Mark Miller

The excellent cast, clever, if somewhat unvaried, score, and exuberant dancing carry the movie over a middle section overloaded with misery and woe. The last part is a delight, with an unexpected payoff in love that conquers all (as usual). The film could have easily lost a half-hour in the middle, and shed some pointless angst and a couple of songs that didn't add up to much, but the good far outweighs the bad.