Beautiful, but confused

Rating: 7/10 (23 December 2001)

"Moulin Rouge!" starts like "Rocky Horror" meets "Head" abet with a serious tone. By the end an over the top "Shakespeare In Love" set to bad cover songs had invaded the musical. Yes this movie in look is as beautiful as any movie. Yes the performances are first rate. But it's confused state left the camp and laughter muted, and the drama ineffective. It tried to be all things a musical can be, but ended up as a mere entertaining tale that has been better told by others. A+ for vision, a C on making that vision into a reality.