And introducing Jennifer Hudson!

Rating: Null/10 (24 January 2013)

I've known about this film since it came out and caused a big uproar in 2006. I knew all about Eddie Murphy losing the Oscar to everyone's surprise, and Jennifer Hudson being the "break-out" and winning the Oscar. But I never actually had that much desire to see it. After 6 years I did, and it's truly a fantastic film.
There's nothing incredibly surprising about it, and by now I knew a lot of the plot, but I still found it incredibly entertaining with some really great music to boot. It's very satisfying and never once drags. The real stars of the film are Murphy and Hudson. The fact that Murphy was beat by Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine, of all performances, is criminal. Jennifer Hudson has faced some backlash since she won the Oscar, but she dominates the screen. Her performance of the musical numbers, in particular her solo, are captivating and powerful, and contrary to what a lot of people think, she was the most effective in the non-singing parts of the film as well. It helps that her character is the one with the "meatiest" arc to it, and she fully sinks her teeth into Effie, commanding the screen. It's a truly fantastic break-through performance. Noni Rose is also quite fantastic, and it's a shame she doesn't have more to do. I think she would have been a much more interesting Deena than Beyonce, who's probably the weakest link in the cast. Her "Listen" seems way overacted in contrast to the way Hudson does her own solo.
Overall, a truly successful film. It's a blast to watch and emotionally satisfying with some truly fantastic performances.