Annie

Annie

Fun is the abstract of Annie. There is movement and color, dance and music, sound and fury in general. All kinds of problems have it in particular, so I think that the only way to enjoy the movie is to ignore the particulars completely. A few other details will be nevertheless cited by me.

One is the story itself how a billionaire who wants a Rent-An-Orphan for Christmas saves Little Orphan Annie from a cruel orphanage. It’s supposed to be a universal tale. For example, critics wrote that cheering for Annie as she faces cold world with pluck and courage can not be helped. However, although she seemed not to require any encouragement (she being played by feisty young Aileen Quinn), so I did not find myself doing much cheering; she’s one of those children who make adults run for their lives.

Also questionable are adventures into which she gets herself involved. “Please, sir, more food?” asked little hero of “Oliver!” not most realistic musical ever made but still something resembling truth there somewhere. “Annie,” however, has taken dip down below surface level: now we’re swimming laps through outer space! In a senseless sort of musical boosterism that may play big at Broadway theater parties but always comes off on screen as pure contrivance it was plunged by them into full-blown fantasy mode switcheroo this one doesn’t appear to be about anything really at all.

What I mean is: there are plenty subjects contained within its runtime (cruel orphanages during Great Depression among others) but they don’t actually constitute what movie should necessarily be considered as being focused around; heartless billionaires scheming conmen President Franklin Delano Roosevelt etcetera ad infinitum ad nauseam nor even whether girl called Annie will live or die during her interactions with them seeing how everything here has been pretty neatly predestined from start till finish what we have got instead is another one of those machine-made books where you can’t help but amaze everyone by walking out halfway through still knowing how things are going to turn out.

Nevertheless, I kind of liked it. The energy that was on display up there well, let’s just say that the word “sumptuous” doesn’t even begin to cover what we saw during some numbers! Good humor also came into play for a few performances: Albert Finney’s Daddy Warbucks and Carol Burnett’s wicked orphanage supervisor Miss Hannigan stand out in particular. Also Aileen Quinn grew on me after a while.

I wouldn’t exactly call her a child actor at least not the type who would convince you she’s anything other than an over trained puppet like Ricky Schroeder but with more talent than he’ll ever have; this isn’t flesh-and-blood kid performance à la Henry Thomas in “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.” But Quinn has got skills, does fair amount singing and dancing plus seems like someone whose acting days will soon be behind her as soon as she becomes student body president anywhere within vicinity!

If there is a midpoint to this film, it will be found in Albert Finney. His is a thankless role: He must play Daddy Warbucks as a self-centered, smug rich man who has everything except love and who learns to love through the example of a little girl. It’s the kind of part actors die to but not to play. Albert Finney has true grit. He has been through this personality change twice; he starred in “Scrooge” back in 1970.

This time, even more astonishingly, he pulls it off by underplaying it. He isn’t too aloof at the beginning and too softhearted at the end; he does have some detachment with Annie though she may win his heart she’ll still have to telephone for an appointment. Will children like this movie? I don’t know. When I was young, I didn’t like movies about other kids much maybe because I was envious (why can’t that kid ride a horse in the Derby?).

The film was advertised as family entertainment, but was it really even on stage? A family musical? I dunno. It seemed more like a showbiz product to me a slick blend of nostalgia, hard-sell sentimentality, small children and cute dogs. That’s what the movie is again. It’s like some dumb toy that doesn’t do anything or go anywhere but is fun to see spin around and around while making its idiotic noise.

Watch Annie For Free On Gomovies.