Dreamgirls (2006)

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Directed by Bill Condon.

Starring Jamie Foxx, Danny Glover, Eddie Murphy, Keith Robinson, Sharon Leal, Usher Raymond, Beyoncé Knowles, Anika Noni Rose, Jennifer Hudson.

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Director Bill Condon brings Tom Eyen's Tony award-winning Broadway musical to the big screen in a tale of dreams, stardom, and the high cost of success in the cutthroat recording industry. The time is the 1960s, and singers Effie (Jennifer Hudson), Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose), and Deena (Beyoncé Knowles) are about to find out just what it's like to have their wildest dreams come true. Discovered at a local talent show by ambitious manager Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx), the trio known as "the Dreamettes" is soon offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of opening for popular singer James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy). Subsequently molded into an unstoppable hit machine by Taylor and propelled into the spotlight as "the Dreams," the girls quickly find their bid for the big time taking priority over personal friendship as Taylor edges out the ultra-talented Effie so that the more beautiful Deena can become the face of the group. Now, as the crossover act continues to dominate the airwaves, the small-town girls with big-city dreams slowly begin to realize that the true cost of fame may be higher than any of them ever anticipated. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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Reviews and discussions

Meet Dave: What’s interesting i ...
by SpoutBlog in SpoutBlog on spout.com

hasn't rated it.

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"The latest Eddie Murphy comedy, Meet Dave, debuted at a dismal 7th place this past weekend with only $5.3 million (on Monday it had already dropped down to #8), marking the worst wide-release opening for the actor since The Adventures of Pluto Nash. Can you spot the connection between these two movies? If you noted that they’re both sci-fi comedies, you’re smarter than the average movie exec, apparently. After comedy subgenre failures like Pluto Nash and Vampire in Brooklyn, you’d think producers would have known better than to cast the broad comedy star in something like Meet Dave. Actually, its distributor, Fox, may have started growing wise to the issue when it threw away the original title, Starship Dave. A few writers have now addressed some of the reasons why Meet Dave failed, and it should be clear how to avoid such a bomb in the future. At the L.A. Times, Patrick Goldstein argues the sci-fi comedy case, though figured out the subgenre can sometimes go blockbuster, as the Me ... " [More]

Dreamgirls (2006)
by JJ79 in JJ79 Blog

hasn't rated it.

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"Released: December 25, 2006Director: Bill Condon*****Much like it's 2007 movie musical brethren Hairspray, Dreamgirls concerns itself with race relations in a more straight forward, less pop way. Which isn't to say either approach is better then the other: both end on positive, uplifting notes for the most of the characters and are filled with music from beginning to end. Dreamgirls, though, relegates the various love stories to second tier status in favor of contrasting the rise and fall of early Motown music personalities. Namely James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy, in a role he should have received an Oscar for), car salesman turned executive Curtis Taylor, Jr. (Jamie Foxx in a smoldering performance) and the girls who comprise the Dreamettes (later the Dreams) singing group.In a desperate bid to put his new act on the map, Taylor, Jr. engages in dubious at best payola with radio stations in the Detroit area. As new gigs start to be lined up, lead singer Effie (Oscar winner ... " [More]

Let's talk about 'Sex'
by usesoap in usesoap Blog

lost interest.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. [What do you think?]
"Anticipating the anguished emails of readers who may take umbrage to any critiquing whatsoever of their beloved characters from “Sex and the City,” I opted for a different (read: cowardly) approach to this review which enlists the talents of my editor, one Jen Ellingsworth – perhaps the target audience for this show. My theory is that if the producers wanted to make a film that catered specifically to the audience, it would have been released in the comfortable confines of its HBO home. Since it was debuting at the multiplex, however, it should be fair game for a standard critique on how it stands up as a film. (For example, if Pixar films are for children, shouldn’t they be open to adult reviewers?) Since I was a virgin to “Sex” – I have never watched an episode, nor was I overcome with any desire in which to do so – I felt the thoughts and comments of one who had spent many an hour with our fab foursome would be of relative importan ... " [More]

Dreamgirls (2006, USA, Bill Con ...
by CinemaRian in CinemaRian Blog

hasn't rated it.

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"Dreamgirls is a nightmare. Actully, it's not that bad, but that statement was too funny for me not to open the review with. On to the real review-_______________________ ______________________________ __________ When the Academy Award nominations were announced last week, Dreamgirls made history- it is the first time the film with most nominations (8) was not nominated for Best Picture. Since long before its release, the film was considerd to be Oscar-worthy or Oscar bait, depending on your point of view. And indeed, it does seem like the worst kind of thing the Academy usually rewards, which why it must be comended for not falling for the bait. Dreamgirls looks great, has a social message, and is well acted, which is all the voters usually pay attention to but the movie is extreamly underwritten and shallow. Based on a supposedly beloved musical (which I had never heard of, nor did I recognize any of the songs), Dreamgirls recounts the rise of the black soul trio The Dreams, obv ... " [More]

my 2007 movie lists
by wonga in wonga's filmblog

loved it.

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"i have a wonderful picture of all my movie ticket stubs from this year in a pile but i can’t get it transferred to my filmblog (yes, i save my ticket stubs and scrapbook them at the end of the year…i know, it’s sad really)! armed with discount movie coupons, i saw 118 movies this year at the theater and, as usual, it was really hard to narrow them down but here’s my list, for what it’s worth. some are from 2006 that i didn’t see until later. my 15 favorite movies at the theater in 2007the assassination of jesse james by the coward robert fordthe diving bell and the butterflythe lives of othersjunothe painted veilonceno country for old menthe darjeeling limitedwaitressstarting out in the eveningsunshinefirst snow zodiacin the shadow of the moonacross the universehonorable mention (alphabetically)2 days in paris 3:10 to yuma51 birch streetdirty dancing (20th anniversary)dreamgirlshairspra yinto the wildthe jane austen book clubkiller of sheepknock ... " [More]

Trade Roughage 11/15/07
by paul in paul on spout.com

hasn't rated it.

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"In spite of writers forcing primetime repeats as most of the country settles into winter (I recommend knitting as an alternative), the public seems to be siding against “The Corporations.” How American. Marketing guru behind Sweeney Todd–Tim Burton’s musical about a serial killing barber–struggles with “many niche audiences that need to be dealt with.” Solution: Promote it as Saw meets Dreamgirls. Jesse Eisenberg (Squid and the Whale) and Justin Bartha (Failure to Launch) will add to the “burgeoning ‘Jewsploitation’ genre” with a *comedy* about Hassidic drug mules. How does “sploitation” get added to an ethnicity? Case in point: Maria Full of Grace is sad, but if it had a Hassidic Jew cast? Oy vey! I just spit out my Schmaltz! Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul " [More]

Trade Roughage 11/15/07
by SpoutBlog in SpoutBlog on spout.com

hasn't rated it.

Soundtrack you *listen* to the ...
by masterflamaster in Best Movie Soundtracks

hasn't rated it.

"I love ost from Human Traffic, film and soundtrack has a lot of good energy. There is all truth bout the parties ;) " [More]

Dreamgirls
by JimBell in JimBell Blog

is neutral about it.

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"Dreamgirls (2006)is a pretty well-made movie, but I didn’t like it much. The movie is both a drama and a musical, and neither worked well for me. In the first half of the movie, the drama worked well because, even though simple, there was suspense: Will those girls make it big in the music biz? But when they become international superstars, the plot has not discernable direction. It jumps from scene to scene: oh, suddenly this guy is having an affair; oh, suddenly another guy is unhappy with the music; oh suddenly she is getting rebellious; oh, suddenly . . . As far as the film is a drama, it develops a theme. The theme is that winning at all costs, as the girls’ manager does, means that you ultimately lose. We see him deserted by one friend and associate after another. So it is not about winning, but about being true to yourself and your loved ones. But wait a minute. A climactic scene has the feisty singer who was kicked out of the group shouting in the manager’ ... " [More]

These Girls Are A Dream Come True
by erico_77375 in erico_77375 Blog

loved it.

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"Looking back over the year, I can honestly say that Hollywood has lost touch with what it does best. It tries too hard to specify entertainment certain groups, whether it be on racial, gender, religious or age barriers. Audiences have flocked to market-designed films that they've been targeted to see. I felt a deep sadness watching as independent film had to do what Hollywood should have been doing all year. Then I got my Christmas wish. No, it wasn't a new DVD player or a Playstation 3. My Christmas wish was Dreamgirls, a film that smashes all the barriers that separate audiences and allows us to see what Hollywood was meant for.Dreamgirls is based on the Broadway musical that mirrors the sixties and seventies in the world of soul music. We meet Effie (Jennifer Hudson), Deena (Beyonce Knowles), and Lorelle (Anika Noni Rose); aka The Dreamettes. They sing at a Detroit talent show where they are heard by a car-dealer-turned-music-promot er, Curtis (Jamie Foxx). He strikes a ... " [More]

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Review by All Movie Guide

All Movie Guide

liked it.

Bill Condon's Dreamgirls is a good entertainment. The flashy costumes and art direction humorously and quickly establish the various time periods, and the thinly veiled references to Motown history help make the film an enjoyable exercise. However, there is something off throughout the movie that keeps it from greatness. Some of the musical numbers occur while the performers are on-stage or in the recording booth, and these songs help express the characters' thoughts and feelings, but other times the characters break into song in everyday life, and these moments -- so natural in the best movie musicals -- feel forced in Dreamgirls. The problem first becomes apparent in the famous "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" sequence where Effie (Jennifer Hudson) pours her heart out both to her bandmates and to the man she loves after being kicked out of the band. The song requires a near-operatic expression of emotion and the movie grinds to a halt, visually as well as dramatically. It is quite literally a showstopper, but while Hudson gives a strong vocal performance, the sequence goes on for so long that the audience becomes aware she is lip-synching. The song is so personal, such an individual expression of anger, grief, and inner turmoil, that even though it plays so powerfully on the stage, it loses something vital in the translation to film, and this disconnect will take some viewers out of the moment. Hudson's hard work impresses, but that may be indicative of just what is off about the entire movie: the filmmakers never let you forget how hard everyone is working. This is underscored during the closing credits, where each craft is spotlighted just as it is during the annual Oscar telecast. The costume director's name appears alongside images of wardrobe sketches and the final costumes made from them. All this work is appreciated, and one is thankful that they cared so much, but the best musicals make all of that hard work seem effortless. The most memorable and evocative moments in movie musicals happen when song and dance are simply the only avenues by which the characters can express the scope of their emotions. There is a lightness to great musicals, and Dreamgirls is certainly not light. Dreamgirls is good, but it would impress more if it weren't so eager to impress. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Tags: musical , beyonce , showstopper , effie , deena
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