The Producers (Universal Pictures/Columbia Pictures) Sony
Starring Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman and Will Ferrel.
Directed by Susan Stroman

(mini-review)

The Producers is the latest in a string of musicals that were green lighted in the advent of Moulin Rouge and Chicago. When your leads are Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, you're probably expecting something a bit more funny and spectacular? Yes and no. While The Producers is definitely an enjoyable film, it's only because of its supporting cast. Uma Thurman's Ula, and Will Ferrel light up the screen and steal the thunder. Their performances are hilarious; it's disappointing they make up only a percentage of screen time. Lane and Broderick extremely overact, especially in their several scenes together.

Stroman's direction leaves a lot to be desired. Stroman fails to take advantage of the medium. Every shot is a straight shot, no angles. This makes the production look cheap and lazy. She only uses a few sets and rarely shoots in the streets of New York City.

However, the film is very enjoyable as it is quite crudely funny. With a better director, The Producers would have had a lot more success this award season. Those who have seen the actual musical maybe delighted, as most of the film is a musical, compared to the 1960s version, where only Springtime for Hitler was sung.


out of ten

Reviewed by Dino White

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