Dreamgirls

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Keith Robinson

Directed by: Bill Condon

RS: 3.5of 4 Stars Average User Rating: 3of 4 Stars

2006 DreamWorks All Movies

Listen, I could tick off places where Dreamgirls trips up in transporting Michael Bennett's 1981 Broadway musical phenom to film. But it's hard to complain when you're at the party of the year. This baby dazzles like nothing else anywhere. Starting with its dream cast, led by Jamie Foxx and Beyonce, Dreamgirls is a movie that has everything: a blazing new star in Jennifer Hudson, a riveting, revitalized Eddie Murphy, a hot-lick score by Henry Krieger and the late Tom Eyen, a timely story about how music can sell its soul to greed and compromise, and a dynamo of a director and screenwriter in Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, Kinsey). He's the white guy with the brass to direct a tale of black artists who break faith with race, family and R&B to swim in the mainstream. As he proved with his script for Chicago, Condon also knows his way around a musical. He keeps Dreamgirls charging until it moves right into your heart.

You'll hear denials that Dreamgirls has anything to do with the Supremes, who hit a girl-group peak in the 1960s under Motown mogul Berry Gordy. It was Gordy who replaced lead singer Florence Ballard with Diana Ross, Ballard's pal from the Detroit projects whom Gordy saw as prettier, skinnier and likelier to cross over to white audiences. Ballard, who battled alcohol and depression, died in 1976 at thirty-two.

In Dreamgirls, it's Curtis Taylor Jr. (Foxx), a Detroit car salesman turned talent manager, who replaces Effie White (Hudson) as lead singer of the Dreams with her childhood pal and backup singer Deena Jones (Beyonce). Curtis cites the same drill about looks, weight and white appeal. So much for coincidental.

And so much the better if you leave it at that, since Dreamgirls is hunting bigger game than biopic exploitation. Even more onscreen than it was onstage, Dreamgirls is a story of its time. Condon lets the civil-rights movement slip into frame with headlines, news clips and a startling scene in which Effie confronts a riot in the streets with stunned silence. But Condon never stops the hurtling motion of his film to preach. It's the war for black equality in the music industry that pulls his focus and pulls us in. For Curtis, money is all. Sex isn't worth the effort unless he's having it on with his meal ticket, hence the switch from rebellious diva Effie to the more malleable Deena.

A talent contest opens the film with Curtis putting in a fix against the Dreams -- Effie, Deena and Lorrell (the resplendently gifted Anika Noni Rose). He wants them to sing backup for James "Thunder" Early (Murphy), a James Brown-like soul man self-destructing with girls, drugs and a refusal to fake his way to the top with the mellow sound that sells. It's C.C. White (the warmly persuasive Keith Robinson), Effie's brother, who writes the song, "Cadillac Car," that gets them noticed until a white singer records a sappy cover version that goes Top Forty. That shifts Curtis into overdrive. He'll zap the black out of Jimmy and the Dreams so they can play white clubs, hit the pop charts and make it in Hollywood. For Deena, now Curtis' wife and slave, the change brings success, as it does to Lorrell and Effie's replacement, Michelle (the excellent Sharon Leal). For Jimmy and Effie, Curtis' dream is soon their waking nightmare.

Which brings us to the inane criticism that Dreamgirls is a show queen's campfest -- all flash, no substance. There's plenty of sparkle in Sharen Davis' costumes, which cinematographer Tobias A. Schliessler (Friday Night Lights) shoots for maximum eye-popping, but Condon isn't blind to the shadows that overtake these characters. Dreamgirls deals with massive cultural change and assimilation. It looks ahead to the black performers who will make it by staying true to their rap, but also to those who dial down to fit the American Idol-ization of the music world.

Hudson, 25, appeared on Idol's third season, a runner-up reduced to the slag heap by judge Simon Cowell. What sweet revenge! Hudson's film debut is a glorious, Oscar-ready cause for celebration. She can act. She can nail a laugh with the sassy curl of her lip. She can break your heart by letting her eyes show how she hurts. And she can sing until the roof comes off the multiplex. As it will when she tears into "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," a war cry of a song in which Effie futilely battles to stop Curtis from throwing her out of the Dreams and his bed. For those, me included, who saw the great Jennifer Holliday play Effie onstage, the moment is revelatory. Hudson seems to absorb Holliday's spirit while making the role her own. It's a tribute to both their talents.

And Murphy, 45, is electrifying in his riskiest role ever as a star on the skids. His comic edge hasn't been this sharp since SNL, and he sings and struts with astonishing skill. But it's the fear eating at Jimmy that brings out the best in Murphy. Jimmy is a star who has used too many women (his wife and Lorrell, his current mistress) and abused too many drugs. Murphy illuminates the flaws without dimming the wicked charm. Jimmy's meltdown onstage, stopping himself midballad to gyrate, drop his pants and cut into an R&B groove ("Jimmy got/Jimmy got/Jimmy got soul"), is Murphy's finest screen moment. He has never reached this far emotionally or dug this deep.

All the actors respond full-throttle to the material. Foxx is magnetic as the bad guy, showing a grasp of the insecurities that drive the controlling Curtis. And Beyonce, looking and sounding gorgeous, gets as far inside Deena as the underwritten role allows. She helped co-write a new Krieger song, "Listen," that adds grit and touching gravity to Deena.

Krieger's music has taken hits from critics for not being Motown enough. Duh. It's a Broadway score, channeling its force and feeling through a Broadway idiom. Condon follows suit, dedicating the movie to Michael Bennett, who died of AIDS in 1987, borrowing bits of Bennett's original staging and even using the show's Playbill in the final credits. Despite transitional bumps -- the first switch from actors singing onstage to singing off is jarring -- Condon does Dreamgirls proud. His sublime movie is more than one of the year's best or a fan's ultimate appreciation. It's what he did for love.

PETER TRAVERS

(Posted: Nov 21, 2006)

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Dreamgirls

Review 1 of 18

2of 4 Stars

Dreamgirls the movie was a total disappointment. Eddie Murphy was the only high point of the entire film. His character, Jimmy Early, was so much more interesting than the Dreams that I wanted to see more of him and less of them.

The Dreams first song together after leaving Jimmy is Dreamgirls, the title song but they are dressed like something out of the 50's instead of the 60's. Jennifer Hudson, though I like her, looks ridiculous in a skin-tight dress and the girls, though dancing together, don't look like a group. They moved together but they are not in sync with each other and their moves are clunky, nothing like the real-girl groups of the 60's who were sexy and light on their feet. (Watch any clip of The Ronnettes, Supremes, Three Degrees, etc. and you'll see what I mean.)

The next horrific number they do is "One Night Only." I nearly puked. First, the Broadway version of Dreamgirls is untouchable because it understood why girl groups were so important to soul music. In the 50s and 60s, Black male performers found it difficult to cross certain lines but not so with women. Motown, like most soul recording labels, were looking for the ultimate girl group to carry their music across all barriers. But the girls had to be so sweet, soft, beautiful and lovable that no one would realize it was really men, standing in the background, writing their songs, playing the music, etc. But this is not the case in the movie version which is supposed to be loosely based on fact. In the movie, The Dreams show up wearing pants to sing their sexy and hyped up version of "One Night Only." They look like three dudes.

To make matters worse, in the opening notes of the song, one of the girls touches both her breast and private area. This is something no Black female performer would have done on stage during the late 60s and early 70s.

Now, to top this off, the girls are surrounded by men carrying strobe lights like spears as if they're doing the 'Dance of the Shaka Zulu Warriors Just Before The Sacrifice.' The lights look like a phallus symbol and was too far over the top. Show me any famous African-American female entertainer of the 70's dancing around a phallus symbol and I will bow down and kiss Condon's rear. Any director with half a brain and understanding of the message each clip sends to the viewer would have changed this shot. This was just a bad direction choice by Condon which stem from a lack of understand of the importance of the music and the image African-American people were trying to create during the most turbulent years of this nation's history.

Everyone fell over themselves to praise Jennifer Hudson and slam Beyonce although Beyonce was and is a much better actor. She stayed in character and was believable throughout the movie. Yes, Jennifer sung a great song but any heavy set, Black woman with a powerful voice can sing that song and bring the house down. I've heard a dozen different women sing that song and it moves me every time because the song itself is so powerfully moving.

I believe everyone was praising Jennifer, not because of her talent, but because of the memory of Florence Ballard, (one of the original Supremes). For some reason, people believed that praising Jennifer for her wooden performance and slamming Beyonce for a praise-worthy acting job, some how made things right for Florence and slap the wrists of Diana. Nothing can be further from the truth especially since Diana's lawyers are rumored to be preparing to sue the movie for royalties. If the rumor is true and Diana's lawyers win, (and they usually do), Ms. Ross will be laughing her way to the bank over 30 years after leaving the Supremes.

Condon's version of the Dreamgirls gets a big fat C-! Thanks Condon for butchering a great play. What's next, Roots or Raisin In The Sun?

Jun 16, 2007 23:40:48

Review 2 of 18

3of 4 Stars

As staged by writer-director Bill Condon, Dreamgirls is a delectable infusion of girl-powered storytelling and toe-tapping beats. The story, the rise of "The Dreamettes" and the toes they step on to become famous, is "unofficially" the story of the birth of MoTown and really, black music as a whole in the mainstream conscious. The opening scene will get your blood pumping and the closing number will have you cheering. Everything else in between is an explosion of pop spectacle, wonderful and sassy.

Deena (Beyonce) and Effie (Jennifer Hudson in a revelatory performance) are the strong voices in an unknown trio who spend their nights ooohing and aaahing on the Detroit music scene. Soon though, they've been swalloed by Curtis Taylor (Jamie Foxx) and are singing backup for a falling R&B legend, James Early (Eddie Murphy). Quick enough, Early is gone and so is Effie. What is left is Deena, the black all but steam rolled out of her and Curtis smiling like a shark having become like the Whites he hated. Though it aspires to be a tale about the underside of fame, it never quite gets there. It's true passion lies with women and how they can survive.

When Hudson belts "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going", my spine shivered. When Eddie Murphy gyrated, I laughed. And when Deena shimmies on stage in one of the most beautiful retro-70's dresses of the year, I hummed with joy. Condon has written a musical that isn't quite the sarcastic brilliance of Chicago. Instead, it's something flashier...more sweet. Every heel snap, every swish of the dress, everything is alive and singing and soon enough, you will be too.

Mar 3, 2007 15:18:34

Review 3 of 18

Not Rated

Ok, so what do you want to know?

Don’t waist your breath, because I already know. You want to know what most people want to know when they read a movie review. Should I toss my hard-earned dollars into the cinematic pot and indulge my senses or should I, well… not. You want to know if you’re going to waste your money!

I’m going to call it like I see it, and, the first thing you should do is not base your decision on this review, because well… this is a musical. And I don’t like musicals, at least ones that I don’t see live on stage.

What’s the story? Three country girls, low on cash and big on talent, enter a talent competition and end up being in the wrong place at the wrong time (or is it the right place at the right time?) and find themselves on a high speed course to fame and fortune and all that comes with it.

You’ll be in for a lot of emotion, a lot of visual splendor and a lot of singing, because well… this is a musical. When it’s all over, you’ll go, wow. But whether you liked it or not is going to depend upon whether you liked the singing, because there was a lot of it, because, well… this is a musical.

I love a good musical on stage, but a lot of it is lost on the big screen, especially with a movie like this. It depends a lot upon the emotions that the singer pulls out of you through the songs, so, you have to ask yourself, did I FEEL it. I didn’t.

Let’s face it, Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Hudson, these women can sing! And while the tracks sounded wonderful in the movie theater, it was in the movie theater. The true talent of these singers, to be fully recognized in a musical, can only be done in a rip roaring, pass the tissues, clutch your chest, in your face, live, on-stage musical, like the original Broadway hit.

You’ll get some surprisingly good acting, even from the non-actors, visual splendor and a compelling story, but, well… this is a musical. That’s all I’m saying.

Mar 3, 2007 00:20:44

Review 4 of 18

4of 4 Stars

I thought I was losing it! People here complaining about singing scenes in a MUSICAL?? This is clearly Jennifer Hudson's movie, her nomination for best SUPPORTING actress is all about Hollywood. She is just fantastic! Oscar is hers. I agree with the RS reviewer that Deena was glaringly underwritten, but Beyonce was great with what she was given (note the quiet rage in the poolside scene with the movie director and screenwriter). Eddie Murphy's comeback (another one) may be in full-swing after this, and Jamie Foxx has never been so delightfully despicable. I understand the complaining that the songs aren't Motown enough, I agree. But, when the "white" version of Cadillac Car comes on, all races are rightfully outraged, just the same.

Feb 25, 2007 00:35:21

Review 5 of 18

2of 4 Stars

Dreamgirls is probably one of the worst movie experiences
I've had. I'm not saying the movie was that bad, though, if
that makes any sense. It had potential: A good, compelling
(although predictable) storyline; great visuals, including
costumes, sets, and cinematography; and some really good
acting performances. So, why was it so bad? The singing!
Yes, the talent is obvious, but my girlfriend and I started
laughing because not even halfway through the film we kept
praying that there would be no more singing scenes. They
made the movie feel way too long and some of them were
downright corny. It felt like we were watching a local radio
station or an audition. All of the musical numbers were
attempted showstoppers with people showing off their voices,
which do not serve to portray the mood or sense of the
progressing story line. I left this film feeling as though it was
a waste of fantastic potential, even though I kept referring to
myself and my girlfriend as dreamgirls all the way home. We
are dreamgirls... Ahhhh! Leave my brain!

Feb 23, 2007 14:19:35

Review 6 of 18

2of 4 Stars

This movie bored me. I watched it for the cast, but movie as a whole was pathetic. I didn't like the music/singing, but the plot was gripping. Since I havent saw the Broadway production, I wouldn't know if it could've been better, but I didn't like it.

Feb 16, 2007 14:59:36

Review 7 of 18

3of 4 Stars

OK this movie is visually stunning, but it is not as great as the standrad critics says it is. The script is terrible. It works as a musical, but it is a total failure with repects to the fictional account of the rise and fall of the Supremes.Ed Murphy surely deserves great praise for his acting. His change of pace,oblitirates his type cast as a retarded animal doctor.He is surely worthy of an Oscar as best supporting actor. Mr. Murphy is like a great baseball picther who throws that once in a while knuckle ball.But compared to other recent musicals, "Ray" and "Walk the Line", the movie barely keeps you awake. There are only three reminders on the horrible sixties, the Vietnam War, the promiscuous Dr. King and the devistating riots at Detroit and elsewhere.The movie is totlally sterile, but it does work as a forget the war or economic problems..typical of all musicals.

Feb 10, 2007 15:47:15

Review 8 of 18

4of 4 Stars

This is one of the best movies I've ever seen in my life!!

Jennifer Hudson is getting all the buzz and rightly so, but for me it's Eddie Murphy as James Thunder Early that stole the show!

His part reminds me more of Jackie Wilson than James Brown, Murphy brings the party, his songs are funky and filled with soul.

I enjoyed every single song in this movie, how anyone can criticize the score is beyond me!

Don't believe any negative reviews about this one, it's fantastic and deserves every single award a movie can get!!

Jan 29, 2007 09:41:49

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