What cinema is all about!

Rating: 10/10 (13 September 2001)

A bleary evening in London was threatening at which point the idea of seeing Moulin Rouge was cast in my direction. Not having heard much of it, knowing about the famous night-spot in Paris and having seen a less than invigorating trailer left me a little unsure. I gave into peer pressure and we took our seats.
From the very beginning of this movie I was hooked. It was the saline in my cinematic drip from minute one to minute 127. Left brain-dead by the usual Hollywood fare, this rocked me into consciousness and had me by the short and curlies all the way through.
You can read elsewhere the details of the plot, so I'll refrain from a refrain, but if you are after an all-out cinematic assault in the way cinema was intended, then you need to see this movie. Not only is it a welcome break from the more moronic Hollywood releases of, well, most of the time, it is a genuine emotional rollercoaster and visual triumph. Mash that in with glorious pastiche, sharp wit, spellbinding set dressing, photography and choreography and you have a real treat.
Don't be put off by the fact that it is a musical. It is a musical triumph. In fact everything worked so well that I was left floundering in my seat until the end of the credits, as was nearly everyone else in the cinema. Extraordinarily refreshing movie making.