Dreamgirls

I have to admit that it is weird seeing a musical on the big screen that I don’t know anything about and couldn’t decide whether or not I enjoy the stage version better. However, that is what I was faced with when I went to see this movie. The movie was surrounded by all kinds of hype in both the media and in the local theater scene and I admit I was excited about it. I have always enjoyed Jamie Foxx and Danny Glover, Eddie Murphy is usually good for a few laughs and any opportunity to look at Beyonce is a plus for me. At least it was a plus until this movie. I do not mean her performance because I actually thought Beyonce actually did well in a movie for the first time, but she was like rail thin and that isn’t cute, especially for a woman who has such beautiful natural curves. Yes, I know she had to do it for the part, but that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy it, that being said, overall this is a very good movie that suffers from a few pacing problems, oddly staged numbers, one horrid song and an overall sense of repetitiveness.


The story goes as follows; Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson and some poor underappreciated girl by the name of Anika Noni Rose are a young singing group looking for a break. Jamie Foxx plays a visionary, money hungry manager/promoter and gets them a break singing back up for a James Brown/Little Richard hybrid played with the perfect amount of arrogance and sincerity by Eddie Murphy. Foxx tries to reach a bigger (read: whiter) audience and realizes Beyonce is the key, so he bumps Jennifer Hudson from lead vocalist to background singer and issues arise. Hudson quits the group and drinks heavily while the group becomes the biggest group ever. The montage showing the Dreams during the rise to fame is one of the most cliché, boring things in the movie and almost derails it because it comes right after the most amazing scene in the film. That scene comes in the form of two songs: “It’s all over” and “And I am telling you I’m not going”. The first part of this scene is a brilliantly staged confrontation or eruption song featuring everyone one of the leads singing and the second half is a bring down the house, powerful song in which Jennifer Hudson comes to life and performs that song ina way tat I can’t imagine anyone else ever singing it again, ever. To be honest, I was not at all impressed with Hudson until that moment and in that song she got an entire audience on her side and proved her ability.


Beyonce also has a killer ballad towards the end of the film, which I believe was written for the film, that showcases she actually can sing, even if her character is not supposed to be able to. Murphy could be considered a scene stealer because this is the first time I have ever actually witnessed him acting and his “Jimmy’s rap” number was so good I was bummed when it ended. Nevertheless, in my opinion, this movie belongs to Jamie Foxx. He oozes charm like a snake and is the conflict of the film, yet when it is all said and done you still end up feeling kind of bad for him and that is quite an accomplishment considering his character is pretty much vicious. I know Jennifer Hudson is getting most of the accolades for the movie and everyone is predicting she is here to stay, but I think this role is kind of monumental and probably not a good showcase for a long time actress. I believe this because Hudson doesn’t wow me through the whole film; it is pretty much when she sings that she can sustain life on screen and so if she does musicals all the time, then maybe. Also, it wouldn’t hurt if she mixed some control in with her power on the vocal side. That being said it really is worth the price of admission to hear her tear into 2 or 3 songs in this mostly enjoyable film.