Movie Review (2): Dreamgirls

By Colin MacLean Dec 23, 2006, 10:11 GMT

Twenty-five years after first bringing Broadway audiences to their feet, the Tony Award-winning musical sensation “Dreamgirls” comes to the big screen starring Academy Award® winner Jamie Foxx (“Ray”), Beyoncé Knowles (“Austin Powers in Goldmember”), Danny Glover (“Lethal Weapon”), newcomer Jennifer Hudson, Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose (Broadway’s “Caroline or Change”) and Eddie Murphy (“The Nutty Professor,” “Dr. Dolittle”). Set in the turbulent late 1960s and early ‘70s, “Dreamgirls” follows the ...more

‘Dreamgirls’ is a great looking movie musical based on Michael Bennett's original Broadway blockbuster.

It comes with an “A” list cast, impeccable credentials and the awesome firepower of an unavoidable Hollywood publicity campaign.

The dream cast includes Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx and Beyonce Knowles.

But there are alarm bells ringing all over this one and despite finding its way onto the top ten lists of many critics, I found it empty, uninvolving and flat.

Like the Broadway show, the film is based loosely (at least loosely enough to avoid being sued) on the career of Diana Ross and the Supremes.

‘Dreamgirls’ charts the successful trajectory of the Dreamettes. The girls begin as backup singers for R & B artist James Early (Eddy Murphy). When Early crashes and burns before an all white audience, manager Curtis Taylor Jr. (Foxx) persuades the group to dump their zaftig lead singer Effie (Jennifer Hudson) for the skinnier Deena Jones (Beyonce Knowles).

Instantly the ladies come up with a killer act complete with wigs, costumes and charts and proceed to set the musical world on fire.

Meanwhile the abandoned Effie becomes an embittered single mother.

The driving Curtis morphs into the bad guy and marries Deena but in a dramatic contrivance that is indicative of this jagged movie, she is dissatisfied with her millions and fancy house (and Curtis) and decides to strike out on her own.

Henry Krieger's music and Tom Eyen's lyrics are ordinary at best and off-putting much of the time. It may be mundane but it sure is loud.

Let’s start with the relationships. There aren’t any. The love stories at the beginning when the girls are just getting started are like musical chairs – the music stops and everyone pairs up. The partners change but the character development is so perfunctory that you never build up any affinity with them.

The film is both too long and too short. Too long in that it goes on forever – too short because the relationships aren’t developed. Were they in love or was it just youthful coupling on the road?

The film is directed by Bill Condon who not only scripted the inimitable ‘Chicago,’ but wrote and directed one of the most interesting films of the past few years, ‘Gods and Monsters.’ The shooting is very reminiscent of ‘Chicago’ where an intrusive ever-moving camera becomes an active participant in the action.

It doesn't work nearly so well here.

In ‘Chicago,’ the musical numbers took place in the mind of Roxy Hart and a sense of surrealism was integral to the film. ‘Dreamgirls’ purports to tell a dramatic story and the musical numbers are often an imposition. I don’t know if in this day and age performers can stand on a stage and bellow high decibel showstoppers into each others faces. It may work in opera but it sure works against any intimacy.

In her big song, “And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going”), Hudson hollers right into Foxx’s ear. His head must have been ringing for days

Foxx is a fine actor but finding the humanity in the role seems beyond him and his performance remains one note.

Beyonce barely registers. She comes across as a wimp who follows her manager anywhere - even to not communicating with her best friend who had a nine-year-old kid she didn’t know about.

We are family indeed.

The lady sure can sing and may be an actress but she is used mostly as a showcase here, trotted out for effect but not given a chance to actually emote.

When Eddy Murphy expires at the end of the film - are we supposed to care? His character is obnoxious throughout. He has been cheating on his wife for 9 years. He has been using one of the girls for sex-on-the-road. We are supposed to be wrenched when he OD’s but we never knew him well enough to invest any emotion in him. In an effort to be a “real” actor Murphy has completely snuffed out the lively, devilish and funny performer whose exuberance leapt from the screen. Any other African-American could have played the part.

His rap came off as more of a sop to today’s audiences and isn’t right for a movie based in the Motown sound anyway.

Jennifer Hudson runs away with the movie both vocally and dramatically. What a voice. What presence. What an actor. 

‘Dreamgirls’ may sing but they never soar.

Dreamgirls
35mm musical drama
Directed by Bill Condon
Runtime: 131 minutes

Opens limited release,  December 25 2006. MPAA: Rated PG-13 for language, some sexuality and drug content