Never saw/heard the musical, but I liked the film!

Rating: 9/10 (11 December 2006)

I'd heard of the Broadway musical, though not much about it, so when I got a free ticket to see Dreamgirls, I figured what the heck? The plot is simple - the rise of a girl group in the 60s, dealing with tensions between members, romantic entanglements, the pushiness of their manager who wants to homogenize them and make them more salable, and the relation of all of this to the racial tension of the era. Dreamgirls is a more serious drama than, for example "That Thing You Do" which is set in a similar time in the music industry, and which flirted with some of the same issues that are explored in this film.
I agree that the performances really made this film. I wasn't surprised at all that Eddie Murphy could sing ("(My Girl Wants to) Party All the Time" ring a bell with anyone?), and I never watched American Idol, so I had no idea who the new girl was - and she totally blew me away. She was soooooooo good - both acting and singing.
The look and feel of the film was very good - the 60s and 70s came frighteningly alive, in their full and gruesome excess. The clothing, furniture, and holy cow the album covers! The music really fit with the different times too, and I have to admit that everyone in the theater began to giggle hysterically when the "not the Jackson Five" band, led by "not little Michael Jackson" sang a song very not unlike "ABC". The fringe on their costumes alone will haunt me forever!