Let’s make one thing clear, I’m a huge fan of the musical. From the recent hits of Chicago and Moulin Rouge back through Grease, Xanadu and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, any Elvis movie and, of course, the classics like Cabaret, An American in Paris, Oklahoma and the big daddy of them all Singing In the Rain, I grab my family block choc and settle in for a great night’s entertainment.
So if you’re a sucker for the musical movie like me, you were also probably intrigued when you first started hearing about the adaptation of the Broadway show Dreamgirls. If you weren't aware, Dreamgirls played on Broadway for four years, won six Tony Awards including Best Musical in 1982. I guess it was only a matter of time before we saw it on the big screen.
Loosely based on the supergroup of the Motown era The Supremes, famous for the hits "Baby Love" and "Stop! In the Name of Love" to name a couple of top 10 hits, I thought this would be a great story combining the classic rags to riches story with the Motown groove as its soundtrack. I really wanted this to be great. Dreamgirls follows the lives of three women — Effie White, Deena Jones, and Lorrell Robinson — who, as members of an R&B singing group called "The Dreamettes", become famous as the backing group for soul singer James 'Thunder' Early after being discovered by Curtis Taylor Jr, a manipulative manager who becomes their record label executive. Set during the 1960's and 70’s against a backdrop of the American civil rights movement, Curtis wants to take the girls from the ‘chitlin circuit’ to the mainstream, more accepted pop arena favoured by the white Americans. Conflict arises when Curtis starts to transform the Dreamettes into "The Dreams" which includes replacing the heavier Effie as both lead singer of the group and as his romantic interest with Deena, the more attractive but less talented singer.
My viewing plan was to view it on the big screen with a few girlfriends after catching up for lunch. The music, Jamie Foxx, the fashion, Jamie Foxx, the songs, yes Jamie Foxx and the lavishness of the Dreamettes success were larger than life on the big screen.
Is it deserving of the accolades it’s been receiving? And more importantly, did I enjoy it??? On a number of levels, the answer is “yes” – with a few reservations. Oscar© nominations for Eddie Murphy as James ‘Thunder’ Early for Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress for Jennifer Hudson as Effie White for which they both won the Golden Globe© are quite deserving and are the two stand out performances in the film. It was quite refreshing to see Eddie not dressed up in a fat suit or talking to the animals! Beyonce Knowles did an adequate job (perhaps mirroring her own steps to stardom). Jamie Foxx looked gorgeous and sexy on screen but he looked like he was going through the motions. For me, Dreamgirls would have been more successful if the songs that were not part of the performances of the Dreamettes had a smoother transition or perhaps were integrated into the stage performances. It became a little jerky and disorientating when this happened.
(For those people who have been living on the moon, Jennifer Hudson came 6th in the 3rd Season of American Idol and Beyonce was the front woman of the all girl group ‘Destiny’s Child’ before they split in 2005.
Perhaps not as daring as Chicago which won Best Picture at the 2002 Oscars ©, Dreamgirls is a pleasant movie with an interesting story, great music if you’re into Motown and very pretty to watch. Go see it if you are into musicals, go with a bunch of girlfriends (definitely not a guy movie) and go and be entertained.
So if you’re a sucker for the musical movie like me, you were also probably intrigued when you first started hearing about the adaptation of the Broadway show Dreamgirls. If you weren't aware, Dreamgirls played on Broadway for four years, won six Tony Awards including Best Musical in 1982. I guess it was only a matter of time before we saw it on the big screen.
Loosely based on the supergroup of the Motown era The Supremes, famous for the hits "Baby Love" and "Stop! In the Name of Love" to name a couple of top 10 hits, I thought this would be a great story combining the classic rags to riches story with the Motown groove as its soundtrack. I really wanted this to be great. Dreamgirls follows the lives of three women — Effie White, Deena Jones, and Lorrell Robinson — who, as members of an R&B singing group called "The Dreamettes", become famous as the backing group for soul singer James 'Thunder' Early after being discovered by Curtis Taylor Jr, a manipulative manager who becomes their record label executive. Set during the 1960's and 70’s against a backdrop of the American civil rights movement, Curtis wants to take the girls from the ‘chitlin circuit’ to the mainstream, more accepted pop arena favoured by the white Americans. Conflict arises when Curtis starts to transform the Dreamettes into "The Dreams" which includes replacing the heavier Effie as both lead singer of the group and as his romantic interest with Deena, the more attractive but less talented singer.
My viewing plan was to view it on the big screen with a few girlfriends after catching up for lunch. The music, Jamie Foxx, the fashion, Jamie Foxx, the songs, yes Jamie Foxx and the lavishness of the Dreamettes success were larger than life on the big screen.
Is it deserving of the accolades it’s been receiving? And more importantly, did I enjoy it??? On a number of levels, the answer is “yes” – with a few reservations. Oscar© nominations for Eddie Murphy as James ‘Thunder’ Early for Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress for Jennifer Hudson as Effie White for which they both won the Golden Globe© are quite deserving and are the two stand out performances in the film. It was quite refreshing to see Eddie not dressed up in a fat suit or talking to the animals! Beyonce Knowles did an adequate job (perhaps mirroring her own steps to stardom). Jamie Foxx looked gorgeous and sexy on screen but he looked like he was going through the motions. For me, Dreamgirls would have been more successful if the songs that were not part of the performances of the Dreamettes had a smoother transition or perhaps were integrated into the stage performances. It became a little jerky and disorientating when this happened.
(For those people who have been living on the moon, Jennifer Hudson came 6th in the 3rd Season of American Idol and Beyonce was the front woman of the all girl group ‘Destiny’s Child’ before they split in 2005.
Perhaps not as daring as Chicago which won Best Picture at the 2002 Oscars ©, Dreamgirls is a pleasant movie with an interesting story, great music if you’re into Motown and very pretty to watch. Go see it if you are into musicals, go with a bunch of girlfriends (definitely not a guy movie) and go and be entertained.
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