NoFace for Film

Title: Dreamgirls
Year: 2006
Director: Bill Condon
Starring Cast: Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Anika Noni Rose
Rated: PG-13

NoFace for Film rating: 5 out of 7

Good gracious, I had been hearing about Dreamgirls weeks before it came out- hell, months even. I feel that I’m so behind, that it’s been in theaters for a long time when actually it was released on Christmas Day. I’m only a week behind, but everyone and their mother has already reviewed it and talked about it to death.

Oh well. Better late than never I suppose.

Dreamgirls is a movie musical based on the 1981 multiple award-winning Broadway musical of the same name. Loosely based on the history of The Supremes, Dreamgirls is about the rise of the Dreamettes (later to be renamed the Dreams) an all-girl black singing group which debuted in the 1960’s. The group was composed of lead singer and motherly figure Effie White (Hudson), insecure, shy Deena Jones (Knowles), and talkative, ditzy Lorelle Robinson (Rose). The girls are given a chance at their big break when they’re taken under the wing of Curtis Taylor Jr. (Foxx), a Cadillac salesman. Eager to break into the music industry, Curtis becomes the girls’ manager and hires them to work as backup singers for Jimmy “Thunder” Early (Murphy), a popular R&B singer.

Curtis, ever the talented and shrewd businessman, realizes that in order to acheive true popularity and fame, his act must be able to break through the color barrier and appeal to a more conservative, white audience. Letting nothing stand in his path, Curtis sets his plans in motion, which change the girls’ lives forever.

As a musical, Dreamgirls has lots of tunes that will keep audiences entertained, and it’s cool to hear the music evolve throughout the movie, starting with early 60’s Motown-style pieces leading up to 70’s disco music. Of course, let’s not forget the signature song “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”, sung by Hudson at the end of Act I. As much as I enjoyed that scene and the song, admittedly I felt that it went on for about a minute too long, and it was a little overdone by Hudson.

That however, didn’t prevent me and the rest of the audience clapping and cheering through that scene. At one point, a young woman sitting next to me shouted, “Sing it girl!”, and at the end of that scene people continued to clap. I was astounded at the audience’s reaction. People LOVED it! And at the end of the film, most of the audience gave it a standing ovation. I have never seen anything like this before, even when I watched Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (before people realized how shitty it was).

I thought that overall, the movie flowed well. Yes, the story of the rise of a singing group isn’t new, but Dreamgirls makes it interesting because you know that it’s based on Diana Ross and the Supremes, albeit loosely. I also liked the small jabs of humor throughout the movie. For example, in the second act we see a parody of what’s obviously The Jackson 5. I liked one scene in particular, when Deena is watching a documentary on their group. I don’t think this scene was intentional, but if you know the history of Destiny’s Child, you can’t help but note the similarities between that group and the fictional Dreams, and chuckle at the irony that Knowles is in this scene.

I thought that the acting was pretty good. I know that most people are praising Hudson, but I think that Foxx was great as Curtis. He’s so likeable early on in the film, dedicated to his work and willing to make personal sacrifices for the good of his group. It’s fascinating to see him slowly turn into a cold, calculating businessman who’s willing to do anything or step on anyone who gets in his path. There’s a small scene in particular where Curtis is chatting with Deena’s mom, and it reveals how his mind works*:

MAE JONES: …you make her sound like a commodity.

CURTIS: Commodity — I like that.

Murphy was also very good in playing Jimmy, who is a composite of several R&B stars (Jackie Wilson, James Brown, and Marvin Gaye). I thought that early on Murphy was rather annoying as Jimmy, though I understand that he’s supposed to be loud, arrogant, and annoying. However, I preferred the older, defeated Jimmy in the second act. There’s one scene where it’s Christmas Eve and they’re supposed to be celebrating, but Jimmy is not. He’s sitting on the couch and looks like a sad old man. It’s so subtle, but powerful.

As for the female cast, most people have so far ripped Knowles’ acting and heaped praises on Hudson for hers. And while I question Knowles’ Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress even though the story focused mainly on Hudson’s character, I don’t think that Hudson was that great an actress either. Of course she can definitely sing- I knew that years ago, when I watched in horror as she got booted off American Idol, but her strong black woman, diva role is a “been there, done that” sort of thing. Knowles was ok, but rather bland most of the time, even when she has a more prominent role in the second act. Actually, I think that the best actress out of the three is the constantly ignored Rose. Every time anyone talks about the female leads in Dreamgirls, Knowles and Hudson are the only two mentioned. I thought that Lorelle was the middle ground between the overly mouthy Effie and the overly meek Deena. Rose does a great job in showing Lorelle’s evolution from a giggling, nervous schoolgirl to a strong, mature woman who encounters a lot of pain near the end.

If you like musicals, then catch Dreamgirls.

Technorati Tags: Dreamgirls, Motown, R&B, Jamie Foxx, Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy, Anika Noni Rose, The Dreams, And I am Telling You I’m Not Going, Effie White, Deena Jones, Lorelle Robinson

* This quote may not be quite accurate. I asked people in the IMDB forums, but I couldn’t verify its accuracy.

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