Wowee Wowee Wow!

Rating: 10/10 (8 December 2006)

If you want a good time at the movies, go see Dreamgirls. Feet were tapping, heads were bobbing all throughout. (That's in the audience, I mean.) I saw the original cast on Broadway and as wonderful as that was, the movie version improves on it.
(And you can't say that about all movie musicals -- look at "The Producers". No, don't.)
There are wall to wall songs. Every frame is filled with wonderful things to see and hear.
Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson blew me away (and I'm not easily impressed). This is the best role Eddie has ever had. When he first came out as the marcelled 50s soul singer, I had a brief flashback to the "In the Hot Tub - YOW!" sketch of his early SNL days when he was doing James Brown. But this role goes far beyond mere impersonation. He's a joy to watch every moment.
I can see the Academy Voters breathing a collective sigh of relief (from their elderly lungs as they take a hit off their oxygen masks): "Phfew!! At last! An easy choice for Best Picture Oscar!" Unlike last year: "Brokeback Mountain or Crash ... hmmm... errrmmm... Do we HAVE to pick one? Can't we just say there were several pretty good pictures this year?"
My only quibble is several of the songs sounded Show-Tuney when they ought to have sounded Motown-ey.
But I guess they felt they had to reproduce the original score exactly. But they could have made a few improvements there.
Also (OK, second quibble) -- occasionally they do that annoying thing that they do in musicals -- where people having a conversation suddenly starting singing to one another. It's fine when the song is being performed on stage by the Supremes -- uh, er, I mean -- "The Dreams" -- but when brother and sister are talking backstage and suddenly burst into song, well...
And (OK, third quibble) they could have used a few moments of black screen after Jennifer Hudson finishes her amazing rendition of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", coz in the Broadway theater the audience rose to its feet and applauded (the original performer) for 3 minutes. But in the movie they just immediately cut to another scene. We need a moment to take in such an astounding performance.
But these are small quibbles and I got past them pretty easily because this whole movie is just so darn enjoyable.