Friday December 22, 2006 SGN.org |
 |
Volume 34 Issue 51 |
 |
|
Sunday, Sep 07, 2008
|
 |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||
|
All-star Dreamgirls is stunning mix of substance and spectacle |
||
.JPG) |
||
| All-star Dreamgirls is stunning mix of substance and spectacle | ||
| by Lorelei Quenzer -
SGN A&E Writer Dreamgirls Directed by Bill Condon Starring Beyoncé Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Anika Noni Rose Opens Christmas Day Dreamgirls is the film the word "blockbuster" was coined for. Who needs a crystal ball to see that this one's going to break some records? Okay, color me stupid: when the first Oscar whispers about Dreamgirls started making the rounds, I was slightly more than skeptical. I believe my actual words were "Bphttt!" Or something similar. But director Bill Condon (Kinsey, Gods and Monsters) got it spectacularly right, in casting, pacing and style. First, here's a little plot preview for those of you who were either born after or went brain dead in 1982: Three Dreamettes - Effie, Deena and Lorell - get discovered by pre-mogul Curtis Taylor, Jr., who signs the girls up as backup singers for the flamboyant James "Thunder" Early. When it's time for the Dreamettes to take the spotlight, Taylor changes their name to the Dreams and lead singer Effie is demoted to the side in favor of the svelte and sexy Deena, whose vocal talents are less apparent than her physical ones. Beyoncé versus Hudson? The promise of that catfight should be all you need to know to get your butt into a theater. Now the casting. American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson reportedly beat out more than 300 actresses to get the role of Effie White, the zaftig lead singer. You'll understand why from the first moment she opens her mouth. Hudson is sure to draw comparison to Jennifer Holliday, who originated the role on Broadway with such panache. But I guarantee that even the most rabid of Holliday fan will be blown away by Hudson's interpretation of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." Eddie Murphy, as "Thunder" Early, is a brilliant, if surprising, choice, and Murphy does his best screen (and singing) work for the film. And, loathe as I am to admit it, Beyoncé Knowles - who we all know is beautiful and talented - gets to show she has acting chops, toning her personal prowess down as teenaged Deena, then amping it back up for the film's climax. The pacing of Dreamgirls is on the money. It's difficult to duplicate successful stage musicals; Chicago worked because the raison d'etre for the song and dance numbers was to illustrate Rodxie's mental anguish. Other recent adaptations, Rent and The Producers, didn't make the transition as well. Dreamgirls lures you in: because this is a movie about a Motown girl group of singers, it's no surprise that they'll get on a stage and sing. The first time any dialogue is sung is an explosive moment, well into the film, and the emotional impact is stunning. Dreamgirls gets 100 out of 100 on style points, too. Costumes and hairstyles capture the moods of the 60's and 70's, adding show-biz swank to the sequins. Beyoncé does particularly well in mimicking the couture of Diana Ross, the alleged model for Deena, while Hudson's small seventies 'fro is a relief after the wigs she wears as a Dreamette. Come Oscar time, look forward to seeing Hudson and Murphy's names on the nominees' lists, as well as cinematography, costuming and editing. Dreamgirls is a heady mixture of substance, froth and power that should make you happy Christmas Day - or any day you find yourself at the theater. |
||
.JPG) |
||
 |
||
International Readers read the SGN in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 post your own information on Seattle Gay Blog |
copyright Seattle Gay News - DigitalTeamWorks 2006