The maharajah? Or the penniless sitar player?

Rating: 8/10 (26 June 2001)

I spent the first ten or fifteen minutes of this film rolling my eyes, and kicking myself for choosing to see this film. After that, when my eyes caught up with the too-fast camera cuts, I started to enjoy it. I was totally unprepared for the comedic aspects of the movie and found it a pleasant surprise. I particularly enjoyed the sequence where they are making up the plot of "Spectacular, Spectacular" in a panic and end up producing the show from that. And what a wonderful performance by Nicole Kidman. I thought at first that her songs were being dubbed, but according to the credits, that was really her. She has a fine voice, and sang very well. And her beauty, as Satine, is the absolute tops. Definitely not a movie for everybody, but for all those people who whine that Hollywood never puts out anything different, go see Moulin Rouge! Grade: A