a very personal view

Rating: 10/10 (13 March 2003)

My boyfriend thought it was a bit over the top - we watched the DVD on Valentine's day and he obviously would have preferred something more peaceful. I've read similar criticisms of it. I tend to zoom in on the intimate scenes so the more flamboyant bits melt into the background. I thought musically it was excellent - my favourite scene is where the Argentinian sings Roxanne and Ewan MacGregor comes in with his own song - the counterpart is stunning. Also I had never noticed Ewan before in Brassed Off or Emma so the director really brought out his talent as a singer and got some very good visual shots too - they must both have worked very hard. I realy enjoyed the finale after the credits come up - all very romantic and stirring. I wanted to know more about the history of the Moulin Rouge after this, having seen a black and white movie on TV when I was a child. The film defintely inspired me to want more background information, about Paris in the 1890s and Toulouse Lautrec, and perhaps more about Argentina.