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Dreamgirls (1 Disc Edition) [2006]
from Paramount Home Entertainment
starring Beyonce Knowles, Danny Glover, Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx
directed by Bill Condon

Features:

• Anamorphic
• PAL

Editorial Review:

The spirit of Motown runs through the long-awaited film adaption of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, which centres around a young female singing trio who burst upon the music scene in the '60s, complete with bouffant hairdos, glitzy gowns, and a soul sound new to the white-bread American music charts. Sound familiar? You aren't the first one to draw comparisons to the meteoric rise of the Supremes, and despite any protests to the contrary, this is most definitely a thinly veiled reinterpretation of that success story. The Dreamettes--statuesque Deena (Beyonce Knowles), daffy Lorell (Anika Noni Rose) and brassy Effie (Jennifer Hudson)--are a girl group making the talent-show rounds when they're discovered by car salesman and aspiring music manager Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx). Sensing greatness (as well as a new marketing opportunity) Curtis signs the Dreamettes as backup singers for R&B star James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy). But when Early's mercurial ways and singing style don't mesh with primarily white audiences, Curtis moves the newly-renamed Dreams to center stage--with Deena as lead singer in place of Effie. And that's not the only arena in which Effie is replaced, as Curtis abandons their love affair for a relationship with star-in-the-making Deena.

Besides the Supremes comparison, one can't talk about Dreamgirls now without revisiting its notorious Oscar snub; though it received eight nominations, the most for any film from 2006, it was shut out of the Best Picture and Director races entirely. Was the oversight justified? While Dreamgirls is certainly a handsomely mounted, lovingly executed and often vibrant film adaptation, it inspires more respect than passion, only getting under your skin during the musical numbers, which become more sporadic as the film goes on. Writer-director Bill Condon is definitely focused on recreating the Motown milieu (down to uncanny photographs of Knowles in full Diana Ross mode), he often forgets to flesh out his characters, who even on the Broadway stage were underwritten and relied on powerhouse performances to sell them to audiences. (Stage fans will also note that numerous songs are either truncated or dropped entirely from the film.) Condon has assembled a game cast, as Knowles does a canny riff on the essence of Diana Ross' glamour (as opposed to an all-out impersonation) and Rose makes a peripheral character surprisingly vibrant; only Foxx, who never gets to pour on the charisma, is miscast.

Still, there are two things even the most cranky viewers will warm to in Dreamgirls: the performances of veteran Eddie Murphy and newcomer Jennifer Hudson. Murphy is all sly charm and dazzling energy as the devilish Early, who's part James Brown, part Little Richard, and all showman. And Hudson, an American Idol contestant who didn't even make the top three, makes an impressive debut as the larger-than-life Effie, whose voice matches her passions and stubbornness. Though she sometimes may seem too young for the role, Hudson nails the movie's signature song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," with a breathtaking power that must be seen and heard to believe. And for those five minutes, if not more, you will be in Dreamgirls' thrall. --Mark Englehart

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0

• Film: Not so good BUT Jennifer Hudson: Fantastic !
  The film wasn't bad but neither was it very good - a bit like both Beyonce and Diana Ross in fact. I paid less than £4 new and you can't go wrong at that price.
  Jennifer Hudson deservedly won an Oscar for her performance and from me she wins an award as "The Future of Soul Music". I would never have believed that Jennifer Holiday's rendition of "And I'm telling you I'm not going" could be trumped. It can and it was ! Ms Hudson has now made the song her own.
  Treat yourself to Jennifer... more info

• Not for Motown fans
  My comment on the soundtrack CD was that it was more Las Vegas than Detroit. Well, the film is all Broadway and no Detroit. There is a great film, full of drama and tragedy and great music waiting to be made (by Cameron Crowe?), but this is not it. I don't think the DVD will be played again.

• Good Film FANTASTIC singing from Jennifer Hudson
  First of all, this film is NOT the story of Diana Ross & the Supremes, no one in it sounds like either Ms Ross or the Supremes & there are no obvious Motown sounding songs in the film.
  The film's story does take bits of the Supremes & Motown's history & clearly intends viewers to make the connections.
  As such, 'Berry Gordy' (Curtis Taylor Jr. in the film, well acted by Jamie Foxx) comes out badly, being depicted as a money chasing white wannabe, dumbing down the `blackness' of his... more info

• Even though it wasn't what I expected, I'm glad have seen it
  Forget Beyonce, Jamie and Eddie, the person who stole the show was Jennifer Hudson (Effie White) who for me was the best. All in all, the songs were catchy and original and the choreography was really good - but I was slightly dissappointed in this film, the storyline was something that I had seen already, I really didn't want to be watching the life story of Berry Gordy - well that's how it seemed to me.
  If you want to see life in Detriot in the 60's, then see this film.
  

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