Richard Attenborough DID direct a musical once before (Oh What a Lovely War) and was thus considered 'qualified' to adapt this wonderful stage production for the screen, but he really wasn't. The only film maker who could really have done it justice was Bob Fosse, and he was busy with other projects. Revealing the grunge behind the glamor and the heartbreak behind the stage smiles was what Fosse did better than anybody, and that is what is crucially missing here. The movie lacks the necessary sharp eye for backstage details, and as a result the world of the Broadway stage presented here winds up lacking that elusive component of dream stuff that resonates in our minds when we think 'Show Biz'. The resulting film of A Chorus Line is more like watching a bunch of people interview for a job than watching hopefuls seeking to make their dreams come true. The staging looks okay and the songs are still okay but the sawdust and the glitter are missing. And somebody should have taken Attenborough aside and reminded him that 'What I Did For Love' is the show-stopper, and could he please make it memorable. It isn't. A great stage musical has been turned into a merely okay movie experience. Pity. 5.5/10...
