New Bohemia

Rating: Null/10 (22 September 2001)

Baz Luhrmann is credited with making a star of Leonardo di Caprio, his leading man in 1996's "William Shakespeare's 'Romeo + Juliet'", but with his latest project he's gone one step better and hired two actors who are already stars in their own right. Ewan Mc Gregor and Nicole Kidman take centrestage in Luhrmann's colourful musical "Moulin Rouge" and both seize the opportunity with such vigor and that its difficult to watch it without succumbing to the whirling vortex of energetic song and dance set in 19th century Paris.
Mc Gregor plays the part of struggling writer Christian, new to the Parisian scene, and willing to fully immerse himself in the Bohemian culture of truth, beauty, freedom and love. Kidman plays the courtesan Satine, the most revered of Moulin Rouge's performers, who one day dreams of becoming a "real actress"; simply put, she is the proverbial "tart with a heart". The Bohemian themes are explored through a continuous explosion of song and dance, but Luhrmann makes no attempt to camouflage the music with authentic Bohemian sounds, instead opting to utilise a vast array of 20th century hits, ranging from 'Diamonds are a girls best friend' to Nirvanas grunge anthem 'Smells like teen spirit'. While the music used may not be original Luhrmann, the means in which he paints the scenes with his borrowed musical interludes give them a reinvented sheen, and are further complimented by Mc Gregor and Kidmans surprisingly talented vocals. Even if this wasn't the case, it would do little to take away from Kidmans hypnotic performance, which is sure to be seriously considered when the Oscar nominations are announced early next year.
The supporting cast are equally impressive, with Kylie Minogues cameo as the Green Fairy providing us with one of the films highlights, while Jim Broadbent as the Moulin Rouges manager and Richard Roxburgh as the seedy Duke of Worcester are well suited to their roles and help contribute to an impressive enamel on an already glossy production.
On the minus side, the second half is weighed down by a sluggish, emotional punch, and while it's obvious that this is a tragedy from the beginning, it seems to do little to detach itself from tragic clichés. Play this off against the quick paced first half, and you've got an unbalanced result. The cartoon-like sound effects also begin to grate after a while, but ultimately, "Moulin Rouge" is a pleasing experience, which owes most of its pleasure to the central performances and the sometimes hilarious, often touching use of modern music. 8 out of 10