all you got to do is dream...
December 31, 2006
the quick take: The first half of Dreamgirls is, by pretty much any terms, a very good film with two stand-out performances by Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy, despite its flaws. The second half is an OK film with the same two stand-out performances. Definitely worth spending the money to see in a theater, and despite the drop-off in the second half, if you like movie musicals, you won't regret going to see this one. I will say that if you have never seen Dreamgirls on stage, or heard the Dreamgirls in Concert CD, it's probably a better movie for you; if you have, some of the changes they've made will seem baffling, and you'll miss a few things acutely. But even so, it's overall a good movie.
I thought I should make it apparent immediately that I liked this film, because the detailed review is going to sound like I hated it, and that's just not true. But it does have some problems; some were inherent in the source material, and some were caused by the stage-to-screen transfer and decisions made in that process. This review will discuss the film in exhaustive detail, including plot spoilers, so if you haven't seen the film, go and see that first, and then come back and read the review appearing in this space tomorrow. I'll also be discussing the soundtrack, the Dreamgirls in Concert CD, and the original cast album re-release -- in short, the entire 25-year history of Dreamgirls in 10,000 words or less. (I hope.)
Seriously. Shoo. Go watch the film. NOW.
...OK, now that you're back from seing the movie, let's talk about it, shall we? Let's shall. Musical wonks ahoy!
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