Fosse/Verdon (2019)

In 1955, the dancer and choreographer Bob Fosse (Sam Rockwell) meets the dancer Gwen Verdon (Michelle Williams) when they work together in the musical DAMN YANKEES. What follows is a turbulent relationship including a 27 year marriage and while they separate, they never divorce and remain attached to each other until his death. Based on the book FOSSE by Sam Wasson and directed by Thomas Kail, Adam Bernstein, Jessica Yu and Minkie Spiro over an eight hour running time. The mini series length relieves the production from cramming 32 years including the years prior to their meeting into a two hour time slot. But it still suffers from the routine recurrences inherent in the filmed biography genre despite its good intentions and the talent involved. What elevates it are the two lead performances of Rockwell and especially Williams which are awesome in their commitment to their characters. They're both absolutely riveting. Still, when you cast non dancers as two of the greatest dancers in Broadway and film history, there's a problem. Since Rockwell and Williams are not dancers, scenes of them dancing are extremely limited and even then, their shortcomings are obvious. Rockwell doesn't carry himself like a dancer and when he "dances", he's quite awkward. Williams as Verdon fares better but they only give her light dancing that doesn't tax her abilities. With Margaret Qualley as Ann Reinking, Norbert Leo Butz as Paddy Chayefsky, Lin Manuel Miranda as Roy Scheider, Paul Reiser as Cy Feuer, Susan Misner as Joan McCracken and Bianca Marroquin as Chita Rivera.