A gaudy pastiche of songs a century from the setting!

Rating: Null/10 (12 July 2004)

MR is definitely a "Spectacular Spectacular" to quote the play-within-a-play, but I could not call it a great musical, nor a great movie. While Kidman and McGregor do creditable jobs, neither have great voices, though they are probably enough for this opus. This is one of those cases where the sets outclass the story (what little there is of it) and the musical selections leave one in a weird time warp. It is a case of "Camille" meets "Cabaret" with dazzling but outlandish dances from a cabaret (which is what MR, which means "Red Mill" --as in a grist mill-- in French), with a subplot of Kidman's character getting "consumption" (tuberculosis) right out of "Camille" to provide the pathos (if not bathos). While the exterior sets are as outre as they are dazzling, it is the theatre set that especially takes one to the 'Gay Nineties' or 'La Belle Époque', as the Parisians of the day would have called it, in that it mirrors a risque Montmarte of Paris in 1900 before the decadence of that misty time was shattered by the harsh realities of the First World War. The term 'courtesan' is too nice for the prostitutes of that day or any day, but if one can suspend disbelief engendered by the raffish songs of our day against the opulence of that day, one can at least enjoy the movie on a strictly visual level. No, it did not deserve Academy Awards, but maybe an 'A' for effort.
By the way, the ornate House Curtain (stage front drapery) is of some of the highest quality to be seen, but was once a standard of gorgeous theatres, and would cost about $50,000 today! Even its simple lambrequin in the position of the Grand Drapery did not diminish the opulent galloons used to create wonderful borders of metallic gold above the deep, bullion-style fringe upon the red velour, which was rigged in 'Opera' or 'Butterfly' pattern. For those who love this art form, there is an entire booklet with dozens of photos of such from the Theatre Historical Soc. of America in Elmhurst, Illinois 60126-2806 USA, (they have a web site) titled: "Grand Drapes, Tormentors, and Teasers" (types of stage draperies) by the late Terry Helgesen of Los Angeles.