Okay, but not all that.

Rating: 8/10 (10 January 2007)

Dreamgirls is a decent movie musical far above such recent efforts such as PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and RENT. The over the top praise is a little annoying, however. Bill Condon directs the film as if he has never been to a concert. Why were the Dreams always singing in nightclubs that seem to seat about 200? In some of their numbers they are singing without any microphones or amplification while on stage. What was up with the "One Night Only" number? Where were they? Studio 54? And what's with all the chorus boys in leather? Some great performances here - in fact all of them with the exception of Jamie Fox who just seems bored. What we don't get in this film is any sense of the world outside the sound stage in which the movie was filmed. It sort of reminded me of the 60's camp classic VALLEY OF THE DOLLS in that respect.
Also, too many close ups - especially during Beyonce's superfluous I-can-sing-as-good-as Jennifer-Hudson number "Listen"