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Musical - Old Movies

Dreamgirls

February 14th 2007 07:13


The biggest controversy of this year's Academy Award nominations would have to be the snubbing of 'Dreamgirls' for the Best Film category. Personally, I don't think it really matters either way as 'The Departed' should (hopefully!) win. Having said that though, 'Dreamgirls' could easily have taken the place of 'Babel' for the Best Film nominations, and it has accumulated a very respectable 8 nominations (no other film has been more nominated this year). All signs are pointing to the film taking out the Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards too.


'Dreamgirls' is the story of the Dreams, a Supremes-styled trio of female singers who work their way to the top of the music industry - overcoming inner turmoils, label machinations and the race barrier. Of course, it's not all up and up magic, along the way the biggest talents of all get left behind thanks to the moods and whims and Curtis Taylor Jr (Jaimie Foxx), one-time Cadillac dealer and the current head of a rapidly expanding ruthless music empire.

Encompassing two decades of soulful and revolutionary black music, 'Dreamgirls' parallels the story of Motown records and the talents it used, promoted, loved and abused. A fairytale-like musical and a towering soap-opera-esque epic of talent, bertrayal and power, this film could just be the best musical I have ever seen. Seriously, I don't think I've ever enjoyed a musical more.




Just as epic as the film itself is the story of it's journey to screen from the stage, an odyssey that had it's beginnings back in the 80s. Bill Condon (writer of 'Chicago' - the last big musical to have graced our screens, and an Oscar-winning production hugely inferior to this breathtaking film) lends his more dramatically-attuned directorial talents ('Gods and Monsters', 'Kinsey') to this famed and acclaimed broadway musical, bringing us a highly polished and near-perfect gem.

A film like this would be so much pointless screen candy if it wasn't for the other extensive talents involved too... the set design is impressive and the songs are fantastically memorable and almost as good as the 60s and 70s Motown R&B tunes that inspired them. The cast, too, is spot on. Jaimie Foxx is suitably scheming as cold-hearted money-man Curtis, and Beyonce Knowles is well-cast as the Diana Ross-like figure Deena Jones. But, of course - as anyone who has been watching the recent awards ceremonies should know - the biggest performances are by those in the attention-catching 'supporting' roles... Eddie Murphy's dramatic foray as James 'Thunder' Early feels so right, and it would be nice to see him doing more acting along these lines as opposed to films like 'Norbert'. Meanwhile, American Idol runner-up Jennifer Hudson's debut turn as Effie White is nothing short of phenomenal, an astonishing combination of sincere, unsentimental pathos and raw musical talent.

'Dreamgirls' is a stirring, golden recreation of an era of soul music in all it's sleaze and glory, and one of the most flat-out entertaining films I've seen in a while. Great soundtrack!
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Posted By: Luke - Category: Musical
   


Moulin Rouge

January 2nd 2007 06:40


I used to hate musicals. Mostly. So when I watched this at the time of it’s release I really expect to like it. From the moment ‘Moulin Rouge’ started though I had a hard time not liking it.

Firstly, the film oozes style. This is easily Baz Lurhmann's most impressive film to date, every single shot and piece is beautifully constructed - the settings are awash with surreal colours, silhouettes bounce along like etheral shadow-puppets, and the way characters move from one location to another is nothing short of dizzying.

Secondly, the characters are those wonderfully overdone near-pantomine types that I always forget are what make the theatre and musicals so entertaining. The plot isn't very complicated, and the story concerns itself with love. Not the sappy preppy 'love' that Hollywood often shits out, but the grandest concept of 'love' as espoused by Shakespeare (and French Bohemians).

The third and most extraordinary facet of this unique film is the music itself. The main reason I used to find myself detesting musicals is because there were always dud songs among the bunch (that's if all the songs aren't duds to begin with). 'Moulin Rouge' sidesteps this problem by taking the best bits of popular music from this century and mixing them all up for it's own ends. It would spoil the film to tell you what songs turn up and where, but rest assured - they work, and it's great.

I'm glad I finally bit the bullet and watched this movie. I'm amazed it didn't gain the sort of critical acclaim ‘Chicago’ did (a musical film I found rather boring). ‘Moulin Rouge’ is a unique and dazzling experience that I've seldom seen in film before. Even if you're not a fan of the genre of musicals (like I was), rest assured - you aint seen nothing yet.

HIGHLIGHTS: I love that fact that all the actors get to keep their accents. Australian, English, Spanish, American - it's all in there, and it makes for a wonderfully cosmopolitan fill. The main highlights are, obviously, the musical numbers, some of which are hilarious.
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Posted By: Luke - Category: Musical
   


Dogs in Space

August 28th 2006 11:12
Dogs in Space
Dogs In Space (1987)


Dirty. Squalid. Boring. These are three words I would use to sum up 'cult' film 'Dogs in Space'. I picked up this 'hidden treat' on video at a record store for a few bucks once after hearing someone talk it up as 'amateurish but fun'. I guess that would be an accurate description if you were feeling generous. I'm not really feeling generous.

Dogs in Space are a late 70s punk band from Melbourne, Australia, fronted by Sam, some kind of retard (played by Michael Hutchence, really badly). I'm not sure if Sam is meant to be a retard but this is certainly what he comes across as at times. Sure, he can sing and perform as the energetic and entertaining frontman for the band, but when he's not doing that he seems to just crawl around making childlike and monosybillic requests for drugs and sex. On paper, it sounds like a realistic portrayal of a single-minded 'punk', on film - with Hutchence's dubious acting talent - it just comes across as a pisspoor performance.

The plot... what there is of it... revolves around the house that the band lives in and Sam's relationship with some girl. There's heroin and parties and stuff getting trashed but not much really happens. The ending of the film tries to be bittersweet and poignant (I can guess this from the very un-punk song that Sam performs) but it doesn't count for fuckall when so much of the film beforehand is mindless trash.

I guess there's a kind of fun to be had, if you can stomach one or two hours of plotless screaming, vomiting and partying. One of my favourite bits would have to be when one of the female characters shouts out 'Oi, cuntface!' It's delicate wit is indicative of most of the film and became a catchphrase in the house I used to live in. Most of the characters are fairly unsympathetic and the messages the filmmakers try to convey (eg. Sam being a poseur) are lost amongst all the amuteurism. There are a few funny moments but low production values make them hard to spot.

Watch it if you're bored, or a Hutchence fan, or like punk. It's meant to be a semi-autobiographical account of the late 70s post-punk Melbourne band 'The Ears' (whoever they are) and, if I have to say one positive thing about it, I must admit that it is probably a fairly realistic account of life at that time in that subculture.

TRIVIA: Director Richard Lowenstein is better known for directing videos for U2 and INXS. He also made 'He Died With a Felefal in His Hand' (a very good film) and co-produced John Safran's recent and acclaimed SBS series', 'John Safran's Musical Jamboree' and 'John Safran Vs. God'.
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Posted By: Luke - Category: Musical
   


New York, New York

August 24th 2006 03:51
New York, New York (1977)

I'm a pretty big fan of Martin Scorcese and Robert De Niro, so, naturally, I would approach a film like this with some degree of excitement. Fortunately, I was aware that this was one of their weaker efforts, so I was able to watch this not expecting too much. Nonetheless, I was intrigued to see De Niro play a swinging sax player alongside a crooning Ms. Minelli.

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Posted By: Luke - Category: Musical
   


Singin' in the Rain

July 31st 2006 06:50
Singin in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain (1952)


Do-do-do-dee-do, do-do-do-dee-do… what a great movie! It’s very easy to see why this is one of the most loved films of all time, there’s a sense of infectious fun that ribbons all the way through it from beginning to end that has helped it stand up a good fifty-plus years after it’s initial release. It’s a credit to the cast and crew that the film comes off so effortlessly – ‘Singin' in the Rain’ was reputed to be a very taxing and exhausting shoot for all (especially with perfectionist workhound Gene Kelly keeping his eagle eyes on all proceedings). I watched this film for the first time only last night and I was absolutely delighted by it – and I’m not one to use the word ‘delighted’ liberally


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