My favorite movie of 2001 So Far!

Rating: 10/10 (6 December 2001)

Moulin Rouge is not just a romantic musical, it is a theatrical experience of the heart, eyes, mind and soul. This film delivers a moving passionate love story amidst cutting edge electric direction and music deliveries that dazzle the senses.
Set at the turn of the century in France's bohemian subculture, this film tells the tale of a man, Christian (Ewan McGregor) who goes there from England to write about the movement. Instead, by a strange twist of fate he is talked into writing for a play at the famed Moulin Rouge. He ends up becoming enchanted by Satine (Nicole Kidman), the main star of the Moulin Rouge who is also a courtesan. Christian falls uncontrollably in love with her.
The movie is cute and charming, very, very romantic. For those who scoff at the high concepts of love, this is movie is definitely not for you. This film also contains singing and dancing in a theatrical manner. But the funny thing is the songs are not all Julie Andrews type songs, most of them are modern hits of the last decade or so, like Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" or Madonna's "Like A Virgin" (which gets a truly hillarious delivery). Notice how I didn't say it was a musical? To call this film a musical is like calling Mt. Everest a tall mountain. It underscores the greatness. All of the actors in this film do their own singing, even Nicole Kidman, and shock! She sounds good. Both Nicole and Ewan underwent weeks of singing lessons for this movie. Ewan has an incredible voice and is a powerful actor.
The entire production, the costumes, the characters, the musical numbers, it is all very visually captivating. Baz Luhrman's (Romeo & Juliet) production is cutting edge, bringing an animated feel to the movie, and adding much life to it. If you are open to new deliveries of old ideas, and enjoy romantic love stories set amidst pending doom, this will be a movie you should not miss. This film will not be for everyone, but for me it was a pleasant surprise. It will be a shock if it does not pick up an Oscar nod for music and costumes, if not a nomination for Best Film of the Year, which as December 6th, it is for me!