Wonderfully over the top, camp fun...

Rating: 8/10 (16 April 2002)

Moulin Rouge was surely a better film than Ron Howard's TV movie of the week weepie that eventually garnered a Best Picture Oscar in 2001 (A Beautiful Mind, in case you've blocked memories of THAT abomination out of your mind) and the fact that Baz Luhrmann failed to even secure a Best Director nomination in the face of such a low-grade 'true story' speaks volumes about the Academy.
Lurhmann's film is a colourful swirl of song and dance, with Nicole Kidman giving a dazzling (and surprisingly good) performance as the doomed Satine, while Ewan McGregor acquits himself well as usual, even if neither of the lead actors can sing particularly well. That, however, is half the fun of Moulin Rouge -- where the characters break into song, the singing talents (or lack thereof) of the actors gives the re-modelled song numbers (Diamond Dogs, Children of the Revolution, Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend, Roxanne, Lady Marmalade, etc) a fun, almost spontaneous feel.
It's a wonderfully inventive pastiche of the musical genre that deserves the recognition and success it received upon release. Lots of fun.