Amazingly good

Rating: 10/10 (7 November 2002)

I watched this movie expecting to absolutely hate it. The only reason I was watching it was for a connection with something I was doing in English class at the time. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have. Musical? Ugh. Lotsa flashy lights, spectacles, costumes...? Blah. No, I'm not a fan of musical, in general. But to every rule, there are always exceptions, and 'Moulin Rouge!' is another.
I'm not entirely sure why I do like it. Maybe it has something to do with the absurd musical numbers (small and not-so-small covers of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Madonna's "Like a Virgin," among numerous others). Maybe it has something to do with the surprisingly good storyline. Or maybe it's the quirky, bizarrely comical scene in Satine's bedroom in which she meets "the Duke," who actually is a young writer named Christian.
Regardless, this is quite simply one of the best movies I've seen. I never cease to be amazed by just how much I actually did like it, after all I had expected it to be.
Rating: 10/10