Variety Reviews "Dreamgirls"

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 7:24pm

Variety's review of Dreamgirls is in, and it's overwhelmingly positive, comparing Hudson's debut performance to that of Streisand in "Funny Girl" and Bette Middler in "The Rose."

New U.S. Release

Dreamgirls
By DAVID ROONEY

"Finally. After "The Phantom of the Opera," "Rent" and "The Producers" botched the transfer from stage to screen, "Dreamgirls" gets it right. Bill Condon's adaptation of the 1981 show about a Motown trio's climb to crossover stardom pulls off the fundamental double-act those three musical pics all missed: It stays true to the source material while standing on its own as a fully reimagined movie. Driven by tremendously exciting musical performances, the Par/DreamWorks release should sing loud and strong through awards season and beyond.
While it lost best musical in 1982 to "Nine," the original Broadway production of "Dreamgirls" won six Tonys, ran for 1,521 perfs and returned director-choreographer Michael Bennett to the spotlight five years after "A Chorus Line." Fittingly, Condon has dedicated the film to Bennett (who died of AIDS complications in 1987) and has echoed his original staging in savvy ways.

As he showed in his "Chicago" screenplay, Condon's love of the movie musical is backed by an awareness of how tricky it is to make the genre work for film audiences no longer accustomed to characters spontaneously bursting into song.

In "Chicago," the numbers evolved out of the characters' fantasies. Here, the first few songs are performances anchored in narrative context. Condon reels the audience in before gradually embracing traditional musical presentation -- first with brief, music-vid-style inserts during a montage and then with full-blown sung dialogue exchanges as the emotional stakes are raised. The mix not only blends seamlessly, it provides footing in the twin camps of movie musical and performance-based music biopic.

From the electric opening moments, the film establishes a highly energized, dynamic visual style. The dark screen is broken by quick flashes of color showing heels, skirts, hair and sashaying bodies at a 1962 Detroit talent contest..."

http://www.variety.com/VE1117932225.html

Updated On: 11/30/06 at 07:24 PM

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 7:25pm

score! When does it open in wide release?

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 7:27pm

Christmas Day, I believe.

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 7:32pm

Wow. What a stellar review for Hudson. I can't wait for this to open.

[ruprecht]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 9:13pm

I'm even happier for Eddie Murphy.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 9:53pm

I'm not familiar with DREAMGIRLS. The review described Murphy's character as "flamboyant". Is his character gay?

[wickedfan]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 9:57pm

No. "Flamboyant" doesn't mean flaming. It more means eccentric, over the top, etc. That's what Jimmy Early is like. He and Effie both are "larger than life" in a sense.

[kyle.]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 10:26pm

Comparing Hudson to Streisand in "Funny Girl" and Bette Midler in "The Rose" is out of this question. She is good in the film,  but not THAT good. I wish she was, but she isn't right now. In a few years maybe. But not now I'm sad to say.

I've been a Jennifer supporter since AI. Literally. Like most people, all I could think about was Dreamgirls when I was watching her on the show. I'm not bashing her. At all. She has an amazing voice. I'll be buying her CD. She is just not as great in the film as everyone is making her out to be IMO. I wish she was as good as all the hype. I want Dreamgirls to be huge, and I'm sure it will be. But she is nowhere near the hype level. I think a lot of people are going to be disappointed. They may be too scared to say it amidst all the hoopla, but they will be feeling it.

I was honestly more moved while watching Listen in the film than I was watching AIATY. And I am not a Beyonce fan, whatsoever. Never have been. But that song choked me up. I got goosebumps all over. AIATY....nothin'.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 10:35pm

kyle., can you offer something worthwhile to support your argument instead of repeating the same declaration over and over with no evidence?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 10:56pm

Is there any evidence in an opinion? PLEASE.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 11:03pm

I thought Jennifer was wonderful. Her acting was dead-on. It was over the top at many moments, yes, but fittingly so. Effie needs to be over-the-top because she is and always will be a diva. The best examples are in the talent show scene: when Jennifer complains about the wigs and costumes, you can tell that's it not about the wigs and costumes, it's about her establishing her status as the the leader of the group.

But one of my favorite moments is when she isn't speaking or singing. It's when she first meets Jaime Foxx and he tells her that she looks great. She looks him up and down and you can tell that she wants to crack a smile and giggle, but she controls herself and struts in front of him with a bit of a sexy attitude. You can tell that she's swaying her hips extra hard for him.

Her voice is phenomenal as well. Holliday will always own the vocals in "Dreamgirls", but if anyone could compete with her, it's Hudson.

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 11:04pm

"An "American Idol" finalist without prior screen experience, Hudson comes fully-formed to film. It's the kind of galvanizing perf that calls to mind debuts like Barbra Streisand in "Funny Girl" or Bette Midler in "The Rose," with a voice like the young Aretha. More fully developed here than onstage, Effie is the fierce, wounded, pulsating heart of the movie. Her big song and second explosive number "I Am Changing" both elicit audience cheers and applause."

Now THAT is a review! This girl is gonna be a star!

[wickedfan]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 11:04pm

And yes, I do compare it with Streisand and Midler. They're all roles of a lifetime performed perfectly.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 12:12am

kyle. I'm also skeptical about all the hype Hudson is getting. However, if she's better than the overrated Catherine Zeta-Jones in Chicago, then I'd be more than happy with Hudson.

[DAME]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 12:23am

I saw this film tonight for my 6th time. Tonight was the first time I saw it in a small theater with a non industry crowd. The audience loved it. The movie will be a classic. Hudson is phenomenal in the film. Comparing her to Streisand and Midler in their iconic roles is right on. kyle..your entitled to your opinion.. but I don't believe for a second you have seen the film. And with that.. goodnight.

Updated On: 12/1/06 at 12:23 AM

[Kringas]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 1:04am

This review pretty much sums up my feelings exactly about the film.

And it's nice to see the actual press giving Beyonce some credit, since she's being ripped to shreds on message boards and on blogs.

I didn't think the movie was perfect, but I thought it was pretty damn close.

[DAME]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 3:19am

I loved that they show the Playbill during the closing credits..

[DAME]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 3:42am

"Hudson's film debut is a glorious, Oscar-ready cause for celebration. She can act. She can nail a laugh with the sassy curl of her lip. She can break your heart by letting her eyes show how she hurts. And she can sing until the roof comes off the multiplex. As it will when she tears into "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," a war cry of a song in which Effie futilely battles to stop Curtis from throwing her out of the Dreams and his bed. For those, me included, who saw the great Jennifer Holliday play Effie onstage, the moment is revelatory. Hudson seems to absorb Holliday's spirit while making the role her own. It's a tribute to both their talents."

Rolling Stone


RS

Updated On: 12/1/06 at 03:42 AM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 4:10am

wow!

[paradox_error]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 4:18am

Wow! That's a hell of a review too...

The film gets 5/5 from Entertainment Junkies...It's no Times but it's all I got...

http://www.entertainmentjunkies.com/2006/11/17/review-dreamgirls/

[DAME]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 1:29pm

Not a review.. but interesting. More reviews should pop up tonight.. as there were press screenings yesterday and today.
pop

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 2:29pm

Dame, how in heaven's name have you seen the movie 6 times? Haven't there only been a couple of nights of screenings? LUCKY!

[ruprecht]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 3:19pm

I still don't think it'll be quite as big as everyone seems to think.

[WaitingForKathy]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 3:25pm

This movie is gonna rock!!

Posted: 12/1/06 at 4:27pm

Yes, Dame, please share!