Dreamgirls, 2006

Dreamgirls, 2006
Director: Bill Condon
Cast: Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, Daniel Glover, Jennifer Hudson


Stage: Home TV selection, Sunday night


Dreamgirls in short: Detroit, the early 1960s. Curtis Taylor, Jr., a car salesman, breaks into the music business with big dreams. He signs a trio of young women, the Dreamettes, gets them a job backing an R&B performer, James "Thunder" Early, establishes his own record label and starts wheeling and dealing. When Early flames out, Curtis makes the Dreamettes into headliners as the Dreams, but not before demoting their hefty big-voiced lead singer, Effie White, and putting the softer-voiced looker, Deena Jones, in front. Soon after, he fires Effie, sends her into a life of proud poverty, and takes Deena and the Dreams to the top. How long can Curtis stay there, and will Effie ever get her due?


Preps: Hm. Beyonce? Eddie Murphy? The beginning scene draws my attention really fast.


Reality: Two oscars: for sound mixing and Jennifer Hudson. Perfect role for her, I must admit. I am not so convinced about the two main - Beyonce and Eddie aren't that perfect as I have expected.
This is a makeover of a musical and as such, filled with good music. This is the least you expect of one :) Apart from that usually it conveys a dream come true or a dream pursue of someone on chase for music, love or something extremely emotional. This piece pursues a dream of three girls coming to stage night after night without a success until they find a manager that turns them into a product. Takes a step beyond and selects one of the former back singers to sing front voice and chases top lead singer in the back. Thus, the rivalry becomes obvious, envy takes place and confrontations between three friends begin. Jennifer Hudson is brilliant with her interpretations and emotional approach, the director takes her safely home from every scene where she bursts out.
Eddie Murphy is taken in the back, after the three girls drift away from his cover. All in all I don't really appreciate his performance and would love to see him in different roles I am used to. I don't think he pulled all from this one. Undoubtfully the music is good, however, I am annoyed because it's quite obvious that everything is filmed with a matrix or without the real singing. I really despise that at any show., and I am quite sure that a movie can be made with a true genuine feeling and without playback. Here it's pretty obvious.

The story about fame and glory, its ups and downs. Its pluses and minuses. All the way. You will adore the music. And you will be on the watch for Beyonce. A fine dame, indeed. With a superb voice. However, this isn't a musical. Either make a musical or don't. This is a normal movie up to its third. After that, like the director couldn't make up his mind or was just reminded he was doing a remake of a musical. It's not a problem if this is not a musical. So make the normal movie. Just don't pretend you are supposed to make a musical and throw a few scenes just for the sake of genre.
You will adore the feeling of the 60ies and the music that goes with it.

My personal rating: 6,0 (good music, fairly good interaction between the actors. Especially if you are a fan of music, don't miss it. However, it's far beyond what you would expect from a musical).

Dreamgirls on IMDB