Audacious fun

Rating: 7/10 (10 June 2001)

To accuse Baz Luhrman of style-over-substance is missing the point, since the style is the substance of this giddy, splashy musical. It is appropriate that Luhrman incorporates Queen's "The Show Must Go On" into this film, as this is the cinematic equivalent of a Queen song -- intelligent, over-the-top and winking in a knowing way that let's the audience know it's not just in on the joke, but part of it.
The plot is just an excuse to throw together musical numbers and set pieces. To that extent, the second half of the movie drags and could have used some editing -- although the climactic scenes are very effective. I'd ditch the "Roxanne" number, simply on the grounds that it was musically uninteresting, for starters.
Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman both show the breadth of their talent, including their fine singing voices. Jim Broadbent uncharacteristically chews the scenery, delightfully, while John Leguizamo characteristically chews the scenery, also delightfully.
The use of music is almost always spot on, and any movie that not only touches upon Queen, but Elton John (big time), Sweet, Kiss and T-Rex shows an auteur who knows both zeit and geist in equal amounts. Oh, and the look of the film is just awesome, stitching together the best bits of cinema from the silents to Welles to today's cutting edge technology.
And best of all -- it's the best Kylie Minogue/Placido Domingo film ever...7.5 of 10, only because of the draggy bits -- but still worth seeing.
Mike Bennett