Jon Monsarrat review: perfect romance, musical

Rating: 10/10 (30 November 2002)

I was put off by the promotions for Moulin Rouge! thinking that the film would be too surreal and weird for me. But it comes across as a musical that's quite interesting and without as many weird segues. You know what I'm talking about; in most musicals the dialogue is going along just fine and then somebody suddenly breaks into song for no reason. Well, in Moulin Rouge it's well-integrated, and the plot is just surreal enough to be arty and interesting without spoiling the mood or becoming campy.
For example, the racy modern music they play at the burlesque gives us a feeling of what it might have been like to hear what was considered racy music at the turn of the century. The romance is compelling and sweet, and there are plenty of deep thoughts about the nature of what it means to be human, and to fall in love. It brought tears to my eyes, and that's very rare for me -- I'm hardly a weepy at the films.
Who should see this film:
-- Romantic comedy lovers -- a must-see, although expect a lot more romance than comedy
-- People who are musical -- a must-see
-- Everybody else
I'll give this film a sensational 10 out of 10.