Beauty. Truth. Freedom. Love. It's all there.

Rating: 9/10 (29 September 2001)

It could have so easily gone wrong, this film. Musicals aren't made anymore for a reason. That reason is many people, like me, feel they're kind of silly. People don't dance to settle arguments, they don't break into singing just because they're happy and even when they do they're usually so drunk you can't understand a word they're 'singing'. And before you disagree, just think of that ill-conceived Titanic musical (for krissake). But that's not the only reason this could have gone very, very wrong. Having actors sing is about as good an idea as having singers act, especially considering Ewan McGregor's casting (anyone remember A Life Less Ordinary's sing-and-dance routine?). And then there's a completely unhinged madman director like Baz Luhrman. It could indeed have been awful. What it is however, is the most innovative, spectacular, gripping and beautiful film this year.
Luhrmann continues what he had already done in William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, which is combining the commercial (using modern music and a surprisingly heavy dose of comedy) with the artistic (the heavily theatrical stylings and loaded emotional content). Moulin Rouge! (it really deserves the exclamation mark) is most definitely a pop-opera. Technically, this is the crossbreed between unhinged and brilliant. With CG-rollercoaster shots through Paris, amazing production design and about as much edits you can fit into a two-hour film without driving your audience fully insane this is a visual feast every second of its running time. Even topnotch stylists like Ridley Scott don't come close.
Sound however is not forgotten (it is a real musical, you know). Luhrmann uses many different types of music and has everything from Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend to Material Girl to Smells Like Teen Spirit to FatBoy Slim's loose interpretation of the cancan thrown into the first 15 minutes or so. Of course, they're all reworkings of the original songs, but they're both so recognisable and different I doubt any fans of the originals have a right to be insulted. With such a wide variety of music, the movie's bound to have both high- and lowlights, my personal favourite being a tango-like version of Roxanne. I don't really dislike a single song, although I could have done without one of the film's many love ballads by Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. Not that's it's their fault, really. McGregor shows himself a talented singer and Kidman is truly spectacular. The same goes for their acting. Jim Broadbent is fine but I did think John Leguizamo could have been better. Special kudos go to Richard Roxburgh, who is absolutely hilarious as the movie's villainous Duke.
So, with so much madly OTT style it really can't be expected to have any substance, right? Wrong. Moulin Rouge! may be more of triumph of moviemaking than it is of screenwriting, it's definitely not as empty as certain critics would have you believe. It's basic premise is simple enough (it simply combines most great old plays about beauty, truth, freedom and above all love) but it's filled with emotions that seem cliches but are brought with such compelling honestly you can't help (or at least I couldn't, which, for someone who usually prefers cynicism above optimism and intelligence above emotion, is quite surprising) but be swept away be it. No, it won't exactly keep you talking about the relationship between art and real-life as portrayed so vividly on screen. In fact, I doubt it will keep you talking at all, but Moulin Rouge! is a film to experience, not to dissect.
In short, Moulin Rouge! is a one of those once-a-year type films, which re-establishes your faith in the belief that Hollywood money can be used to create something utterly unique and astoundingly beautiful. The kind of film you hope won't be insulted by the Academy (but you know probably will).
Rating: 9/10