Second Best film of the year, and only the second film this year I would give an "A+" to.

I said this in the Oscar section...

People freakin' cheered at the end of Hudson's song.
They clapped at the end of Beyonce's "Listen" song.
They clapped at the end of the movie.
75% of the audience stuck around through the titles (the titles are at the end of the movie... like Chicago) to cheer Hudson yet again.

And it was a mostly white audience!!!

Everybody in the movie is great, but the whole thing is electric. This is the only musical of recent memory to actually have *great songs* (not counting Moulin Rouge... it was different).

Oh man, oh man, oh man.

And the movie has some good laughs in it. Everybody lost it when the the "Cadallac" song was being covered

Unlike Chicago, it's not cold and filled with horrible people. Dreamgirls is full of ... well... at least mostly people you want to see make it through the film.

One thing that people should know is... the film is very much an ensemble piece. It's not Beyonce and Jamie Foxx the entire time. In fact, Hudson has a ton of screentime.

I never understood why they just listed Foxx, Beyonce and Murphy. I think going with the ensemble cast list would be much more effective. Anyways, that's some great news and I can't wait to see it... By the way, what was your other favorite of the year, if you don't mind me asking?

United 93.

Lecter is right... U93 is my favorite.

One of the things I laughed about in the movie was the placement of Foxx, Beyonce, Murphy as stars when the movie itself was saying that basically Beyonce's character Deena is the "face" because she's pretty/thin and appeals to soul-fearing white people, while Effie (Hudson's character) is really the soul of the group and has a voice from the heavens. It's kind of a daring role for Beyonce in a few ways, especially when Foxx's character Curtis basically tells her that the reason to her face...

...and it speaks volumes about Beyonce's real life career vs. the raw talent of Hudson.

I'm positive that a lot of people won't like this movie. Anybody who thinks Aretha Franklin is too over the top is not going to love the aim of this film, but if you allow yourself to kind of sink into the music of the Motown-esque songs, it's quite a ride.

There is soooooo much music in this freakin' movie.

I am absolutely dying to see Dreamgirls

I think I'm seeing it on Wed or Thurs

Wonderful film! Across-the-board terrific acting (with the revelatory Jennifer Hudson being the standout) and powerful music. See this movie! A.

"Dreamgirls" is a dream come true
Adaptation of the Broadway musical is a smash success



Film adaptations of successful Broadway musicals have been met with mixed reception over the past few years. The 2002 smash Chicago was one of the most critically acclaimed and financially successful films of the year, eventually walking away with the coveted Best Picture trophy at the Academy Awards. However, the versions of successful stage shows The Phantom Of The Opera, Rent and The Producers that followed were met with very different public response. Each one of these films was a financial disappointment and also faced rather harsh reviews as well. This year's stage-to-screen adaptation, a version of the hit musical Dreamgirls, has a lot of expectations to live up to. Written and directed by Bill Condon, who previously penned Chicago as well, it has been touted as the Oscar frontrunner for many months leading up to its release. The result is a film that is not only a sensational crowd pleaser, but also an emotional and powerful blast of energy that is sure to capture the hearts of viewers everywhere.

The relatively simple story, which is partially based on the rise of the '70s girl group The Supremes, begins at a local talent show. The audience is quickly introduced to our three female protagonists, members of the all-girl group The Dreamettes. Effie White (Jennifer Hudson) is the lead singer, with Deena Jones (Beyonce Knowles) and Lorell Robinson (Anika Noni Rose) singing backup vocals. While performing at the competition, they catch the eye of local car dealer and talent scout Curtis Taylor (Jamie Foxx) - who is looking for a group that will take him to the top of the charts. Beginning their professional careers as backup singers for R&B superstar Jimmy Early (Eddie Murphy), they soon become successful enough to warrant their own show - with some major changes. Renamed the more age-appropriate The Dreams, Deena is made the lead singer of the group while diva powerhouse Effie is pushed to the background. The film continues to chronicle the rise and fall of the group over a span of ten years - how they spread apart and eventually reunite once again. It is above all a story about friendship and loyalty - and staying true to those who mean the most to you.

Best known for his Oscar winning portrayl of Ray Charles in 2004's Ray, Jamie Foxx is without a doubt an incredibly talented musician. He is a skilled R&B singer and is able to handle the musical portion of the film with complete ease. Performance-wise, he is also quite good - making his character's transition from ambitious young man to greedy media mogul quite believable. It isn't his best work ever and pales in comparison to some of the other work done by this ensemble, but he certainly isn't wasted and does quite a good job here. Beyonce Knowles gives the best performance of her career so far and proves that she actually has quite a bit of acting talent as well. This should gain her respect in the film community after forgettable turns in such hits as The Pink Panther and Austin Powers In Goldmember. Her character is quite likable and easy to relate to - and she actually gives it quite a bit of depth and emotion in the film's second act. Her solo musical number - the ballad "Listen" - is one of the film's highlights. Eddie Murphy is fantastic as Jimmy Early, delivering one of the year's best male supporting performances. Providing much of the comic relief for the first portion of the film, Murphy also allows the viewer to see this character's eventual tragic downfall - making it feel incredibly believable and realistic. He also exhibits strong singing talent and will surprise most viewers used to seeing him in nothing but broad comedy routines. Anika Noni Rose is quite charming as Lorrell and although she has the least to do of the three main Dreamgirls she makes the most of her role and gives it a lot of energy. Danny Glover and Keith Robinson are decent in small but critical roles.

The real showstopper of Dreamgirls, however, is none other than Jennifer Hudson. After being eliminated early on in the third season of television's "American Idol," it is hard to believe we are witnessing the birth of a new superstar just a few short years later. Although billed as a supporting character, Hudson is clearly the lead in Dreamgirls, the real heart and soul of the project as well. She gives the role of Effie White an incredible amount of power and raw emotion, with the right amount of sassy energy, stubborness and poignant tenderness. It is hard not to fall in love with her character and become captivated with her story as she is thrown out of the limelight and forced to work her way back up again. Not to mention that she has an absolutely phenomenal singing voice. Hudson's numbers in Dreamgirls are easily the best - showing her incredible range and powerful force as well. The most famous song in the film, entitled "And I Am Telling You, I'm Not Going..." is one of the most breathtaking sequences to ever be filmed for a movie musical. Hudson's voice is pitch perfect in this scene and while delivering this virtuoso vocal performance she manages to act and show real emotion in this moment as well. This is easily the most unforgettable moment of the film, and Hudson deserves a Best Supporting Actress Oscar more than any other performer this year. After seeing her performance in this film, it is hard to believe that Hudson was passed over in the past for anyone. She is absolutely captivating.

Bill Condon, who writes and directs Dreamgirls, obviously has a flair for musicals. The song-and-dance sequences in this film are great - incredibly lively, energetic and a blast to watch. He uses every aspect of the mise-en-scene to create the most memorable image possible, utilizing breathtaking cinematography and costume design to the full extent. He also manages to inject quite a bit of social commentary in the film as well - staying true to the time period and not shying away from some of the harsh realities that took place back then. The flashy, exciting work found in Dreamgirls is some of the year's best directorial work. The only flaw in the screenplay that was present was that the film felt a bit too long. In a project packed with so many musical numbers, it is remarkable that Condon was able to also develop the characters and keep the film at a decent length. But it feels as if many scenes could have been eliminated, as several moments in the final act become somewhat repetitive.



Other than that minor flaw, Dreamgirls is an excellent film and one of the year's best. It's a feast for the eyes and the ears - a glorious move musical event that is sure to entertain and captivate audiences everywhere. Keep an eye out for Jennifer Hudson in particular, as a star is officially born during the course of this picture. Easily one of the year's best films and a must-see!

9/10 (A)

I really liked this movie a lot Very odd crowd reaction though. People were laughing (almost everyone) when they broke out into singing dialogue, but practically everyone clapped after Hudson's two main songs (which is odd because that has never happened for me at a theatre) and everyone clapped at the end. Hudson was amazing, Beyonce was really great as well (I was expecting her to suck), Eddie Murphy was good, Jamie Foxx was lackluster. (B+)

Jamie Foxx was definitely the weakest of the cast.

What? That we ahve a film to bond over again?

I don't often agree with Arsi, he's got different tastes than me to be sure. When you liked it and Arsi didn't I thought that was a good sign for me.

This film has come quite a long way for me, I thought the first trailer last year was pretty ass.

Wow. What a good movie. There was clapping after jennifer hudson's "And I am telling you (I'm not going)" and after Beyonce's "Listen" really great performances with a great cript

A all the way. I finally have an oscan contender to root for.

Good? Definately. Great? Probably. Best film of the year? No.

First, the good: The cast was great, save for Jennifer Hudson, who was absolutely amazing. I've not seen a debut performance that strong, charged, and with such an amazing voice, in a while. The musical numbers were generally very well done too, a lot more energy to them then say The Producers, or other recent musicals. The choreography was generally good as well, however, since most of it was staged, it wasn't as enjoyable as Chicago, or even Moulin Rouge.

The bads: The film does drag at times. It also, despite all efforts, feels very uneven. The beginning moves so quick. The it drops to a dead pace in the middle. The picks up. Then drops off. Then picks up. Then, yeah. The characters were great, but even they sometimes fell a little flat. The film had energy, but at times it lacked heart. It lacked a quality that is hard to put in to words.

Having said that, it was still a great movie and a must-see. I'd go with...B+ for now, probably. Though second viewing could (and likely will) raise that slightly, possibly, maybe.

I hear a lot of reviews saying the film courses with energy and emotion. I definitely felt the energy, not so much the emotion.

I ultimately don't think it's an Oscar-worthy film. It's big entertainment, and the music is occasionally electrifying -- there are about three scenes that I was just riveted by -- but I was never moved.

It's late, so more later.

...so there are two camps forming here:

The Dreamgirls gushers (Loyal, Thompsoncory, Sam, Andaroo)

and those who thought it was good but not great (Katie, DKMuto)

and then there is Arsi but he doesn't count.

a beautiful,beautiful movie. acting,directing,writing. A+
i'm rooting for Eddie and Jennifer to win @ the Golden Globe Awards.

Dreamgirls is never gonna win the World Series of Musicals, but it's definitely playin' in the Big League!!!

Loved it.

It's a big beautiful, slobbery, old school musical -- think Grease, but the next neighbourhood over. Songs were solid throughout, and the acting , well ya win some, ya lose some. Beyonce was perfect for the role, in that her less than perfect acting showed off just how great an actress Jennifer Hudson is -- Wow! Just like in the movie... What a "coincidence"! But seriously, Beyonce does Beyonce probably better than anyone else could ever hope to. However, if ya wanna talk bad acting -- well look no further than Jamie Foxx - Yow! - the guy's clearly in way over his head. His acting is, what we call around here... uh... bad.

Sure the story goes slightly off the rails in the middle act, but who freakin' cares when a musical is this much fun!

I'm putting this up there in the film musical pantheon of the new millenium with Rent, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Moulin Rouge, & Chicago -- what a great decade it's been so far! And we're not even in 2007 yet!!!

8 out of 5.

I think one of my main problems with the film is the story's lack of focus. The emotional crux of the film seems to be Effie's story, but I don't know if I'd consider hers the central plotline. (Beyonce, after all, is the "lead.") I think in chronicling the ups and downs of each of the three Dreams (and even a little of the fourth), the film loses a lot of the poignancy it could have retained by solely focusing on Effie, who does, unfortunately, end up coming across as very much a supporting player in the whole thing (despite she and Beyonce having what seems to be equal screentime, or close to it). Though I do think the film's biggest ballad sequences (And I Am Telling You and Listen) are the film's emotional highpoints, I wasn't really moved by either story enough to be anything other than impressed by the performances in those scenes.

Was Arsi right that they sang to potatoes?

What now?

I hope this doesn't affect my pariah status...

Yep. I was moved by Effie overall but she didn't get fleshed out enough if you will. It was like the film just kept wandering back and forth and then it'd focus on her and then you wouldn't see her again for a while.

Dolce will be on our side.

Dolce will be watching this Tuesday if at all possible, but until then, don't hold your breathe(s)...