Moulin Rouge
I've been making excuses for not writing my review of Moulin Rouge (
imdb;
official site) for far too
long, so here goes. I'm very picky about dishing out 5-star ratings.
In fact, I can only think of one other movie from the past year that
deserves such a high endorsement, and that's Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon. But Moulin Rouge gets top honors and here's why.
Going in, I had no idea what to expect. I only knew that
Nicole Kidman and
Ewan MacGregor
were headlining, and that was no big draw for me. From the opening
credits, played out like the intro to an old Vaudeville show (complete
with a conductor directing an invisible orchestra pit) I knew that this
was not going to be the same old Hollywood Headliner.
What I wasn't anticipating was the shear quantity or "in-your-face" in
this movie. I spent most of the first 15 minutes or so trying to
decide whether I hated it, or whether it was one of the most enjoyable,
mind-bending film experiences I've ever had. It didn't take me long to
surrender and let the delightful
Mr. Luhrmann take me
on a most wonderous journey.
Moulin Rouge is about an aspiring young Bohemian (Ewan MacGregor) who
moves to turn of the century Paris in order to write about truth,
beauty, freedom, and love. It doesn't take him long to get twined up
with the diminutive Toulouse Lautrec (delightfully played by
John Leguizamo)
and whisked away to the decadent night club, Moulin Rouge. There, amid
lecherous old men singing "Smells Like Teen Spirit," he meets the
tempting courtesan Satine (Kidman at her seductive best). Mistaken
identity, comedy of errors, a secret love affair, and a stage
production that owes as much to Hamlet as it does to Madonna fill the
rest of the film.
This picture is a visual tour-de-force. The costumes, sets, and
computer animated backgrounds rush past, leaving the viewer gasping in
their wake. But the real star of Moulin Rouge is the music. This film
seamlessly blends Elton John, David Bowie, Dolly Parton, The Beatles,
and Rogers & Hammerstein...literally. And that's just the beginning.
The vocal performances by principal actors is stunning (I was
particularly impressed with the singing talent of Ewan MacGregor). And
there's no topping the raspy "Tango de Roxanne. You'll want the
soundtrack to this one for sure.
If you're of a mind that musicals are ridiculous fluff, you won't like
this movie. If you can't extend the suspension of disbelief to allow
the musical anachronism of a 19th Century writer crooning U2, you won't
like this movie. However, if you've ever dreamed of being on stage
with Judy Garland or Gene Kelley AND you have a Bohemian imagination,
Moulin Rouge will captivate you.
Posted by Mithrandir at July 24, 2001 04:46 PM