I never expected to like the soundtrack more than the movie.

Rating: 8/10 (28 June 2001)

You know how disappointed you are when they completely destroy a great book by making it into a mediocre movie? Well, I listened to the Soundtrack for a month before I had a chance to get to the movie, and I have to say I felt the same way. I had grown so attached to each full-length cut on the CD, I would have been happy with a string of music videos instead of a plot. However, this movie is much more than its music, it's a sensory experience. Much of the music is too deeply buried in that experience for me, but I still give it an 8. In fact, I'd pay double to be able to see it again - - in slow motion!!
I also have to say that the movie's lush surroundings just bowled me over! With so much staging and constant activity, music within music, plots within plays within plots, it was okay for the main plot to be a bit unimpressive. The actors were a bunch of strong characters and Nicole Kidman's incredible accuracy of pitch was a happy surprise!! Who knew?? Throw in the humor, the surrealistic historical venue of Moulin Rouge, and the bows to dozens of musical hits from the past and it's a rollercoaster ride! No, more like a pinball table with me crying "Tilt". And then, I felt dizzy and kind of slapped in the face when it ended.
This was one of the most unusual movies I have seen in years, and when I think back on it, all I can say is "Hurry Up, DVD". I wanna see it again.