Does anyone else think Dreamgirls is a bad movie?

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 1:10pm

I went with some friends to see it for the second time last night.

The first time I saw it was highly disappointing, because I expected it to be amazing.
While I found the performances to be superb, the movie really was a let-down.

Seeing it for a second time, knowing what to expect, really just made the movie's flaws stand out even more to me.

The movie is, on some levels, great entertainment, especially the musical numbers, but as a film, it is mediocre.

The narrative is not strong, which is a big problem.
I just feel that Bill Condon could have done so many things to make the film narrative stronger in the transition. And many of the cuts are strange and awkward, especially when people are singing.

SPOILER
The problem of his weak direction, for me, stands out the most in "Listen." It is a great song. But the way it is done, with Deena singing the song in a recording studio, is odd. (Why would Curtis let her sing a song like that, especially when it doesn't fit his new disco sound?) It would have been a stronger segment had she just sung the song, maybe, starting out to herself, and then cutting to shots of her stealing the files, etc.
END SPOILER

The production values and the actors are all great. Bill Condon did a fine job in that regard. But in actually directing, he made an unfocused film.

I know I'm in the minority on this site, but anyone agree with me?

Updated On: 1/7/07 at 01:10 PM

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 1:16pm

I find the film very flawed but entertaining, which is more than you can say for a lot of films these days.
That is a great point about Curtis allowing Dina to record Listen.

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 1:19pm

I totally felt the same way about "Listen." And I was underwhelmed by the film as well. Couldn't quite place it, it just didn't blow me away.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 1:24pm

It blew me away because so many other recent movie musicals have been so terrible.

Say what you want about it not living up to your expectations, I can't remember in recent history a movie musical making the audience applaud AT ALL, let alone so many times.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 1:33pm

Good God, compared to Rent and The Producers it is a masterpiece. But as entertaining and exciting as it is on some levels, I felt the film didn't reach the heights that it could have. The ending is atrocious and the musical numbers, with a couple of exceptions, don't POP. Some of the transitions are very weak. The transition from And I am Telling You into I'm Somebody, for instance, is a real letdown. When Effie is at her lowest, the Dreams should be HUGE and Condon did not let the girls fill the screen. It faded out too soon when it could have gone a moment or two longer and finish big.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 1:41pm

Well . . . my wife (who does not like musicals that much) fell IN LOVE with this movie. Before we went, she gave me a proclamation that she was only going to see this movie once and that the only reason she was going is because I wanted to see it. When we walked out of the movie, she asked me when we were going to see it again. Now that is a great testament to this film.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 2:06pm

I think the movie was spectacular. Not without its faults, but still a great movie.

People who aren't used to the whole breaking out in songs seem to have a problem with certain moments. It's funny, because those are the moments I had the most problem with.

FAMILY should really have been cut or replaced. It's a great moment that I think is best done in song. The problem is the lyrics are extremely cheesy and the delivery was outlandish. I mean, CC's hand movements were too contrived and it seemed he was singing AT Effie.

I agree about LISTEN. When I first heard the song I thought it would be some sort of voice over beginning with her singing it to Curtis (the same way Effie sings AND I AM TELLING YOU to Curtis). What ruined it even more than the fact that Deena was recording it was that Curtis seemed to be reacting to the lyric. The direction of that number killed the emotional impact it should have had, I thought.

AND I AM TELLING YOU was OK. I was sort of hoping that he would have Effie singing to the empty audience (a la I'M GOING HOME in Rocky).

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 2:22pm

I had the same thoughts about "Listen."

I can't see how anyone could possibly call "Dreamgirls" a BAD movie. Flawed? Sure. Bad? No chance.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 3:34pm

I just saw it on Friday and I agree - I thought the performances were all strong but the movie's drawbacks were awkward transitions and uneven pacing. (Not being very familiar with the musical going into it, there were so many fade-outs that would have appropriately ended the movie in the last 1/3 that I found myself reaching for my coat and bag, just to slump back in my seat. Just like LOTR3!)

Still, I thought it was entertaining and I felt like I got my money's worth, which is more than I can say about most of the tripe being released nowadays.

Updated On: 1/7/07 at 03:34 PM

[StageManager2]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 3:40pm

Incidentally, I had a dream last night that Jennifer Hudson DIDN'T win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Some other chick in a movie with ANTARCTICA in the title won. I know no such movie exists, but that's how it went down in my dream.

[MatthewAddison]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 4:14pm

I agree with PalJoey. We clapped a couple of times during the movie. Afterwards I stopped to think how odd that is. I've NEVER been to a movie where people (including myself) clapped during a movie. THAT was a unique experience. I'm going back.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 4:22pm

My audience went nuts after "AIATY." Nuts. I thought they were going to stand and start throwing bibles at the screen. It was literally church in there.
I think there are PLENTY of problems with the film. I'm not sure it's direction, though, I think it was the screenplay. Admittedly, as much affection as people have for Dreamgirls, it's not the most rock-solid book and plot ever. I think, minus Bennett's original crafting and the towering performance of Jennifer Holliday, it would not be remembered as an upper-echelon piece of musical theatre. As good as Condon has proved to be adapting material, I don't think he succeeded at fixing what he saw as flaws in the original libretto. Also, while the new "2nd act" focus on Deena's career mirrored Diana Ross so closely you might as well have had her avoiding signing autographs and saying, "don't touch me!", it didn't help the overall plot problems.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 4:24pm

Good point, bwaysinger. I didn't know how much of the screenplay was directly from the book, but I do remember finding the dialogue weak and cheesy at times.

All the people who are reporting audiences applauding after certain numbers, did this all happen in NYC? I wonder if I would have been more receptive to the movie if I experienced this with a crowd like that. But as I said, I thought most of the numbers were terrific, there were just other flaws I couldn't overlook.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 4:28pm

I don't know what kind of a world you people think you live in: a world in which movies--especially movie musicals!--are born perfect.

I mean, even Breakfast at Tiffany's has Mickey Rooney in slant-eyed buckteeth. Even the Garland Star Is Born has the non-Cukor "Born in a Trunk"...THANK GOD!

Y'all can pick Dreamgirls apart all you want--and ridiculously put it on your Bad Movie Musicals list with Mame and Fiddler and Man of La Mancha and Chorus Line and Rent and The Producers. Yeah, right. It's THAT bad, isn't it? WORSE!

Meanwhile, Matthew Addison and I will go back and hoot and holler. Even at Beyonce's "Listen" and Jennifer Hudson's Oscar.

[NiteOwl]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 4:31pm

I think it's a great film. Not without it's flaws. Condon should have re-written the "Listen" scene to have Deena record the song without Curtis' knowledge as just one more thing she feels she needs to do to gain her independence and then have Curtis walk in on that recording session, stay in the background unseen and facially react to the lyrics being sung and then as the song is finishing finally have Deena catch a glimpse of him in the corner.

That to me would have been a better scenario. JMO.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 4:33pm

Sorry, PJ! What was I thinking? I forgot to drink the Kool-Aid today.

Tiff, it DEFINITELY enhances the experience to see a movie like that with an audience you know is going to be appreciative. There was no talking to the screen or incredulous, "They're singing?!?" shouts. The audience was there to enjoy what they knew the show was: a movie musical.
IT didn't hurt that it was in the near-2000 seat Ziegfeld theatre either...which is where I've had many of my favorite film moments ever.
Oh, and for the record, the audience responded similiarly there when I was Chicago on opening day.

[Pinguin]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 4:53pm

HA, I saw it in LA and there were also applauding audiences, but applauding audiences in movie theaters get on my nerves, it's just a personal pet peeve.

I thought there were many many flaws with the film (Family is the most atrocious number by far) and I blame the director for a lot of that (another personal pet peeve is the montages these movie musicals are putting during musical numbers), but I think the musical did seem to translate well, there were some great performances (Hudson and Murphy cleary being the strongest) and it was affecting. Definitely not BAD. I mean, like others on this thread have said, have you SEEN Rent?

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 5:01pm

...or Phantom Of The Opera, a.k.a. "Fat Bastard Serenades The Jailbait"?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 5:30pm

I loved DREAMGIRLS. It surpassed my expectations and I have seen it twice.

Still, I don't think it's the best film of the year.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 5:32pm

Nope

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 5:34pm

Does anyone still think that DREAMGIRLS will win best picture?

It's won literally nothing with the critics, and it's on very few of the top 10 lists. Interesting.

[jasonf]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 5:36pm

Wait wait wait - we're putting Fiddler on the list of bad movie musicals? I missed that memo...

[Pinguin]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 5:38pm

Oh, I highly doubt Dreamgirls will win best picture...I think it still has a significant chance of getting nominated, but winning? I don't think so. And I don't think it should.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 5:40pm

Agreed.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/7/07 at 5:44pm

Me three.