This picture was taken from a website entitled Boho Storm.
If had I had to offer any piece of advice to an iffy first-time viewer, I would say this: it gets better. That is to say, don't judge the movie by the first twenty minutes or so. It does get better after the hyper camera movements and slightly overdone comedy. Even I wasn't so sure the first time I saw this movie if I was going to be able to stay through the rest. I knew my mother wasn't going to and I knew I was going to pay dearly for dragging her to this monstrosity of a movie. It wasn't until around the time that the Duke decides that he "generally likes" the plot for Spectacular Spectacular that I was able to get into the groove of things and breathe a little easier. For all that Nicole Kidman overacts during the entire scene in the elephant, Satine is able to make the amazing transformation from a seemingly air-headed sex kitten to a plausible, likable character. Jim Broadbent as Harold Zidler calms down a bit and stops screaming *everything* he says after a while. Even Christian, whose true transformation doesn't come until later, starts to become a little bit more three-dimensional after these initial scenes. Suddenly falling in love with these characters seems more like an inevitability rather than an impossibility. I stopped feeling like I wanted to walk out and started to feel like I never wanted it to end.
Now, as a person who is annoyed to no end when a perfectly good story is rudely interrupted by characters bursting into song, it's a surprise to be saying that one of the best parts of this movie is the flashy and fun musical numbers. Baz Luhrmann was able to use these to keep the story moving rather than interrupting the flow of it in order to show off the superior vocal skills of the actors. And what vocal skills! Having seen Ewan McGregor's impression of Iggy Pop in Velvet Goldmine, I was not terribly confident that his singing would live up to general expectations for a musical. It was pleasant to find that, except for one specific incident (I can't help but cringe every time he insists that "we can be lovers" during the "Elephant Love Medley"), his singing voice is simply dazzling. And if his singing voice is dazzling, then Nicole Kidman's is something else again. It's absolutely stunning to hear her sing. The singing, of course, wasn't the only part of the musical numbers in this movie. The dancing, particularly during Tango de Roxanne, is incredible. There's no other word for it. I was mesmerized.
Still, as wonderful as this movie is, it does have its downfalls, as does any other movie. I couldn't help but be a little offended by the whole consumption thing. I know this movie is a fantasy, but tuberculosis is not. I don't think it was portrayed in a realistic way for several reasons: First, someone dying of consumption probably knows about it or at least knows that something is up (unlike Satine, who has to be told by Zidler that she's sick). Second, I believe it generally takes a little longer for this particular illness to overtake someone than it did in this movie. Third, I doubt someone as ill as Satine was at the end of this movie could have performed that well in a show. I don't mean to make a big deal out of it, but there's something about it that just makes me raise my eyebrows. It bothers me.
Despite that, the musical for people who don't like musicals is a great triumph, evidenced by its Oscar Nominations (although both Ewan McGregor and Baz Luhrmann were wrongly overlooked). It has succeeded in not only reviving, but reinventing something that was thought to have curled up and died a long time ago: the movie musical. Bravo!
Oh, and in case you were wondering, despite the fact that she loves this movie as much as I do, my mother did make me pay for making her go see it. Several months later, I was forced to go with her to see a movie about some place called Middle Earth about these people called hobbits...can't remember the name of it...something about rings. Poor me. :)
Moulin Rouge
starring: Ewan McGregor (Christian), Nicole Kidman (Satine), Jim Broadbent (Harold Zidler), Richard Roxburgh (the Duke), John Leguizamo (Toulouse Lautrec), etc.
The Eye Candy Factor: 7 (out of 10); Ewan McGregor is a god and the elaborate sets and costumes are also pleasing to the eye.
The Yeah Right! Factor: 5 (out of 10); well, it was meant to be a fantasy, but Nicole Kidman got too over the top in places and the whole consumption thing is a little too iffy for my liking.
Chick Flick or Dick Flick?: major chick flick all the way considering all the romance going on.
Ewan McGregor Connections: Does it count if he's in the movie himself? Probably not. Still, it's worth mentioning that Jim Broadbent was one of the key players in the movie Little Voice alongside Mr. McGregor.
Sense and Sensibility: 6 (out of 10); again with the consumption thing.
Coolness Factor: 8 (out of 10); the sets, the costumes, the dance numbers, the fantasy-like quality to the entire thing--who needs Lucas scale special effects?
To Sum it All Up: 8 (out of 10)
Care to challenge my opinion? Come on down!
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