All That Shines Is Not Glitter and Gold.

Rating: Null/10 (14 March 2007)

Three young African-American women (Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Hudson and Anika Noni Rose) dream of super-stardom via the Motown route of Detroit in the 1960s and amazingly their fantasies of grabbing the brass ring may become reality with the help of a brash car salesman (Jamie Foxx) and a washed-up former headliner (Eddie Murphy). But not all dreams come true the way you wish they would. "Dreamgirls" is the would-be charming masterpiece of 2006 that is really overblown and overrated. It is loud, long, not as smart as it thinks it is and just generally under-achieving in most major cinematic areas. Screenwriter/director Bill Condon (best known for "Gods and Monsters") tries to hit the enthusiasm of "Moulin Rouge!", the style and intelligence of "Chicago" and the emotion and depth of "Ray" and "Walk the Line". Unfortunately the sound and art direction drown out the performers, the story and the film's helter skelter tone. Hit and miss all the way "Dreamgirls" is still a movie with more good than bad, but its red carpet treatment is not completely justified. 4 stars out of 5.