8 on a scale of 10

Rating: 8/10 (26 June 2001)

Rarely does a movie come along that is as unusual and creative as this one. Even though there is very little similarity (other than a love story, musical and a screwball plot), it kind of reminded me of Little Shop of Horrors. I think there is a fairly good chance that if you liked LSOH, you would like Moulin Rouge.
For me, I only rate the first 1/3 of the movie as about a 6-7. It was just too many bizarre scenes that didn't mean anything to me. However, there was one particular moment in the movie (and anyone seeing it will know when it was) that it all turned around. I would rate the last 2/3 as over a 9. I really, really liked it. And, I rarely say this, but I would like to see it again - especially the last hour+.
The acting was very good, but the direction was sensational - hard to imagine how it could be beat. The sets were stunning. The music was very enjoyable as it was bits and pieces of modern day soft rock set in Paris a hundred years ago. Quite an achievement. Strongly recommend.