The mind-blowing movie event of 2006!!

Rating: 10/10 (11 February 2007)

I went last Friday to watch DREAMGIRLS at the movies, as it just got released in my country. With all the hype, the talk, and the repetitive watchings of the clips on YouTube, I gave myself the mission of watching the film against all odds. And I gotta admit: THIS IS, HANDS DOWN, THE UNDENIABLE MIND-BLOWING MOVIE EVENT OF THE YEAR!! Oh, Lord!! Forget any popcorn-friendly actionneer or comedy you had seen throughout the year, either at your local theater or taken right from your nearest video rental shelf!! No sir!! This is the real thing!! I mean, don't take me wrong. This year was thankfully packed with all sorts of well-made cinematic products, but the year got rightfully topped by the release of this delicious, enthralling musical. So was the experience, that I thought it was an exaggeration from many people when they said they found themselves cheering and clapping at some of the musical numbers, specially the aforementioned trademark one (sorry, no spoilers, go see it or ask around if you wanna know!!), but then it also happened to me. I was clapping in tears of joy and excitement, as if I was in a live Broadway show!! The premise is basic stuff: A group of young girls who want to get a break on showbiz, break that comes up in the form of an ambitious promoter who lands them on a coveted singing position with a decadent, yet über-charismatic performer; the success falls on their feet and they escalate positions; but then, treason and deception come along, everything takes a sour turn, and then, the feel-good ending. It's all slightly predictable, yet the premise is not (or it doesn't intend to be) the strong point of the movie. Not at all. It's all the other components.
Writer/director Bill Condon (who also wrote CHICAGO, another delightful entry to the revival of the musical genre), does nothing short of an artistic and technical masterpiece. The production design, the costumes, the colorful cinematography, the tight-paced editing,... it's all high art. And he does justice to the storyline (originally based on a Broadway play), by effectively intertwining the drama with some very effectively-executed musical numbers in between.
Then, there are the performances: Jamie Foxx executes quite effectively his villainish number of the ambitious promoter with aplomb and conviction; you will root for him and hate him all at once. Beyoncé finally turns in a decent and VERY REAL performance, portraying the member of the group that grows to become a living icon of the moment, but with sensibility. Eddie Murphy will leave many jaw-dropped with his turn of the multi-layered and energetic singer Jimmy Early, who turns out to be like an onion: if you peel back his main layer of pure joy and charisma and dig into him, you will see that his inside hides a very vulnerable and moody character longing for something more, yet neglected on the way. Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose, Keith Robinson, they all give effective turns.
But, take my word for it. Although everyone is more than watchable, the real reason to sit through the 130 minutes of the movie, is JENNIFER HUDSON. Come out of nowhere (with the possible exception of American Idol), this extremely talented newcomer explodes into the scene with roaring energy, making every single one of her scenes completely her own, and singing like there's no tomorrow. When you watch her here, you will understand why all the Oscar buzz over her. So is the case, that the movie suffers a little whenever she is not on, although it never falls apart.
In all, give yourself the chance to watch this champion of a movie, and you won't regret it. If you love musicals, this is the thing to watch. And even, if you aren't, you would have to be extremely insensitive not to give DREAMGIRLS the credit it deserves, as a mind-blowing cinematic event. 10/10.