A wildly energetic, fantastically filmed musical extravagance

Rating: 10/10 (22 September 2001)

Having had no idea what to expect, I was fascinated and stunned by this film. It's billed as a musical romance, I think, but that's like billing "Star Wars" as a space adventure - it just doesn't describe it.
There will be some who don't like "Moulin Rouge!". Much like there were some who didn't rate "Toy Story", "Star Wars" and "Gone With the Wind" when they first came out. Go with an open mind and you will love this film.
The only thing that didn't work for me was the story, because there was nothing new in it. But you don't go to this film for the story.
Mere words can't capture the spectacle of "Moulin Rouge!". A picture paints a thousand words, but this picture needs 10,000 to give it adequate description. Suffice to say: expect wild music, amazing choreography, stunning camera work, superb costumes, incredible sets, wondeful post-production work ... and you'll still be over-awed by the complete effect.