By the original songs - they are better value

Rating: 5/10 (26 September 2001)

After two brilliant movies (Strictly Ballroom and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet), Baz Luhrmann falls prey to overconfidence and over-funding in this spectacular but empty re-working of the Moulin Rouge brothel-come-cabaret-club historical icon. The tale (what there is of it - lowly writer gets off with top-notch courtesan by being mistaken for a duke) is told using modern pop song lyrics, frequently taken out of the song and used as dialogue. "It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside" quips Ewan McGregor as he woos Nicole Kidman - not surprising, mate, anyone would feel a bit funny trying to make a whole movie out of lines from pop songs. According to the Director, this is the "contract with the audience", as was the dancing in Strictly Ballroom or the Shakespearean language in Romeo and Juliet. Unfortunately, unlike those two movies, we don't have the genuine article for one minute in Moulin Rouge. Although both McGregor and Kidman can sing passably (as well as act to a much higher level than this tosh deserves), they are not Elton John. So the "Contract with the Audience" is fake from the start. Many will think this is quibbling. After all, you have Kidman looking stunning, Kylie Minogue thrown in for good measure, incredibly amazing sets (literally - suspense of disbelief vaporises in the first few minutes), some nice song and dance routines and, all in all, a couple of hours of nice, mindless, fluffy entertainment. Occasionally there lines of dialogue not blatantly taken from a song. These are instantly recognizable by the fact that they are badly written and would probably never have made the charts eg "She is mine!" or "Things aren't always as they seem." The better lines are nicked from Madonna, Bowie, Elton John etc etc. and the only (apparently original) line that has the semblance of being produced by anyone with experience of writing is the one used for the publicity: "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." Not bad. It seems Luhrmann and his co-writer, having relied on brilliant dancers and a brilliant play in their former efforts and feel that a scriptwriter is dispensable. Moulin Rouge, whilst demonstrating some wonderful cinematic techniques and looking like the actors had great fun making it, proves that it this isn't so. If you go and see Moulin Rouge, keep your expectations low, have several pints of beer first, and rave about how wonderful it's going to be beforehand - it won't be - but you might get through it by convincing yourself you've had a nice time.