The Sound of Music

You! Yes, I saw! You were going to go “oh, that” and skip past. Don’t you dare!

Somewhat unfairly dogged by a reputation of being one of those films that’s always on TV in the background somewhere over Christmas, The Sound of Music is, in fact, quite possibly one of the greatest musicals ever put on the big screen. You might even hear me say it’s… one of My Favourite Things.

Clocking in at only 18 minutes short of Avatar 2, this is a surprisingly hefty production (belying its somewhat lightweight reputation) but, famously billed as The Happiest Sound In All The World, it doesn’t at all feel it. Julie Andrews is simply radiant as Maria and you’ll be humming Rodgers and Hammerstein’s immortal tunes long after you leave L3. It’s not all sunshine though – against a backdrop of simmering far-right tensions and, ultimately, the Anschluss, the Nazi escape sequence at the conclusion cuts the sweetness with a counterpoint of real, heartfelt peril.

So, do Something Good and come and see it in the splendour of 70mm (if you’ve not heard by now, we’re one of very few cinemas worldwide equipped for this – you don’t get that on Boxing Day BBC1!). I Have Confidence you won’t regret it.

(By the way, if you’re one of the people who thought Edelweiss was an actual Austrian folk song: nope – but that’s how convincing this film is).

Kieran Hall