‘Stand!’ Review: Canadian Musical Treatment of the Winnipeg General Strike Has Sincerity in Spades

After “Hamilton” made an earwormy global phenomenon from the life story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton, no chapter of history can be declared too dour for spangly, heart-on-sleeve musical treatment — though the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 is still a pretty unlikely candidate. The stage roots of “Stand!” go back further than Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway smash: It’s been 15 years since it first hit Canadian stages under the title “Strike!,” and the eventual film adaptation has the air of a patient, resourceful labor of love, while also showing why the material wasn’t more immediately rushed before cameras. Earnest and plainly felt, this grafting of a cross-cultural romance onto the story of a critical turning point in Canadian workers’ rights doesn’t want for incident and emotional commitment, but Robert Adetuyi’s film does fall a little short on showmanship.

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