This movie was "Da Bomb"!

Rating: 9/10 (24 January 2007)

DREAMGIRLS is the dazzling 2006 film version of the Broadway musical that traces the meteoric rise of a girls singing trio throughout the 60's and 70's which most people believe is a thinly disguised version of the story of Diana Ross and the Supremes. This glittering film version is the story of Deena, Effie, and Laurelle, a trio known as the Dreamettes who are discovered at a talent contest by a slick music promoter-wanna-be named Curtis Taylor Jr. Curtis gets the Dreamettes a job as backup singers for a singer named James "Thunder" Early, a lounge lizard whose talent seems to be outweighed by his ego, his womanizing and his partying. Early and the Dreamettes achieve a modicum of success when Curtis makes the key decision to make the girls their own act , change their name to the Dreams, and having Deena sing the lead instead of Effie because, even though Effie is the one with the amazing pipes, Deena is thin and beautiful and will look better on album covers and it is this critical move that changes the lives of all the characters involved forever. This musical made a star out of Jennifer Holliday, who originated the role of Effie on Broadway and it has now done the same for American IDOL-cast-off Jennifer Hudson, who dominates the screen as Effie, in one of the most electrifying film debuts ever captured on film. Hudson is a revelation in this role and completely dominates the proceedings with her powerhouse performance that rivets you to the screen in the musical and non-musical sequences. Hudson is, of course, a powerhouse vocalist and her performance of the show's best song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is, arguably, the greatest musical number ever presented in a movie. I was in tears halfway through it and when I saw the film, the audience applauded at the end of the number, something you don't see in movie theaters very often. Hudson's astonishing film debut won her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Eddie Murphy also received his first Oscar nomination for his performance as James Early, a bombastic and hard-driving performer, who seems to be patterned after the late James Brown. Murphy seems to be having a ball here, creating a character who is alternately endearing and tragic. Murphy also proves to be an accomplished vocalist, making his musical numbers come vividly to life here. Jamie Foxx scores in the unsympathetic role of Curtis, the slimy promoter who never is completely honest about his third rate status in this business and never doubts any of the lousy, life-altering decisions he makes for James and the girls. The only weak spot in the film for me is the performance by Beyonce in the pivotal role of Deena, the reluctant star who turns self-assured Diva as the years pass by. In a role clearly patterned after Diana Ross, Beyonce definitely looks the part. The camera loves her and she looks stunning spread across a 40-foot screen, but the girl is no actress. This film features Oscar worthy art and costume design. The costumes in particular are stunning, perfectly recalling the look of 60's Motown and the score wonderfully recalls the Motown sound. Surprisingly, the weakest musical moments are two songs that were written especially for the movie, "Patience" is a lame duet sung by Jimmy and Laurelle (Anoka Noni Rose) that just slows the movie down and "Listen" seems to have been inserted just to give Beyonce's character a solo. These are minor infractions though...DREAMGIRLS is a rock solid adaptation of a Broadway musical that will have you laughing, cheering, crying, singing, and looking forward to seeing it again.