Wonderful One-Third of a Film

Rating: 7/10 (4 October 2001)

When I was first subjected to repeated viewings of the "Moulin Rouge" trailer (which preceded repeated viewings of "Memento"), I swore that I would only watch it if someone paid me, say, ten dollars to (above and beyond admission, transportation, and popcorn). It looked to be the worst of Romance and Musical distilled into one dire waste of celluloid.
But then I started hearing good things. Enough good things that I eventually dragged myself down to the two-dollar theatre to see it(after having procrastinated for a week or two in the hope it would finish its run and save me the hassle).
So, you know, I'm not expecting much. I'm fully prepared to walk out; heck, I didn't even buy popcorn. So I'm rather surprised to find that within the first minute I'm thinking, "you know this isn't half as bad as I'd thought it would be." And by the time twenty, thirty minutes have elapsed, I'm thinking my God this is GREAT, how could I almost have missed seeing this film, I am going to sing its praises from the rooftops, *force* the unenlightened to go see it (see "Memento", above).
And then, apparently, the plot kicks in. The part most people seem to enjoy the most. The endless repetition of a few choice utterly banal lyrics set to an absolutely unmemorable tune. That's right: the worst of Romance and Musical distilled into one dire waste of two-thirds of a movie's worth of celluloid. What can I say, truth in advertising.
Still, the first third was so great that it sticks in my mind almost a week later, makes me want to see it again. I'm contemplating forming a first-third-of-Moulin-Rouge fan club...