So yesterday I saw the much hyped Dreamgirls movie. Hmm. Overall, I think this was a quality movie. But there were so many problems with it. I don't think it should be a best picture winner in any category.
Things I liked.
1. Jennifer Hudson's rendition of "You're Gonna Love Me." Her very powerful voice conveys the vulnerability of her otherwise strong character. It's musical raw emotion. I don't watch American Idol, but the audience who voted her off must be morons. There was prolonged spontaneous applause and cheering at the end of this number.
2. Beyonce's changing make-up, costumes, and hair styles are really fun to watch. She's gorgeous in just about every shot and the resemblance to a young Diana Ross is uncanny. Several shots are exactly copies of some of Ross's iconic pictures and styles.
3. Eddie Murphy for taking on a completely different role. But is it a good role for him? He's passable but there's a reason we love him doing comedy - he's good at it.
4. The costumes.
Things I didn't like:
1. The songs. I love music but there were so many songs that went on forever. I know it's a musical and songs are a critical part of a musical, but quantity doesn't substitute for quality. I think using real songs from the era that the audience is familiar with might have allowed the audience to embrace the musical format more.
2. It's long. Even if this wasn't based on the real-life events of the Supremes, the characters are stock and have predictable story arcs. It's the same story we've already seen countless times over.
3. It was uneven in the storytelling and production technique. Some scenes were directed as if they were in a live stage performance, but other scenes were directed in a completely "normal" realistic manner. This same technique was also used in the film version of Chicago, but the difference was that every production aspect of Chicago was just over the line from realistic. The cinematography, costumes, choreography, make up, sets, everything was just a little too showy to be considered real - even for the dialogue scenes. And the musical numbers in Chicago went way over the top. The production direction of Chicago was complete, consistent, and committed. [Look at the movie version of A Chorus Line for the other way to do a musical - completely realistic, both the musical numbers and dialogue. Other over-the-top movie versions: Rocky Horror, Moulin Rouge (although not a B'way show), Hairspray, The Producers, Mary Poppins. Other realistically done movie versions are Rent, The Sound of Music. West Side Story is a well-done mix of both.] In Dreamgirls, there wasn't a consistent across-production vision. The musical and dialogue scenes in Dreamgirls didn't mesh enough for me. I think it would have been a better picture if they took out some of the songs and stuck to more dialogue.
So there you have it. It's long and I got a little bored in the middle after Jennifer Hudson's big number. I also think she is the bright spot in the movie. Her character, Effie, is the most interesting, carries the most conflict/drama, and her voice is miles above everyone else's, even Beyonce's. The movie is really about Effie. When her storyline isn't onscreen, the film drags.
Also, I saw the Will Ferrell - Emma Thompson film, Stranger Than Fiction, a while back. This movie was completely underrated and didn't get the audience it deserves. If you get a chance to see this smart, literate, coy, and fresh movie, do it. Add it to your Netflix queue right now. In case you don't remember this movie, it's about Emma Thompson, a writer, as she writes her newest novel. Will Farrell plays a man who suddenly hears her voice in his head as she writes. He has become the main character in the book she's writing. Of course, this lends itself to moments of hilarity. I was concerned that the film makers would take this gimmick too far, but they don't. I was surprised in how they used her voice in his head. They didn't overdo it. Will Farrell is very good playing a semi-tragic character with serious OCD. Emma Thompson looks pretty awful through most of the movie as she wallows in writers block under publisher mandated deadlines. And Dustin Hoffman almost steals the show with his eccentric, brilliant literature professor to whom Will Farrell turns to for guidance. Queen Latifah and Maggie Gyllenhaal also add to the story. The entire film - except for Dustin Hoffman's office - has a very minimalist feel and design, which is interesting because we rarely see movies that aren't inundating us with visual details. There is plenty of sly allusion to famous works of literature that only book lovers will get. Those allusions are like inside jokes. This is an enjoyable movie and not being able to predict the ending is refreshing.
