Greed and Bad Judgment Bred by Success

Rating: 8/10 (29 December 2006)

Dreamgirls is not something I would've imagined myself wanting to see at the beginning of 2006, but now that we're at the end of it, I'm so glad I didn't pass it up. It is so full of passion, energy, heart and soul that you feel like every single one of the singers, dancers, and actors has leaped from the screen, shaken you back and forth, slapped you repeatedly across the face, spun you around in circles, and shoved back into your seat by the time the credits have begun to roll. Even if you are not a fan of musicals, you will enjoy this film tremendously if you give it a chance. I promise you. I almost want to give you my name and phone number so that you can call me and tell me I was right, because I will be. I've never been very interested in musicals and glamorous stage productions like that. I've never seen Seven Brides For Seven Brothers or Showboat and may not. All I know is that Dreamgirls is a great movie with success in the writing, the cast, the direction, and the earth-shaking, heart- pumping, explosive music.
I think one way to rejuvenate a freshly dead person is for the EMT to play the soundtrack to this film and this corpse will be dancing and jumping and thrusting and spinning around and stomping. In a way, Dreamgirls is a very important film, especially in a time underscored by awful, truly monotonous rap music played by thugs and womanizers who use nothing but drum machines and their brutish and inarticulate speaking voices. This film really demonstrates the mind-blowing volume of the contribution black culture has given to music. It depicts a time and a place in American history when we were just beginning to hear these sounds and were not able to help but be moved by the heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears, and flesh poured outrageously into a single performance. It also depicts the dawn of the debilitating effect industry and profit has that dominates and creates great obstacles for that passion. Everyone from the title performers to Eddie Murphy's Jimmy "Thunder" Early is riveting. Jennifer Hudson is without argument skyscrapers above what is typically expected of a performer from American Idol. She delivers one of the most shockingly amazing performances as an actress and as a singer that I think I've ever seen. I may not have ever seen anything like it. It's also very refreshing to see Eddie Murphy in a good movie again. This just may be the best film he's ever made, and someone with his talent and presence doesn't deserve a career of bad sequels and awful Z-list comedies, like he's made for himself, and has finally climbed into a role that shows us the fine actor he is, holding down his side of the screen just fine with the subtle tempest that is Jamie Foxx and an old pro in the character actor game like Danny Glover.
Bill Condon, the film's director and adapting screenwriter, draws heavily to my surprise from Scorsese, his style being increasingly very clear and gradually more and more blatantly barefaced in the jump-cutting, bull-charging camera movements, and subtle juxtapositions emotionally affected by music. Condon's intense projection of the story is brilliant in its outcome the very same way Scorsese's is, creating a long movie with a ram's pace. Dreamgirls will leave you feeling like a million bucks. It is among the ultimate feel-good films and is one remarkable argument for musicals.