Dreamgirls Review - 2006/12/15 23:40'Dreamgirls' isn't music to ears in big-screen version By Bruce Newman, MEDIANEWS STAFF 12/15/2006
WHAT GOES UP: Group-shattering friction is on the horizon for Dreamettes Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose), Denna (Beyonce Knowles) and Effie (Jennifer Hudson), a rising soul trio based on the Supremes in "Dreamgirls."
PROVING AGAIN that transforming a hit Broadway musical into an equally spectacular movie is one of the most confounding tricks in show business, "Dreamgirls" provides one bit of holiday magic: It makes a two-hour movie feel like four hours. Try to think of it as getting double your money's worth. The musical — which opens exclusively at the AMC Metreon in San Francisco today, then nationwide on Christmas Day — first appeared on Broadway 25 years ago this week. With its big, barking showstoppers that played to the balcony seats, "Dreamgirls" was the "American Idol" of its day.
The movie even begins with a talent show, where a fictional girl group called the Dreamettes (based on the Supremes) tries to make its mark. But from their first note in that Detroit talent contest, the movie's songs have the wheedling, "vote for me" quality of an "Idol" aria.
That probably accounts for the casting of Jennifer Hudson, a popular reject on the 2004 edition of the TV talent pagaent, as the movie's Effie White. And it turns out to be the picture's one truly inspired piece of stagecraft. Hudson is such a natural belter that she even thunders her dialogue. And yet, if her performance does have an unmistakable trying-to-rattle-Paula-Abdul's-fillings quality at times, it kills. The rest of the songs by Henry Krieger and the late Tom Eyen range from utterly forgettable ("Cadillac Car," "I Want You Baby") to odious operetta (the Andrew Lloyd Webber-ish "Steppin' To the Bad Side") and the nauseating "Family," which is unaccountably reprised during the end titles despite its icky resemblance to an Up With People song.
"Dreamgirls" was tarted up for Broadway with enough inventive staging by directorchoreographer Michael Bennett to run for 1,522 performances, but there's a good reason it failed to win the Tony award for best musical. With a few notable exceptions — Hudson's "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," and "Listen," a ballad sung by Beyonce Knowles — the songs feel thin, and the music reedy. When Hudson delivers Effie's emotional thunderbolts, they practically stop the film in its tracks. And unlike live theater, a showstopper on-screen is an ominous, energy-sapping thing.
The Dreamettes (played by Knowles, Hudson and Anika Noni Rose) are three young women with big dreams and even bigger wigs, which they are wearing at the talent show when they're spotted by Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx), a car salesman trying to break into the music business.
Foxx, who won an Oscar for mimicking the vocals of Ray Charles in "Ray," has his shortcomings as a singer painfully exposed here, particularly in his solo to Deena (the Diana Ross-like character played by Knowles) in "When I First Saw You." His performance as the hard-hearted Curtis — who first betrays Effie, then just about everybody else — isn't particularly convincing. And whether spoken or sung, the movie's plot pivots on his villainy. Foxx has the process job and the gleam in his eye of a committed bottom-liner, but he settles for suavity when a Motown Machiavelli is what's needed.
When Curtis offers the Dreamettes a chance to sing behind blues headliner James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy), Effie snaps, "I don't do backup." But Curtis keeps telling Effie "trust me," and she does. Her brother C.C. (Keith Robinson) writes the music, which is where the insipid "Family" come in. Meanwhile, Curtis sets about changing Early's sound to something "classy" enough to be palatable to white audiences.
Early gets involved with the giggly Lorrell (Rose), while Curtis is all over Effie, which is a lot of all over to be. Rose shines in her scenes with Murphy, whose performance is a high point in a film that could use more of them. Knowles does just fine, but there's such a blandness to her character that the performance is more washout than knockout.
Curtis eventually takes the renamed Dreams team away from Early, and announces he's making Deena the lead singer. But Effie has the pipes, and everyone — including Deena — knows it. The change is made because Effie is getting plumper by the day, and Deena prettier, neither of which has escaped Curtis' notice. "I've got the voice, Curtis!" Effie wails. But she doesn't have the gig, and soon enough, she doesn't have Curtis in her bed anymore, either. Bill Condon, whose adaptation of the stage musical "Chicago" was nominated for an Oscar four years ago, flounders here without the strong musical counterpoint provided for that show by the composing team of John Kander and Fred Ebb. The first half-hour of "Dreamgirls" is almost all montage, which means bits of the story are dribbled out as a visual backdrop to the songs. It's like a blue-screen movie, but with lousy songs instead of special effects._____________ Kris MTA Admin
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broadwaybaby09
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Re:Dreamgirls Review - 2006/12/18 20:14Let's face it, hardly any movie adaptations of musicals in recent history have been very good. With Beyonce as Deena, this one didn't even have a chance.-Georgia
Current Show: West Side Story - Clarice Recent Shows: Carousel - Principal Dancer, Ensemble, A Christmas Carol - Lily, Charwoman, Charitable Gentleman, Principal Dancer, Ensemble; Rootabaga Stories-multiple roles; Joseph... Dreamcoat -Wives Chorus
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Dramatic World
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Re:Dreamgirls Review - 2006/12/18 22:32broadwaybaby09 wrote: Let's face it, hardly any movie adaptations of musicals in recent history have been very good. With Beyonce as Deena, this one didn't even have a chance.
Amen. Rent was an abomination.
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ASHS_theatre
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Re:Dreamgirls Review - 2006/12/19 01:37Dramatic World wrote: broadwaybaby09 wrote: Let's face it, hardly any movie adaptations of musicals in recent history have been very good. With Beyonce as Deena, this one didn't even have a chance.
Amen. Rent was an abomination.
At least they went with the original cast (or the most they could). I hate the whole "stick-popular-actors-in-to-fill-theatres" idea. It just pisses me off.Shelby Jr. Moderator
Currently: Fritzi Bonwit in M*A*S*H
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broadwaybaby
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Re:Dreamgirls Review - 2006/12/19 04:55I wouldn't say Anika Noni Rose and Jennifer Hudson are popular actors, and Beyonce really isn't known for her great acting skills either. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing the movie and am hoping it turns out to be wonderful----------Emily----------
Currently rehearsing: Urleen - Footloose Favorite Roles: Aida - AIida[i], Joanie Lish - [i]The Full Monty, Carmen - Sweet Charity, Crystal - Little Shop of Horrors, Sarah's Friend - Ragtime, Little Red Riding Hood - Into the Woods, Evillene - The Wiz
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katoru
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Re:Dreamgirls Review - 2006/12/19 07:38I'm not a huge fan of Dreamgirls to begin with, so I don't suspect to be too disappointed with it Kathleen Sera Current Shows: Aloha Pinafore - Volga Upcoming Auditions: Crazy For You - Irene Roth
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ronarayas
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Re:Dreamgirls Review - 2006/12/26 16:33I love it when starlets behave like children. It just reminds me that they are human, after all.sweet Alyssa!
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mrmistofolees19
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Re:Dreamgirls Review - 2007/01/14 00:37I just saw Dreamgirls, it was WONDERFUL!! Much better than I thought it would be. Jennifer Hudson was definitley the best of the whole cast / film. And I loved how Ken Page was in it, I love Cats!*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•´ Annie
currently: nothing : (
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