Oh, my gosh....this is great!

Rating: 10/10 (29 November 2012)

"Dreamgirls" is a movie based on a musical play that appears to be a thinly veiled story about the Supremes and Berry Gordy. However, many things have been changed here and there--allowing the producers plausible deniability. The film clearly shows the Gordy-like 'Curtis' lie, cheat, manipulate as well as behave selfishly throughout BUT enough changes are in the story that it isn't quite Gordy. And, the same can be said of the Dreamgirls--almost the Supremes...but not quite. And, the same can be said for a James Brown-like character...close, but not quite.
The film begins in the early 1960s at a talent contest. Three friends, 'The Dreamgirls', do a marvelous job and end up getting hired as backup vocalists for an established act, a James Brown-like guy played wonderfully by Eddie Murphy. They are promised, repeatedly, by Curtis that sooner or later they'll get their big break--all the time he's romancing the lead singer of this group, Effie (Jennifer Hudson). However, later, when the girls are about to get a big contract and go off on their own, Curtis springs a bombshell--Effie is NOT the lead singer but a backup and one of the backup singers, Deena (Beyoncé) is now the lead. Why? Deena is skinnier and looks better--even though her voice cannot compare to Effie's. Not surprisingly, Effie resents this and slowly this eats away at her like a cancer. When she voices her anger at Curtis, he simply replaces her! What's next? See this wonderful film.
If you are wondering how all this differs from real life, the biggest ways are the outcomes. Those in the film who have happy endings in reality DIDN'T and those who died or failed DIDN'T in real life--or at least not at all like they did in the script. But clearly, Curtis is THE villain in the film and he manipulates EVERYONE--and by the end of the movie, everyone hates him!
So why did I give this movie a 10? Well, there are two main reasons. I LOVED Jennifer Hudson--she was dynamite in the film and clearly earned her Oscar for her performance. Her acting was wonderful--her singing was like a goddess. And, as I mentioned above, Eddie Murphy shocked me, as he was great--and good enough to earn a nomination for an Oscar! The other main reason was the singing. The songs were fabulous and performed masterfully. While these were all new songs, they sounded much like 60s Motown tunes--and make me wish I'd seen the play, as folks must have been dancing in the aisles to these songs. At home, I couldn't help but get sucked into these exciting pieces--and I am pretty sure you will, too. A fine, fine film and a heck of a lot to like and enjoy. How this film wasn't nominated for Best Picture (let alone win it) is beyond me.