Director Bill Condon brings Tom Eyen's Tony award-winning
Broadway musical to the big screen in a tale of dreams, stardom,
and the high cost of success in the cutthroat industry.
The time is the 1960s, and singers Effie (Jennifer Hudson),
Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose), and Deena (Beyoncé Knowles) are about
to find out just what it's like to have their wildest dreams come
true. Discovered at a local talent show by ambitious manager
Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx), the trio known as "the
Dreamettes" is soon offered the once-in-a-lifetime rtunity of
opening for popular singer James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy).
Subsequently molded into an unstoppable hit machine by Taylor and
propelled into the spotlight as "the Dreams," the girls quickly
find their bid for the big time taking priority over personal
friendship as Taylor edges out the ultra-talented Effie so that
the more beautiful Deena can become the face of the group. Now,
as the crossover act continues to dominate the airwaves, the
small-town girls with big-city dreams slowly begin to realize
that the true cost of fame may be higher than any of them ever
anticipated.
.com
----
The spirit of Motown runs through the long-awaited film adaption
of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, which centers around a young
female singing trio who burst upon the music scene in the '60s,
complete with bouffant hairdos, glitzy gowns, and a soul sound
new to the white-bread American music charts. Sound familiar? You
aren't the first one to draw comparisons to the meteoric rise of
the Supremes, and despite any protests to the contrary, this is
most definitely a thinly veiled reinterpretation of that success
story. The Dreamettes--statuesque Deena (Beyonce Knowles), daffy
Lorell (Anika Noni Rose) and brassy Effie (Jennifer Hudson)--are
a girl group making the talent-show rounds when they're
discovered by car salesman and aspiring music manager Curtis
Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx). Sensing greatness (as well as a new
marketing rtunity) Curtis signs the Dreamettes as backup
singers for R&B star James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy). But
when Early's mercurial ways and singing style don't mesh with
primarily white audiences, Curtis moves the newly-renamed Dreams
to center stage--with Deena as lead singer in place of Effie. And
that's not the only arena in which Effie is replaced, as Curtis
abandons their love affair for a relationship with
star-in-the-making Deena.
Besides the Supremes comparison, one can't talk about Dreamgirls
now without revisiting its notorious O snub; though it
received eight nominations, the most for any film from 2006, it
was shut out of the Best Picture and Director races entirely. Was
the over justified? While Dreamgirls is certainly a
handsomely ed, lovingly executed and often vibrant film
adaptation, it inspires more respect than passion, only getting
under your skin during the musical numbers, which become more
sporadic as the film goes on. Writer-director Bill Condon is
definitely focused on recreating the Motown milieu (down to
uncanny photographs of Knowles in full Diana Ross mode), he often
forgets to out his characters, who even on the Broadway
stage were underwritten and relied on powerhouse performances to
sell them to audiences. (Stage fans will also note that numerous
songs are either truncated or dropped entirely from the film.)
Condon has assembled a game cast, as Knowles does a canny riff on
the essence of Diana Ross' glamour (as sed to an all-out
impersonation) and Rose makes a peripheral character surprisingly
vibrant; only Foxx, who never gets to pour on the charisma, is
miscast. Still, there are two things even the most cranky viewers
will warm to in Dreamgirls: the performances of veteran Eddie
Murphy and newcomer Jennifer Hudson. Murphy is all sly charm and
dazzling energy as the devilish Early, who's part James Brown,
part Little Richard, and all showman. And Hudson, an American
Idol contestant who didn't even make the top three, makes an
impressive debut as the larger-than-life Effie, whose voice
matches her passions and stubbornness. Though she sometimes may
seem too young for the role, Hudson nails the movie's signature
song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," with a breathtaking
power that must be seen and heard to believe. And for those five
minutes, if not more, you will be in Dreamgirls' thrall. --Mark
Englehart
On the DVD
The two-disc edition of Dreamgirls includes videos,
documentaries and other behind-the-scenes features. Diehard fans
will love the almost two-hour "Building the Dream" documentary,
which goes into loving detail about how the film got to be made.
But it's the shorter segments that really capture the viewer's
attention. The two auditions included in the set are a contrast
in style. Pop singer Beyonce Knowles sells herself in full hair,
makeup and costume; that she is a tad pitchy at times is almost
beside the point. Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose's audition is
a tour de force; singing strong and with conviction and passion,
Rose is fully in character regardless of the fact that she isn't
dressed for the role. Oddly enough, the audition tape of Jennifer
Hudson, who won an Academy Award for her breakthrough role as
Effie, is nowhere to be seen. Sure, we all know what a powerhouse
she is today. But it would've been nice to see what the
filmmakers saw in her back then, when her competition included
her American Idol castmate (and that season's winner) Fantasia
Barrino. Hudson's performance of "Effie, Sing My Song"--which was
not seen in the theatrical release--is included in this set, as
are 12 extended musical numbers. Another nice touch is the
inclusion of a dance rehearsal choreographed by ima Robinson
(who has worked with the Backstreet Boys, Mary J. Blige, and
Michael Jackson). Watching the rudimentary piece (with stand-ins
subbing for the stars) come together gives the viewer
appreciation for the intricate work that goes into each 3-minute
musical number in the 130-minute film. Also included are a
sequence of enhanced storyboards, a look at how the film's editor
went about editing the picture, and a look at how the costumes
played a part in the film. --Jae-Ha Kim
Beyond Dreamgirls
Other Musicals on DVD (
/gp/feature.html/ref=d_ap_dreamgirls_1/?docId=593530 )
More Motown on DVD (
/gp/richpub/listmania/fullview/R34QZNIVW9QLZV/%20ref=d_ap_dreamgirls_2/102-3711622-1234561
)
The Soundtrack ( /gp/product/B000JLQQ2G/ref=d_ap_dreamgirls_3 )
Stills from Dreamgirls (click for larger image)
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