Stunning visuals, Disney story

Rating: 7/10 (28 April 2002)

The raves about this film all include reference to the fact that this film is a feast for the senses. And, visually, it is mighty impressive. Lavish set design and art direction (an Oscar must-win in this category) are the primary virtues of this film, and mark out its uniqueness. Other than that, though, you get a storyline that's not nearly as easy to appreciate, one that's been done time and time aplenty in a Disney movie (well, except for the ending). On the whole you get an above-average movie, worth viewing at least once (several times if you like the striking visuals), but I think one could come up with several other movies meriting consideration for best-film nominations before this one.
But as to the visuals, it does raise the question: is this the most visually impressive movie ever? It's certainly among the most *impressive* ever, though I wouldn't categorize it as one of the most visually *beautiful* films ever. For that, I would nominate _Barry Lyndon_. It's a feast for the eyes, but like everything else Kubrick, it doesn't bombard you, as _Moulin Rouge!_ does. And the first 15 minutes or so of _Moulin Rouge!_ are just plain dizzying; there's no time to really take in anything in particular. This director hasn't had the best of track records with me; I literally gave up on _Strictly Ballroom_ about 30 minutes into it.
Mainstream storyline + extraordinarily lush framing = 7 out of 10.