Dreamgirls (Full Screen Edition)

     The spirit of Motown runs through the long-awaited film adaption of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, which centers around a young female singing trio who burst upon the music scene in the '60s, complete with bouffant hairdos, glitzy gowns, and a soul sound new to the white-bread American music charts. Sound familiar? You aren't the first one to draw comparisons to the meteoric rise of the Supremes, and despite any protests to the contrary, this is most definitely a thinly veiled reinterpretation of that success story. The Dreamettes--statuesque Deena (Beyonce Knowles), daffy Lorell (Anika Noni Rose) and brassy Effie (Jennifer Hudson)--are a girl group making the talent-show rounds when they're discovered by car salesman and aspiring music manager Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx). Sensing greatness (as well as a new marketing opportunity) Curtis signs the Dreamettes as backup singers for R&B star James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy). But when Early's mercurial ways and singing style don't mesh with primarily white audiences, Curtis moves the newly-renamed Dreams to center stage--with Deena as lead singer in place of Effie. And that's not the only arena in which Effie is replaced, as Curtis abandons their love affair for a relationship with star-in-the-making Deena. Besides the Supremes comparison, one can't talk about Dreamgirls now without revisiting its notorious Oscar snub; though it received eight nominations, the most for any film from 2006, it was shut out of the Best Picture and Director races entirely. Was the oversight justified? While Dreamgirls is certainly a handsomely mounted, lovingly executed and often vibrant film adaptation, it inspires more respect than passion, only getting under your skin during the musical numbers, which become more sporadic as the film goes on. Writer-director Bill Condon is definitely focused on recreating the Motown milieu (down to uncanny photographs of Knowles in full Diana Ross mode), he often forgets to flesh out his characters, who even on the Broadway stage were underwritten and relied on powerhouse performances to sell them to audiences. (Stage fans will also note that numerous songs are either truncated or dropped entirely from the film.) Condon has assembled a game cast, as Knowles does a canny riff on the essence of Diana Ross' glamour (as opposed to an all-out impersonation) and Rose makes a peripheral character surprisingly vibrant; only Foxx, who never gets to pour on the charisma, is miscast. Still, there are two things even the most cranky viewers will warm to in Dreamgirls: the performances of veteran Eddie Murphy and newcomer Jennifer Hudson. Murphy is all sly charm and dazzling energy as the devilish Early, who's part James Brown, part Little Richard, and all showman. And Hudson, an American Idol contestant who didn't even make the top three, makes an impressive debut as the larger-than-life Effie, whose voice matches her passions and stubbornness. Though she sometimes may seem too young for the role, Hudson nails the movie's signature song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," with a breathtaking power that must be seen and heard to believe. And for those five minutes, if not more, you will be in Dreamgirls' thrall.

Comment:
    "DreamGirls" is a kind of movie that comes beautifully alive every time a song is sung. Wonderful singing performances of American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson (her every entry is a real showstopper), Beyonce (who belts out her signature tune "Listen" here) and even Eddie Murphy (in his best role so far, even with hints of James Brown and Prince). Together with "Ray", this film should satisfy every lover of good music, especially soul. The story itself lags far behind the music, but, given what can be heard with your ears and heart, it is enough. "DreamGirls" is great entertainment, something that has been much lacking in the movies post 2000.I finally watched "Dreamgirls" last weekend. Mostly I wanted to see it because it had won an Oscar, or should I say Jennifer Hudson won the Oscar for Supporting Actress. What a performance! To think she came from American Idol(and not the winner) and is such an amazing performer and actress. The movie seemed like the perfect vehicle for her rev up her movie career. "Dreamgirls" reminded me a bit of the story of The Supremes. It is the 50's when it starts. Three back up singers for Eddie Murphy's Jimmy "Thunder" Early, dance and sing their way up to the front of the stage. Eventually they have their own girl group, The Dreams. Curtis Taylor, Jr. played by Jamie Foxx, is the manager of the group. Beyonce Knowles plays the main singer, Deena Jones, who gets all the attention that I felt Effie White, Jennifer Hudson's character, deserved. I felt she got the shaft because she wasn't the imagine that they wanted for the group. She was the most talented. She knows it too, and eventually takes a bad turn away from the group. "Dreamgirls" was a musical/play before it was a film and it transitioned well to onto the big screen. It had some great songs and was set from the 50's to the 60's. It's worth watching just to see Jennifer Hudson perform her Oscar winning performance."Dream Girls" is a brilliant, glitzy and thoroughly entertaining production. The women in the film sparkle with both talent, grace and beauty. The men, both entertainers and agents, are sleazy enough to want to make you take a good both after watching them. They are acquisitive, double-dealing and sleazy. Eddie Murphy as a James Brown surrogate does an especially great job. Consumed by intemperance and drugs he crashes out before the end of the movie. It is a little difficult to understand why the female "Dreams" love these creeps but...hey...it's Hollywood. "The Dreams" are fairly clearly styled on the "Supremes" and their music and back up verges on the spectacular. The choreography is every bit as good as the original 'Supremes", maybe better. Effie, as the not quite so pretty and a little overweight member of the developing group that will become the "Dreams", is especially good. Despite the fact that she is the most talented member of the group she is tossed aside because their agent thinks she doesn't fit the beautiful image of the other girls. We feel her hurt and humiliation as she tries to survive without the music she loves. Effie, if I'm not mistaken, is an Aretha Franklin type character, not beautiful, perhaps, but a terrific talent. Anyway, most of the scuzzy men in the film are ultimately left in the dust but the glorious 'Dreams' go on to greater glory.