Surprisingly good

Rating: Null/10 (2 March 2002)

The story goes that when Andrew Lloyd Webber was writing his "Phantom of the Opera," he sought the assistance of none other than renowned lyricist Alan Lerner. Lerner could not commit to the project due to his poor health (indeed, he would pass away shortly afterwards) but he did offer the composer this advice regarding the story: "Don't ask too many questions. It just works."
Lerner might very well have been speaking of "Moulin Rouge," a film which employs the most bizzare conglomeration of elements I've seen assembled in a film: a story reminiscent of Victorian grand opera, music courtesy of an adult-contemporary radio station, the production values of a Vegas spectacular and MTV-style cinematography. Reason indicates that it can't, shouldn't work...yet by some extraordinary miracle, it does.
Not that "Moulin Rouge" is never in danger of collapsing under its own excess. The first twenty minutes or so are particularly jarring, as diverse peculiarites such as John Leguziamo's frenetic Toulouse-Lautrec, the theme to "The Sound of Music," a narcoleptic Argentinian, a hallucinogen-inspired fairy, "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" and "Lady Marmalade"--not to mention more shots of legs and underclothing than a Victoria's Secret catalog--are thrown at us by Baz Luhrmann at such a rapid-fire pace that one fears the movie is running off without us. But just when we're about to give up hope, the writer Christian (Ewan McGregor) seranades dancer Satine (Nicole Kidman) with a warm and honest rendition of Elton John's "Your Song"--and it is then that "Moulin Rouge" really comes into its own.
Christian and Satine, of course, fall in love--much to the irritation of Richard Roxburgh's Duke, who wants Satine for himself. The Duke is financing the Moulin Rouge's conversion to a legitamite theatre, so owner Harold Zidler (Jim Broadbent) is anxious to keep him happy. And if that wasn't bad enough--well, that's a nasty cough Satine's got there...
Melodramatic? Of course it is--but the movie makes no pretensions of being otherwise. The secret is in Luhmann's ability to walk the fine line between the delightfully over-the-top and the deeply sincere, and for most of the film it works. The dramatic scenes are touching, and the comedy so wonderfully bizarre, that the film manages to have its heart on its sleve and its tongue in its cheek both at the same time.
McGregor and Kidman work well together, and are surprisingly capable singers to boot (McGregor has the better of the two voices). Broadbent balances dramatic grandeur with broad comedy--his rendition of "Like A Virgin" is a highlight of the latter category. The costumes, sets and choreography are gorgeous, but only occasionally does Luhrmann slow the camera down long enough for us to enjoy them (the DVD rectifys this somewhat, providing a fine collection of production sketches and stills which allow for better perusal of these elements). Like it or hate it, "Moulin Rouge" is nothing if not one of a kind.