Based on the hit Tony-winning musical, Dreamgirls chronicles the history of a Motown trio that is based on Diana Ross and the Supremes.
Deena Jones (Knowles), Lorrell Robinson (Rose) and Effie White (Hudson) are soul sisters of a singing trio, the Dreamettes, looking for a break. They are discovered by Curtis Taylor Jr. (Foxx), an auto dealer who wants to break into the music business as well. As the Dreamettes' manager, Curtis quickly books them as James "Thunder" Early's (Murphy) backup singers. Early also hires Effie's brother, C.C. (Robinson) as a songwriter.
Romantically involved with Curtis, Effie thinks she's better than being a backup. She has the best voice and dreams of becoming a star. Then the chance comes: Curtis books their own act, now as the Dreams, at the Tropicana. However, Curtis decides to make beautiful Deena the lead instead of plain and overweight Effie, even though Deena doesn't have the "voice." Feeling betrayed, Effie begins to display passive-aggressive resentment by showing up late and walking out of rehearsals. Eventually, Curtis replaces Effie with Michelle Morris (Leal), and Effie severs all ties with them, including her brother.
Years later, the Dreams has become a sensation and Deena is a superstar, while Effie is a poor single mother going nowhere with her life. Curtis becomes more and more controlling, much to the group's dismay. Despite her fame and fortune, Deena, now married to Curtis, is particularly unhappy. C.C. seeks out Effie and tries to patch things up with her. Meanwhile, Deena realizes that the Dreams may have finally come to an end.
As the charming but aggressive businessman, Jamie Foxx (Miami Vice) does a great job showing his ruthless side, balanced by some genuine tenderness. He shows some fine singing chops as well. Eddie Murphy (Shrek) is wonderful as a James Brown-esque idol who later becomes washed up and dejected.
Beyoncé Knowles (The Pink Panther) is fine as the Diana Ross-esque diva, but her character requires her (and her voice) to be reserved, thus making her performance somewhat one-note and tame. On the contrary, American Idol alumnus Jennifer Hudson makes her impressive film debut as fiery Effie. Her voice is incredible and she shows great acting range. It's hard to believe this is her first acting job.
Danny Glover (Bamako) is seasoned as James Early's former manager. Anika Noni Rose (Surviving Christmas) is sweet as Lorrell, and Keith Robinson (Fat Albert) is earnest as C.C.
Writer-director Bill Condon (Kinsey) does a remarkable job adapting Tom Eyen's Broadway musical to the big screen. The film's first and second acts feel strong and exciting and energetic. The plot follows the different characters in a streamlined plot that is easy to follow and fascinating to watch. The musical staging is marvelous and seamless. The characters are well-drawn, with clear motivation and conflicts. The character arc of Effie, in particular, is wonderfully developed and acted.
The final act, however, loses steam in that it drags the plot into a sappy melodrama. There's a gap in the timeline between the second and the last act, thus a disconnect between the audiences and the characters. Also, the characters start to sing their dialogue in this act, which feels odd and inconsistent with the rest of the film. The plot feels contrived, and the ending is rather anti-climatic, especially after the electrifying first half of the film.
The production is scrumptious and the costumes delectable. The musical numbers are fantastic -- the actors all do a great job. Eddie Murphy shines, and Jennifer Hudson proves that she is indeed a diva in the making. The period details (60s and 70s) are spot on. Although not as good as Chicago or Moulin Rouge, with its fine acting and soulful production, Dreamgirls is an entertaining and crowd-pleasing film that should keep the dreams of movie musicals alive, at least for a while.Stars: Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Beyoncé Knowles, Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose, Keith Robinson, Jennifer Hudson, Sharon Leal, Hinton Battle
Director: Bill Condon
Writers: Bill Condon, Tom Eyen
Distributor: Dreamworks
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language, some sexuality and drug content
Running Time: 131 minutes
Ratings:
Script – 7
Performance – 8
Direction – 8
Cinematography – 8
Music/Sound– 9
Editing – 7
Production – 8
Total – 7.6 out of 10
Edward Wilson (Damon) is a man of few words, who believes in honoring and protecting the country he loves. As a member of a secret society, Skull and Bones, Wilson makes life-long friends including Richard Hayes (Pace). Both are quickly recruited by fellow Bonesman, General Sullivan (De Niro), who is starting a new intelligence organization for the United States. Wilson is to work in the counter-intelligence department as the war in Europe quickly escalates. The agency is going to be headed by another fellow Bonesman, Philip Allen (Hurt).
Meanwhile, Wilson falls in love with Laura (Blanchard). But a night of passion with the Senator Russell's (Dullea) daughter, Clover/Margaret (Jolie) yields a son. A man of honor, Wilson marries Clover, and is promptly sent to London to aid in CIA business in 1939. After six years, he returns home as a stranger to his wife and son. His job at CIA requires him to be secretive, and he doesn't share anything with his family. For 20 years, he is but a ghost to Margaret and their son.
Matt Damon (
The large cast include veteran actors who all excel in their work: Alec Baldwin (
Writer Eric Roth (
Chris Gardner (Smith) is a down-and-out salesman in San Francisco selling a high-end medical equipment that most doctors consider "unnecessary." He can't pay his rent or his taxes, and has to send his son, Christopher (Jaden Smith), to a daycare in Chinatown because that's all he can afford. His financial troubles put a heavy strain on his marriage. When he decides to do something about it and take up an unpaid internship at Dean Witter Brokerage in hopes of becoming a stock broker, Linda leaves him and moves to New York. Chris insists on keeping custody of his son, and Linda reluctantly agrees.
Juggling between being a full-time dad, an intern, and a salesman during the weekend, Chris has a hard time getting it all together. Soon, he and his son are evicted from their apartment. One setback leads to another and they find themselves becoming homeless. There's absolutely no guarantee that he will make it at Dean Witter (only one in twenty interns will be selected), but Chris is determined to never give up. He tells his son, "Never let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do." Even as he carries his suitcase and his son from temporary housing to temporary housing, he still believes that one day everything will work out.
Will Smith (
Thandie Newton (
Based on the true life story of Chris Gardner, owner of Gardner Rich Brokerage, Steve Conrad's (
And that's the strength of the film that lifts the film. Italian director Gabriele Muccino (
In the end, I understand why Conrad has chosen to add insults to injuries over and again to bring down Chris Gardner: as contrived as that is, it does show character. And the ending is made even sweeter, even though the audiences expect that. They make a great choice by ending the film the way it does, because as much as it's a story about Chris Gardner's determination to succeed in business, it really is about his heart and his devotion to his son. We've been pursuing that for the entire 117 minutes, and at the end, we really do relate to that 
Iris (Winslet) is a reporter at a London newspaper living in a cute countryside cottage. Her love life comes to a shocking halt when her on-and-off boyfriend, Jaspers, announces his engagement to another woman. Meanwhile, Amanda (Diaz) is a successful film marketer living in a posh Los Angeles mansion. Her love life also goes nowhere when her latest relationship with film composer Ethan (Burns) ends with his philandering. Their lives intersect when they decide to swap houses for two weeks during Christmas to escape their own lives and, more precisely, men.
Iris instantly loves her new L.A. home, and with good reasons. Amanda, on the other hand, is bored to tears in a small England town and decides to return to Los Angeles -- that is, until Iris's handsome brother, Graham (Law), shows up at her door. Their initially casual relationship turns into something a bit more serious, confusing, and "complicated" as they put it. They know the relationship won't last but they can't seem to be able to tear themselves from each other.
Meanwhile, Iris is having a difficult time getting over Jasper and she sinks into depression, until she meets her neighbor, famous screenwriter Arther Abbott (Wallach). They form a cute bond and Iris seems to have a new direction in her life. Then film composer Miles (Black) shows up and their mutual attraction further confuses Iris.
As with any romantic comedies, the cast is attractive. Kate Winslet (
Jude Law (
The supporting cast is fine. Edward Burns (
Nancy Meyers (
The main draw to the film is the chemistry between the stars. Diaz and Law are so cute together you realize it really is a fantasy, but you want to believe it, because it feels good. Their "should we, shouldn't we" dilemma does get a bit tiring. In contrast, Winslet and Black are such an unlikely couple. Their relationship is more subtle and nuanced, but you just feel for them, and you want them to get together so badly because Meyers and the actors make you believe these characters belong to each other. The minor heartbreaks are truly touching.
Diane (Kidman) grows up in a rich but strict, conventional family. She always think of herself as strange, and outsider, despite the fact that she's very attractive and talented. After marrying the dashing photographer Allan Arbus (Burrell) and having two beautiful daughters, Diane feels trapped as a housewife and her husband assistant. She is a fish out of water and she yearns to break free, but she doesn't know what and how. Allan encourages her to pick up photography so that she's not too stir-crazy.
When Lionel (Downey) moves into the apartment above hers, Diane is intrigued by the strange, mysterious masked man. Armed with a square camera Allan gave her, Diane visits Lionel in the hopes of taking his portrait. Of course, she has an ulterior motive. Soon, much to Allan's suspicion and scrutiny, Diane is spending all her time with Lionel, neglecting her family. What he doesn't know is that Diane has fallen in love with Lionel, and she has discovered the part of her that cannot be suppressed anymore. She is like a caged bird -- once the cage door is opened, there is no way the bird's not flying away.
Nicole Kidman (Bewitched) has a luminous career, spanning both big budget blockbusters and art-house projects. She definitely takes a lot of risk in Fur as an artist. While she shares a slight resemblance with Diane Arbus, Kidman opts to portray Diane in her own way, in a fictional setting that is both absurdist and fascinating. She delivers a quiet, almost withdrawn, protected performance, similar to her role in Birth. In less capable hands, the character would have come off as either too outlandish or boring, but Kidman conveys the inner storm very well with her vulnerability.
The supporting cast has relatively minor presence, including Jane Alexander (Warm Springs) as Diane's insufferably bourgeois mother and Harris Yulin (The Treatment) as her equally conservative husband. Emmy Clarke (The House in Umbria) and Genevieve McCarthy (Parallax) play Diane's daughters, the skeptical Grace and innocent Sophie respectively. The standout is Ty Burrell (Friends with Money) as Allan Arbus, Diane's loving husband who's torn between his dream for a normal life and his love for Diane to be happy. The scenes in which he realizes how brilliantly talented Diane is and that he has indeed lost her are truly amazing and heartbreaking.
Writer Wilson (Secretary) based her fantasy on Bosworth's biography. She and director Stainberg (Secretary) make sure that the audience knows this is not a factual biography of Diane, that the characters of Lionel et el. are fictional. Still, the story examines and claims to reflect the inner workings of Diane Arbus, paying tribute to her strangeness and her unique sense of beauty. To Diane, beauty was not confined by any conventional definitions. She found beauty in the most unlikely places, and the most unusual people. Anyone who is familiar with Diane's work would agree that her subjects are often not regarded as "beautiful" but there's this mesmerizing power and sense of awe. In that sense, I think Fur has succeeded in capturing that strange awe.
On the set of a little indie film called Home for Purim, obscure veteran actress Marilyn Hack (O'Hara) is more obsessed with looking young than her acting. Victor Allan Miller (Shearer) can't find any work except for low budget movies and silly commercials. The director, Jay Berman (Guest), is eccentric and somewhat clueless. The two young actors, Callie Webb (Posey) and Brian Chubb (Moynihan), play siblings on screen but are lovers in real life. The film is a low budget, campy family drama set in the 40s. No one pays attention, not even the producer Whitney (Coolidge) or the studio executives.
Then Marilyn finds out there is a brief write-up on the Internet (some obscure movie websites) about her on-the-set performance as being Oscar-worthy; she latches onto it. Through the help of studio publicist Corey Taft (Higgins), they start to create an Oscar buzz around the film, before it's even finished and released. Soon, Victor and Callie also get mentions and all hopes are high that at least one of them would get nominated. A media blitz ensures, and feeding frenzy begins both on and off the set. Studio executives take notice and try to influence the production. The madness culminates in the Oscar nomination, which seems to have the power to make or break careers for these desperate people.
The large ensemble cast have their moments. Catherine O'Hara (Monster House) is particularly heartbreaking as the washed-up actress who is desperate for fame. Her performance is the most layered of all. Harry Shearer (The Simpsons, Chicken Little) is fine as the veteran actor best-known (and visibly frustrated) as a wiener on TV. His cheery disposition and happy-go-lucky facade fail to mask his quiet underpinning of fame and respect.
Parker Posey (Superman Returns) is fun as the naive and jealous starlet who dreams of stardom, and Christopher Moynihan (A Mighty Wind) plays her nice-guy boyfriend/costar with sincerity. Their scenes together are sweet, cute, poignant and sad at the same time. Eugene Levy (Cheaper by the Dozen 2) plays a jewish agent with stereotypical flair and Christopher Guest (Mrs Henderson Presents) is interesting as the eccentric director.
The supporting actors (and Guest's usual players) do their job in their small roles including Higgins as a cheesy publicist, Willard and Lynch as Entertainment TV hosts, Balaban and McKean as struggling screenwriters, Coolidge as the ditsy producer, Rachael Harris as the actress who plays a stereotypical lesbian, Ed Begley Jr. as a fey (but straight) hairdresser. Notable cameos include Sandra Oh, Paul Dooley, John Krasinski, Don Lake, Michael Hitchcock, and Richard Kind, to name a few.
When Tony Blair (Sheen) wins the election by a landslide, Queen Elizabeth II (Mirren) offers her congratulations with skepticism. She advises Blair: "I've had nine prime ministers, and Winston Churchhill was the first." It's a clear show of supremacy -- government comes and goes, but the royalty is here to stay.
On August 30, 1997, something changes. With a strange twist of events that shocks the world, Princess Diana perishes in a car accident in Paris. It's no secret that the Queen and her former daughter-in-law didn't get along, but the Queen wants to protect her two beloved grandsons, Princes William and Harry, from the harsh reality and the scrutiny of the public. She believes that it's a private matter and goes into seclusion with her family. Her lack of public statement or emotions sends the country already in shock into a frenzy of finger-pointing.
Helen Mirren (Shadowboxer) is a miracle. Her transformation as the Queen is uncanny both physically and emotionally. Like Jamie Foxx's Ray Charles, she immerses herself entirely into the character and becomes the Queen herself. You have no idea that you are watching an actor playing one of the most recognizable living royalties in the world. On top of it, she manages to bring life and humanity to the Queen. Mirren deserves all the awards she could get her hands on.
As Tony Blair, Michael Sheen (Underworld: Evolution) holds his own and does a marvelous job. His physical resemblance to the Prime Minister is an asset, but it's his voice and attitude that make us believe. He also gives us a glimpse of the softer side that we don't normally see in the real Blair.
Written by Peter Morgan (The Last King of Scotland), the screenplay is actually rather straightforward without frills. It has a TV miniseries feel to it. If not for the incredible performances from Mirren and company, the script would have fallen flat. However, the story does give us an intimate look into the Queen's life not as a royalty, but as a real human being. It shows us when she's not wearing a crown, she's just like our own mothers, in many different ways. She wears frumpy clothes and drives her own car (and she used to be a mechanic). She has her own problems and issues. She holds dear to her family but at the same time, doesn't know exactly how to reach out to them.