I keep quoting Sondheim in my reviews and my writing of recent, for obvious reasons. Even in my Christmas cards. Well a very specific lyric came to mind when I concluded watching Tick, Tick... Boom. I’m not a fan of Lin Manuel Miranda’s output up until this point especially, although I of course share in his deep love of Broadway, and specifically Mr Sondheim. Nor am I especially a fan of Jonathon Larson’s music, chiefly the fact that I can’t stand Rent, I’m afraid. So heading into Tick, Tick... Boom, Miranda’s directorial debut presentation of Larson’s rock monologue, I was trepedacious and frankly un-excited. So after watching it one Merrily We Roll Along lyric sticks – “I saw My Fair Lady. I sort of enjoyed it”. The shame of the musical fan who has to admit that they liked the commercial fare that they were completely hesitant about. Well... I saw Tick, Tick... Boom. And, I sort of enjoyed it.
The sort of biopic where we spend time with a creative type as they struggle to make their masterpiece has grown to be the sort of film that I actually dislike quite a bit, maybe it’s my own personal undoubted relationship to what I’m seeing on screen, whether it be the truth or lack thereof the feature. However in a matter of complete personal bias when these creative types are creating work I am invested in, these films do work better for me. That being said I have already discussed how I’m not entirely a fan of any of the chief factors in the film. So why did this film work for me? Well for a start the passion of Miranda and the chief figure of Larson is naturally infectious, that paired with the fact that the film is fundamentally at its core an ode to all the power and beauty and history of a medium I greatly admire and aspire to be a part of does help. The film is overflowing with small touches and cameos and real life figures of musical theatre past that do make its goal; all the more clear, that being to place a somewhat unsung figure in the ranks of the more celebrated. Miranda and the films writer Steven Levenson present Larson as a complex figure and don’t shy away from any of the man’s worst traits, specifically in the presentation of his deeply neglected relationship to his girlfriend Susan. However overall the film just feels overstuffed. In almost every scene Levenson is returning us, sometimes cringey and sometimes effectively, to the writing process, attempting to draw back the curtain on an all so secretive and unknowable activity. With Miranda too constantly feeling the need to make every single frame be filled with a different visual technique. Yes, every musical number feels different, but this also sacrifices a simpler and more direct and cohesive overall tone. It’s a very solid debut from Miranda and all his heart and passion is visible, but it does just feel like a first-time director putting absolutely everything out there to prove that they can do many different things, rather than focussing up and ‘perfecting’ one angle of presentation. This also feels like an over investment in Miranda justifying this adaptation from one medium to another.
Performance wise, everybody is very solid, in both their acting and their singing. The film really does owe its entire quality almost to Andrew Garfield however, for Larson as a central figure is one that bounces with joy and creativity at absolutely every turn and Garfield presents this very well whilst also underpinning with great truth. As a film that chronicles the creative process, it is melodramatic but frequently sincere also. Garfield propels the film as it goes on and manages to convey a great depth of emotion in this rather single minded individual. His plights are deeply self-interested ambitions do lead to great ignorance, however Garfield manages to make this at times deeply unlikable individual quite the opposite. Overall beyond Garfield the performances are at their best when they are served by the script, whereas other characters do fall behind due to a lack of clarity within the screenplay itself. The character of Susan for instance played by Alexandra Shipp, falls between two stools for me. At times the film is attempting to deconstruct the way she was undeveloped by Larson in the original text, whilst also however not exactly delivering a wholly nuanced portrayal of the character themselves. Overall the film misses chiefly a clarity in its presentation, not just in the presentation of Susan, but in the entire film as a matter of fact.
Both a loving memoriam to a musical theatre icon and an ode to the power of Broadway itself, Tick, Tick... Boom is a 7/10 musical theatre (specifically Sondheim) collage of influences, homage’s and tributes, all told moderately effectively through the tale of a talent cut short. Miranda is certainly putting as much as he can visually into this film and a lot of the time it feels overstuffed with ideas, many of which don’t work. However time and time again this frantic visual veracity paints the hectic life of a creative genius like the best of the films so in it’s ilk, because this is certainly not an original piece – the clichés of the toiling creative genius feature do grow stale even here – but albeit not original, the film does work all the same. I also feel strongly that an overall indulgence perhaps however of this Broadway adoration will weigh the film down for viewers who don’t cling to every single cameo appearance as I so did. Also as with all things that depend on homage and influence, it just makes one long to stop watching what they are currently viewing and return to their Sondheim pro-shots and bootlegs and albums.
P.S. I seriously do not need another musical number orchestrated by the rhythmic slaps of hands and furniture, until eventually a melody occurs. Just a little overdone for me at this stage.
P.P.S And the rap video song was absolutely atrocious. Big blowout on that one I’m afraid gents.
- - Thomas Carruthers
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