The stuff of true & brilliant cinema!

Rating: 10/10 (14 April 2002)

This is no movie. Moulin Rouge is an intoxicating, life-affirming, magical audio-visual experience. It's something which you'll likely never come across again, and if you aren't touched in some way by it, then you can't be human. Everything: the acting, the script, the cinematography, the music, the amount of wisdom and soul injected into it strikes chords with me that no other film has ever done (though "Almost Famous" isn't far off). It is a simply wondrous work of art. One of the things that most surprised me was the fact (stop the presses!) that Ewan McGregor - bless his soul - can sing! And not just an average singing voice: a real, powerful, Broadway-esque voice that goes perfectly with Nicole Kidman's (which is also excellent). This blend of vocal quality and evident chemistry between them is the pivot on which movie spins. The story is as deep and sumptuous as the music, giving Ewan & Nicole's Christian & Satine exactly the kind of canvas on which to weave their magic. On face value, Moulin Rouge is much more style than substance, and granted it is VERY colourful and visually spectacular - but the basis of the story is very emotional. The idea of these two completely different people - one a struggling & penniless writer, the other an out-of-this-world underworld performer - is so well carried off that I couldn't help feeling a sense of reality to it. It seemed to me that they were real, and they were really in love. The kind of movie that breaks your heart (and you don't care, because it is so fantastic) and takes your breath away EVERY time you watch it, is one to be treasured. There really aren't enough words in the world to describe the sheer incredibility of a film that I for one am proud to say "Moulin Rouge is my all-time ultimate top-of-the-class favourite film ever, and I don't care who knows it" about. The performances, the score, the screenplay, the artistry - every one of Moulin Rouge's attributes is unique, and will probably never be equaled, let alone surpassed. It's a wonderful experience and one that I will love having over and over again.