Hottoceame The Age of Commercialism

Develiker terrible... so disappointed.

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

leethomas-11621 Lots of talent behind and in front of the camera but it doesn't come across watching this uninvolving musical. Shirley gives her all but the director let her down. If I see another zoom, dissolve or freeze frame I 'll scream! During the Big Spender number, dancers were almost stationary throughout. Seemed like they were singing this wonderful number to an empty club. Where's the atmosphere? Thankfully, director Fosse went on to greater things, including Cabaret. Couldn't complete re-watching this movie. Rating based on seeing it at its release and on DVD a few years back.

SnoopyStyle Taxi dancer Charity Hope Valentine (Shirley MacLaine) tries to have hope despite being pushed into a lake by her boyfriend Charlie. She meets the Italian movie star Vittorio Vitale (Ricardo Montalban) but his volatile statuette girlfriend returns. Then she's stuck in an elevator with flustered Oscar Lindquist (John McMartin). She tries to keep her real life a secret from him.Shirley MacLaine is great and there are a couple of terrific songs like 'Big Spender' and 'If They Could See Me Now'. She is a really funny broad. This is Bob Fosse's movie directorial debut. He shows that he can stage performances. The pacing does drag a little here and there. MacLaine is always there to pick up the movie when that happens. There is an alternate happy ending filmed. The movie works either way and its fun to see both.

TheLittleSongbird Sweet Charity from a personal point of view wasn't a great film as such. The pace does ramble at times, John McMartin has moments where he is amusing but on the most part he's rather bland and the non-musical scenes are dull and gaudy. However it is a good film, a promising start in film for Bob Fosse and it didn't deserve to bomb the way it did. Some of the non-musical scenes do show signs of directorial inexperience, but in the musical numbers his direction does come to life and even very early on we see signs of his distinctive style. Even better is his choreography, it is full of energy and fun and was quite daring for its time, at its absolute best in There's Got to be Something Better Than This. The songs are justifiably famous, Hey Big Spender and Rhythm of Life are the biggest hits and are still iconic. If They Could See Me Now is also very well done. The production values are very colourful and vibrant too. The writing on the most part is sharp and sophisticated, if not quite as much as the stage show, while the somewhat bittersweet ending is very moving. The performances are fine. Shirley MacLaine gives a charming and energetic lead performance, allowing us to root for her character Charity later on by bringing some much needed subtlety in the latter parts of the film. Riccardo Montalban is very funny even when chewing the scenery, Paula Kelly and underseen Chita Rivera are electrifying and Sammy Davis Jnr absolutely mesmorises in the Rhythm of Life number. All in all, a good film that was undeserving of its bomb status but Bob Fosse did go on to better things. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Roedy Green I had not seen Sweet Charity since 1969. I remembered enjoying the movie, but I did not remember it that well. I recently saw it again on DVD. It is a incredible movie. Boy! can Shirley MacLaine sing, dance, AND act. She not only pulled my heartstrings, she yanked them. Bob Fosse does the choreography. It is more playful and less synchronised and whiplike than in Cabaret. Every dancer does something subtly different. It is like a three ring circus. The choreography is just so inventive. He tries things you never see anywhere else. Then Cy Coleman composed song after song after song that sent a surge of emotion when I heard the first few familiar bars. The music is so interesting, all kinds of polyphony, and interesting variations, not just mindless repetition. The movie has a sad theme, Charity looking desperately for a partner, and being so eager she takes the first man who comes along, and of course the relationship blows up in her face. I have certainly been there, though I had not the first time I saw the movie. Perhaps that's why Sweet Charity impressed me so much more the second time. Sammy Davis Jr. is a hoot as Big Daddy, worth the entire price of admission. It is shocking just how much love and effort they put into this film. It is so much better than I remembered it. Perhaps I have not seen anything like it in such a long time.