What a freakin' mess

Rating: 4/10 (11 June 2001)

Oh, my, what a disappointment this was. There was just TOO MUCH. Too much spectacle, too many cuts and jumps, too much directoral cleverness, too much mugging for the camera, too much noise, too many pop song references, too much STUFF. Even the musical numbers, which could have been what made this movie very very special, each were made up of multiple songs and intercut storylines.
I considered getting up and leaving halfway through, but resisted the urge in hopes that the film would improve. It did, slightly, calming down in the second half. But by that point I was too annoyed to get lost in the story.
"Moulin Rouge" is to "Strictly Ballroom" what "Phantom Menace" was to "Star Wars". When the directors didn't have access to enormous budgets and whiz-bang special effects they gave us well crafted, entertaining stories instead. Given free rein the story is lost to the visuals and I, for one, am left wanting my $6.75 back.