John Leguizamo as a midgit with a lisp...that alone makes this a great movie.

Rating: Null/10 (26 March 2002)

I don't like musicals. I have respect for how much hard work goes into them, but I just don't usually like them. And I have horrible childhood memories of being forced to watch The Sound of Music. Plus I had a grudge against this film due to the Lady Marmalade remake that was played 10,000 times on the radio. But I decided not to judge until I had seen it, so I rented it. I actually really like this film.
It comes from the director who made the great 1996 Romeo and Juliet. People on this board who complain (I don't take them 100% seriously, due to the fact that they are all probably anal musical fans) about how the supporting characters are all cartoony probably didn't notice the fact that the story is being typed by Christian, and it's like he's going through it in his mind exaggerating it and the characters, making it more fun to "read". My other theory is that the overacting was to mock acting in most musicals (watch Grease and tell me it's not overacting its' butt off).

The film has a lot of elaborate beauty in it, most of it shown in short scenes (which makes me just want to watch it over and over). The whole splicing of contemporary songs to make the songs in the movie is a novel and entertaining idea (I think it'll be the only time you'll hear Nirvana in a musical). The most entertaining thing in the movie is the overall theme of love, in all its' tragic craziness. I think McGregor and Kidman were very good in this flick, not only as singers, but acting as a couple caught in a tragic love tale.
So if you are looking for something with a little more creativity and pizazz than anything Julie Andrews or your run-of-the-mill musical will get you, go to Moulin Rouge.