share of the profits. But, if you try to make a complete flop – and succeed – then as there are no profits you have no returns to give back to the investors.
so – if you aren’t planning for any profit you can oversell!
Promising dramatic proportions of the profits to everyone Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane) and Leo Bloom (Matthew Broderick) attempt an audacious and very public con. As long as they choose the worst muscial or play, the worst designers and the worst cast and don’t invest the majority of the collected money into the resultant production – they will be rich.

Remakes are usually dodgy territory. But here I think they get away with it.
It’s all a bit over the top and perhaps a touch camp but is just the great and simple charm of the musical.
Both Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane throw themselves 100% into their roles and provide lovely if insane characters for us to enjoy.
The musical numbers are just hummable for days, dance numbers are well produced and flow well.
This is though a comedy at heart and there were bring in the supporting cast. Uma Thurman‘s Ulla is innocently seductive. Will Ferrell‘s Franz is utterly bonkers.
The final “production” put on by “Bialystock & Bloom” is so outlandish it is has become legend itself. The musical within a musical allows the whole show to get seriously weird but the audience are protect from offence by the double encapsulation. Mostly.
I’m going to have to watch the original now to see which I prefer…
Music, dance, comedy – this is a rare treat. Possibly more a guilty pleasure than a great movie. None-the-less, Mr Mel Brooks, take a bow.

Things to look out for: white washed room, “Eleven“, Hold me – Touch me, “I want to be a producer“, Bialystock’s investor “army”, “Adolf Elizabeth Hitler”, loads of memorable songs, “Sombody else’s life is flashing before my eyes“, Ulla’s sexy “When you got it, flaunt it” audition, dancing accountants, “Where did we go right?”
Released: 2005
Certificate: 12
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Will Ferrell, Uma Thurman
Rating: weirdly enjoyable farcical musical, recommended
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