The acting is one of Dreamgirls' unassailable assets. The music in Dreamgirls isn't as memorable, but the performances and character development are stronger. A few years ago, Chicago won a Best Picture on the strength of its spectacle. We feel for them, cheering for their ups and weeping for their downs. Despite the almost non-stop production numbers, we still identify with the men and women populating this film. Credit should be given to adapter/director Bill Condon, who balances music with character development and doesn't miss a beat. Effie isn't only removed, she is forgotten.ĭreamgirls is one of those movies that makes you feel like you're experiencing something, not just watching it. When product and packaging are paramount, little else matters. Effie is the best singer, but Deena is pretty and doesn't make waves. He courts white audiences because only by getting airplay on mainstream radio stations will the group become mega-stars. He destroys Effie's career because she is "disruptive." He marries Deena because it's good for their joint images.
However, as doors begin to open and he starts to see where dollars can be harvested, he becomes a cold, calculating businessman. (How else could one explain the sales of a pretty-but-talentless singer who shall remain nameless?) Curtis begins with a small dream to match small ambition. It has been happening for decades and, if anything, is more prevalent today than ever in the past.
This is nothing new in the music business. It will not be their last.ĭreamgirls is all about what sells, and how marketing trumps talent. Although Effie accepts the slight at first, as the group's popularity skyrockets and they begin to have crossover pop success, Effie's bitterness comes into the open and the "The Dreams," as they are now known, face their first major crisis. For marketing purposes, he pegs Deena as the lead singer, even though Effie has the best voice. Eventually, once Curtis has developed some clout, he spins off "The Dreamettes" on their own. Effie is initially reluctant - she sings only lead, not backup - but the money and potential opportunities win her over. (Jamie Foxx), who has been put in charge of finding emergency back-up singers for soul legend James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy). One night, after entering a talent contest, they catch the attention of would-be player Curtis Taylor Jr. The songwriter for the group is Effie's brother, C.C. At the beginning, we are introduced to an all-girl trio named "The Dreamettes." They are comprised of throaty Effie (Jennifer Hudson), pretty Deena (Beyonce Knowles), and meek Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose). The Detroit-based film spans the era beginning in the early 1960s and concluding in the mid 1970s. Dreamgirls is a high energy production and it is ultimately uplifting, but it doesn't shy away from dark moments. Nearly every character takes at least one metaphorical slap to the face. Dreamgirls is not as dark as Boogie Nights, but it would be a mistake to assume that, just because it's a musical, it's percolating with feel-good moments. The films begin light and frothy, with a future of seemingly limitless possibilities for the protagonists, but the arc is one of a gradual descent into an abyss. Despite radically different subject matter, both movies show the grim reality of the commerce through the eyes of a few involved characters. However, this is a minor quibble, and it does little to impact the viewer's enjoyment of what is sure to be a huge crowd-pleaser.ĭreamgirls does for the African-American music industry what Boogie Nights did for the porn business. Leaving the theater, I was not seized with the desire to stop at a music store and purchase the soundtrack. While effective within the context of the picture, the songs have a generic quality. If there's one weakness in the film, it's the music.
Dreamgirls effie movie#
The average Hollywood musical focuses on spectacle and, while there's some of that to be found in Dreamgirls, the movie has loftier goals, many of which it successfully achieves.
Dreamgirls is a wonderful entertainment: a musical that, while not skimping on the music, delivers a multi-layered storyline featuring complex characters.
0 kommentar(er)
