REVIEW: Dreamgirls

The definitive review of Dreamgirls has already been written (by Boy Culture's Matthew Rettenmund). In fact the sheer volume of ecstatic reviews from fellow bloggers (Keith Boykin "an instant classic," Towleroad "a dazzling adaptation") raised awareness of the movie to a near fever pitch. Anchored by a stunning, heartwrenching rendition of "The Song," i.e. "And I Tell You (I Am Not Going)" by Jennifer Hudson, the movie has become a

favorite for black gay fans everywhere. In January Dreamgirls led all nominated films with 8 Oscar nominations in 6 categories and ended up winning two (Best Supporting Actress for Hudson and Best Sound Mixing) a few weeks ago at the Academy Awards show.

Last week, Mad Professah named the movie my #1 Favorite Film for 2006.

I saw Dreamgirls for the first time on Monday December 18 during a weeklong special engagement at the Arclight Cinemas before the film's Christmas Day opening. I had not gotten around to seeing it again for the second time and felt I needed to see the movie twice before I could write a review that does it justice. I was able to do that today, and it did not disappoint.

On second viewing what stands out is the writing and direction of Bill Condon, who won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Chicago. The pacing of the film is truly exquisite, with the story never becoming less than engrossing for a second. There are numerous directorial flourishes which I didn't notice the first time: a shot of the action on stage reflected in the glasses of an audience member, a fade-in from practicing dancers in a vee formation to a similar shape of the top of a skyscraper and the quick edits in many of the Dreams musical numbers.

With the knowledge that Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson received Oscar nominations (and both won Screen Actors' Guild awards) for their roles one does pay careful attention to their performances. But even without such acclaim it is clear from the first time Jimmy "Thunder" Early (Murphy) and Effie White (Hudson) appear on screen that they are tearing up the scenery. The story is written to revolve around Effie so I believe it is even more impressive what Murphy manages to do with what could be a purely campy part. Again, the one person who under-performs is Jamie Foxx, whose portrayal of Berry Gordy Curtis Taylor, Jr is surprisingly flat. The script is designed to make his character the central villain of the piece but Foxx's acting is uninteresting and monotonous.

Many tongues have wagged about alleged tensions between Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson. "Beyoncé is jealous because she is the bigger star but is getting less attention!" This seems silly and untrue to me. It is clear that Beyoncé understands the structure of the Dreamgirls piece and there is no question that she demonstrates her star power (and breathtaking beauty) as Deena Jones replicates Diana Ross' career path. To me the ultimate message of the film is that there is room for both a largely talented singer like Effie and a beautiful entertainer like Deena.

GRADE: A.