I have just returned after seeing Dreamgirls.

Loved it.... The costumes, set, acting, singing, lighting, camera work, story....

Only thing that annoyed me slightly was Beyonce. I felt I couldn't really see her true character as Deena because her voice would have all these little rolls and stuff she does in the charts. Nethertheless I think it was her best acting to date compared to all the rubbish films I personally think she has done.

Also there was a point after Effie is told she can no longer sing back up and they randomly break into song. Yes I know it's a musical but it could have been more subtly done. Everything else though...

Eddie Murphy - what a legend. He is a true actor and everything about him was perfect - great casting

Jamie Foxx - really showed his caring personality but dark side. Gritting stuff

And finally...

Jennifer Hudson. This is a woman who I feel I most connected with in the whole piece and in fact any other film to date. Her vocals were beautiful and her emotions wanted to make me cry because they were so good.

I can't wait for Dreamgirls to come out on DVD. I was excited after hearing about the film on MDN and all the hype surrounding it but was having some doubts whether it would live up to my expectations.

It did.

So honestly go see Dreamgirls. I think it is better than Chicago and it deserves a lot of acclaim.

I am one happy Brit!

I TOTALLY agree. I think it was better than Chicago as well, and I know what you mean about that one random break into song. There was NOTHING in that post I didn't agree with.

Lol well you know what they say!!! Great minds think alike lol

Now this is something that I don't completely agree with. I think that Beyonce was remarkably restrained in her vocals for Deena. I think she sounds different here than she does in her pop music recordings. I think this was sometimes quite subtle, with the closest thing to the Beyonce of the pop charts surfacing in "Listen". But even here, her vocal performance is not as busy as it normally is - and I think it's all the better for that. Even just comparing the performance in the film to her performance at the Oscars reveals that there is a difference between Deena Beyonce and Diva Beyonce. I think her acting of the role was weaker than her interpretation in the singing of the role - and I think that's where the sense that one might not "see (the) true character (of) Deena" originates.



I actually though this was probably the best transition into non-diagetic singing in the film. It works far better than the transition into "Stepping to the Bad Side" and "Family". I think the emotional build into the number makes it impossible for them to speak any more at that point. The emotion is so big that they have to heighten their language, they have to sing.



I agree with you on this point. Ultimately, I'm not sure where Hudson's Effie will settle in the canon of musical film divas. I am still struggling to think of a performance in musical film that tops "And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)". It's better than Streisand in Funny Girl, it's better than Minnelli in Cabaret.... I can't think of anything else that is as raw and moving.



I thought Jamie Foxx didn't nearly capture the complexity of Curtis. He was too one-dimensional and not textured enough in the film and this made his final scene, when he recognizes his daughter, somewhat disconcerting and gratuitous. I was probably most disappointed in his performance in this film.

Later days
David