Dreamgirls

Screened overnite in Australia for critics and industry.

Ten minutes into director Bill Condon's adaptation of the hit musical, I whispered to my friend "There's no way the film can go at this pace for two hours!" Because up to that point, we had been utterly dazzled by breathtaking staging, impassioned performances and a display of film-making craftsmanship in all its forms (direction, editing, design) that had the packed audience stunned.

Well, two hours later, I'd been proved wrong. Condon has created a vivid, emotional spectacle that will dominate the 06/07 Oscar nominations. Dreamgirls is one of the five best movie musicals ever made.

There is really nothing new about the storyline - smalltown singers make it big and ride the roller-coaster of fame. But thats what works so well for the film - the great cinematic clichés are embraced and played to the hilt by a creative team, both behind and in front of the camera, that knows what makes a great Hollywood musical.

There's not one weak link in the cast. Condon's camera is in love with Beyonce Knowles and she handles the journey from the innocence of the groups early years to the staggering success and fortune of the group at its peak with surprising range. While most singer/actress attempts are failures (Madonna, Whitney, Britney, k.d. lang), Beyonce proves to have genuine talent.

Jamie Foxx centres and grounds the film in a less-flashy role but one that is crucial to the films credibility.

But there are two standouts. Eddie Murphy as fading star Early has never done better work. And Jennifer Hudson delivers an absolute tour-de-force performance in a role that sees her dominate every scene she is in. Her belting solo number was applauded by the audience (a rare enough occurrence during an industry screening but a moment that was repeated a few times thru the film). Hudson is a lock for the supporting actress Oscar, even this far from the ceremony.

Dreamgirls is a better movie in every way than recent award winning musicals Chicago and Moulin Rouge (both of which I am a huge fan). It is a film that tells a classic rags-to-riches story utilising great cinematic technique and bravado. 2006 has offered up some great movie-going experiences for me (Thank You For Smoking, Children Of Men, V For Vendetta, Little Miss Sunshine); for the sheer cinematic thrill it provides, however, Dreamgirls proves to be the best two hours I've spent in a cinema this year.

It's a crowd-pleaser all right, and I usually object to those. But I have to say, this member of the crowd was rather pleased with the film. It's nothing deep, I'll say right off the bat. It's no cinematic masterpiece that will be a beacon for films to come. What it is, however, is an absolute ball. It's the only film I think I've ever seen that really captures the experience of seeing a great musical in the theater. It's fun, it's rousing, and it just made me feel good. The music is outstanding and surprisingly comes off as stuff that might really have been recorded during the eras depicted, with maybe just the right tinge of Broadway to them. The vocal performances are just outstanding. Of course by now everyone knows the standout is Jennifer Hudson, who will be unstoppable at the Oscars this year. Her acting is quite good, but she'll win it for the singing. I would also be perfectly happy to see Eddie Murphy take home a statuette. He's excellent in both comedic and dramatic moments. Much of the rest of the cast is good, too, including Beyoncé Knowles and Anika Noni Rose. The story is of course based on that of the Supremes, and in that way, I felt a little Susan Alexander Kane / Marion Davies situation going on with Deena Jones / Diana Ross. While the Dreams are supposed to be only like the Supremes, the film kind of does imply that Ross was not an extremely talented singer, which is of course patently false. Anyway, small quibble. No, Dreamgirls is no masterpiece, but I like it about as much as I liked Chicago, probably a tad more, and I wouldn't be too ticked off if the Academy went with it for Best Picture. I do prefer it slightly to The Departed. I just don't think Scorsese's fourth best movie about organized crime should be crowned. Definitely recommended, as long as you know what you're getting into.

A dream date-movie, Dreamgirls offers to fulfil your fantasies and, if this is the type of movie you dream about, maybe it will.

A film version based on a stage musical's original book, Dreamgirls scales the octaves of anonymity to eminence for an African-American girl group amid 1960s racial turmoil.

Just looking at the publicity photos may have persuaded you that Dreamgirls is a sight for sore eyes. Lavish sets and costumes, fabulous choreography, and the lighting and razzamatazz associated with the best stage musicals, all exploding onto the big screen with a grandeur that can banish thoughts of anything else. Watch it as you melt into the arms of your lover. Two very powerful lead singers (Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson) to amaze you with their vocal ranges, and the sort of blockbuster publicity that makes going to see it almost an obligatory cultural event.

Dreamgirls is intense, emotion-laden eye-candy, but will it satisfy your every wish? Curtis Taylor Jr (Jamie Foxx) is a car salesman bursting to get into the music business as a forward-looking manager at a time when the industry is about to change. At a local talent show, he hears the Dreamettes - young, full of ability, but not getting the breaks. He gets them a deal as backing singers for James 'Thunder' Early. Thunder's blend of soul and rock 'n' roll is at its height, but times are a-changin' and soon the girls are re-launched as The Dreams - at the same time as Thunder's career fades. A few jealousies and heave-hoes later, and they rocket to success.

Dreamgirls relies on well-established techniques seen in MTV and director-writer Condon's earlier success, Chicago, to ratchet up emotional intensity. A song will start low key in an ordinary setting and modest musical backing, and then segue visually through more extravagant sets until it reaches an emotional climax with full orchestra and bright lights. At times it feels like watching a stage show. The devices are effective but formulaic to the point of being hackneyed. Many of the songs also feel like standard written-for-Broadway numbers, contorted lyrics being used to tell the story and the emotions that the players expect us to share.

The story has little substance beyond the songs (and the posturing that goes with them), but this matters little if you want to be entertained in a way that demands no long/deep attention span, or if you want to nip out for more popcorn, or even turn away for a canoodle until the volume tells you to come up for air. The inclusion of many set stage productions as the girl-group tours enables ample opportunity for show-stopping dance sequences, fabulous lighting and costumes to die for.

The film showcases two discoveries: one is that Eddie Murphy can work outside of comedy. The other is the remarkable talent of Jennifer Hudson (a competitor from the TV singing contest, American Idol) who demonstrates that she can stop you in your tracks as an actor as well as a singer.

But having Hudson and Beyonce together has its problems as well as benefits. Both are remarkable singing divas. This has some relevance to the story since there is a certain rivalry between their characters, but in a movie about a girl-band that is meant to evoke images of groups like the Supremes, they are vocally two divas too many. The large proportion of songs show off their incredible individual vocal talents - but as leads rather than as harmonies. At times, it is maybe like having two high-intensity Aretha Franklins advertising the Dolby-Digital sound dynamics rather than having Ronettes, Stylistics or Supremes soothe the eardrums. The film is about a girl group, yet focuses almost entirely on its two strongest singers. In the absence of a story with depth, characters with substance, or a worthier tribute to an era that had more originality than this big budget production, I longed for a gentle, all-girl ballad.

Dreamgirls contains all the talent that money can buy and more. It has more Academy nominations in its year than any other movie, but none of them in the major categories. So sad, but it lacks true greatness.

After all the nominations and wins, my wife and I finally saw this -- I love this era of soul music, so i was really excited about the music. For the most part the music was good...some overblown American Idol theatrics and shrieking instead of singing, but overall good. I was also excited to see the acting...and in the end I wasn't that impressed. Jennifer Hudson seems to be everyones favorite this year, but I didn't think she had to do to much acting...it was good to see a newcomer, so confident in a role -- but in regards to actual nominations, this is probably the last you'll see of her. Eddie Murphy was good in his very small role, I wish that he was given more dialog or more story...if he wins the Oscar, I guess it's the Academy giving him an award for the bulk of his work. But, Hudson clearly shouldn't win...I hope the Academy looks to the Babel nominees, who had to act, not make music videos with emotion! Costumes and make-up were great, Beyonce's role shadowed her real life...in the sense, beautiful woman, good in various forms, singing, dancing, acting...a great product. Not actual a standout in any of them. In the end OK movie, overrated....definitely.

I was excited about seeing Dreamgirls, especially after seeing the Oscar nods it got. But I still wasn't too sure about Jennifer Hudson's win, after all, before I saw this film, I saw Babel, and the Hispanic actress who was nominated I felt totally deserved the award. But how can you judge before seeing what Jennifer Hudson's raved about performance was all about. Now I have to start off with that actually this was a good film, but you know what? It was average, nothing thrilling or original came out of it. It's your typical rise and fall story that had nothing special or had no spark. Jennifer's performance was good for a first time, but I still wasn't too thrown over it. The story is just so abused and too used by so many writers.

Curtis is looking for a backup group for his famous singer, James Early. He finds the Dreamettes, three beautiful and strong black women, he also becomes involved with one of them. Slowly they rise to the top, but Effie, the girl is involved with is not exactly "thin" or that "appealing" to a younger crowd, so with her girlfriends in the group, her brother, and her new boyfriend, Curtis, they vote her out of the group and the Dreamettes become huge, but the joke is on Curtis when Effie gets a second chance.

The performances were the key that got raved about most in the film, now I have to say that they were good, but honestly, it was nothing beyond good. I don't have anything against Jennifer Hudson, but I am very upset with all the publicity she is getting now for one film and an Oscar that I believe doesn't belong to her, but I know there are some that wouldn't agree with me. Eddie didn't thrill me either, I've actually seen him in better, but I have to admit the only performance I was actually, and surprisingly, impressed with was Beyonce Knowles, she has come a long way. So, I'm not sure if I would recommend this film, if you wanna watch it, go ahead, but don't expect too much.

6/10