Rating: 
Summary: Moulin Rogue Exhibits Nice Cinematography; Little Else
Review: I remember quite clearly, about a year ago I told my best friend Rebecca that I was interested in going to see that new movie that was coming out, Moulin Rogue. After having only seen the whirlwind, loud, colorful trailer that only suggested that the film is a musical and it involves a lot of dancing, a lot of red lipstick, Nicole Kidman, Ewan Mcgregor (sigh...), and some French place called the Moulin Rouge, Rebecca responded with a confused, "Moulin Rogue? No way, she's a prostitute or something..." After getting one of those pains in the back of my head that I always seem to get whenever Rebecca hurls a statement of just this type in my general direction, I proceeded to sift through the debris that this argument had left between me and coherent thought, and I proceeded to explain the actual reasons that I was attracted to the movie. But honestly, how and why would the fact that the leading female character in a film is a "prostitute" serve as a basis to write the film off entirely? I really have to let that one go, anyway, I listed several reasons: I thought Baz Luhrmann's cinematography in Romeo and Juliet was choice so I was interested in seeing his work here, I thought "hmm, musical...sounds refreshing," and mainly I had been in love with Ewan McGregor's Scottish-turned American actor appeal for quite a while.
After seeing the film I had sort of mixed feelings, more leaning toward disappointment in the film than in admiration of it. While McGregor's voice was more than enough to keep me entranced through the entire two hours, I was disappointed both in Satin's (Nicole Kidman) character as well as the shallowness of the storyline. When a movie's theme can be summed up in four words, in this case "truth, beauty, freedom, and love," that leave little more to think about than the universal call of the '60's, the impact is less than noteworthy. The plot honestly relys on little else than a dreamer/writer who falls in love with a woman of immense beauty, but the evils of the world will not let them live for all they ave ever asked, once again, truth, beauty, freedom, and love.
I was disappointed in the development of Satin's character, not so much in the way she was played, but in the choices that she makes in the film. If the love between her and the writer really was true enough to act as the binding force of the film, then she would never have chosen the "brave" step to walk away from him and perform in the play. I didn't feel the alternative, her illness, was enough to tear her away.
Overall, the film was an outburst of style, racing through a story that shouts its meaning in your face, and leaves you with little to think about afterword. Ewan, you're beautiful, but stick to star wars.
Rating: 
Summary: Not good
Review: This is a movie you either love or hate. I hated it! It was just plain stupid.
Rating: 
Summary: REMOVE THIS REVIEW, PLEASE.
Review: REMOVE THIS REVIEW, PLEASE.
Rating:
Summary: Silly, shallow, noisy, pretentious
Review: It'd be hard to name a movie in recent history that elicits such polar reactions from viewers. Obviously, I sit squarely in the camp that thinks it's a silly, shallow, messy, clichéd, unfocused load of garbage (and I sat through it three times). It fails not because it's a musical, but because it's an unoriginal musical. And the music that was pinched for it consists of the lamest songs from the 20th Century one can imagine; obviously the sole criteria was having the word "love" in the title or lyrics. One exception is the clever presentation of "Like A Virgin", otherwise, why should the public be again tortured with "Silly Love Songs" or a half dozen versions of "Your Song"? None of it fits into the film's thin, simple, predictable plot.
The screenplay never takes itself seriously, yet expects us to believe that some sort of love epic is unraveling before our eyes. As much as the story pushes the concept of "true love", one feels the writers and director wouldn't know a teenage crush if it leapt up and bit them in their collective bums.
It also doesn't help that Nicole Kidman and Ewan MacGregor have zero chemistry between them. To her credit, Kidman is an absolute trooper who looks marvelous and has a very credible voice and deserved her Academy nomination strictly for salvaging the whole mess - something she could not do for "Eyes Wide Shut". MacGregor, on the other hand, needs to stick to his day job of being a tortured underground youth and should never attempt singing again. At least he refrained from exposing his member here. Jim Broadbent is his usual brilliant self, but John Leguizamo, unfortunately, is also his usual self - i.e. hyper-annoying.
The last third of the movie actually has some cohesion, perhaps because there's way less of the quick-cut, ADD-style editing that plagues the majority of Moulin Rouge. And the dramatic death scene (and I don't think I'm giving anything away) is too little too late. If the build-up hadn't been all slapstick and vaudeville, the end could be believable.
Moulin Rouge is big-budget, big-production eye-candy for people who've never seen a real musical before. Coppola's "One From The Heart" from 1981, while not a great movie, takes the premise "MR" attempts (surreal, big-studio dysfunctional love story) and at least comes off as original and inspired. Moulin Rouge looks suspiciously like an idea a second-rate junior-high drama class would come up with. Best Picture nomination? In what parallel universe?
Rating:
Summary: the best movie ever created
Review: THIS IS THE BEST MOVIE EVER CREATED!!...my cousin and i saw it in the theatres a billion times!! my dream is to meet nicole kidman and ewan mcgregor!!... They are the best!!... This movie is absolutely outstanding!!... IT IS WORTH SEEING OVER AND OVER!!... I LOVE MOULIN ROUGE!!!...
Rating:
Summary: the best movie ever created
Review: THIS IS THE BEST MOVIE EVER CREATED!!!!!!!!!!!! my cousin and i saw it in the theatres a billion times!! my dream is to meet nicole kidman and ewan mcgregor!!!!!! They are the best!!! This movie is absolutely outstanding!!!! IT IS WORTH SEEING OVER AND OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE MOULIN ROUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you will see no one else who loves this movie more than my cousin and I, if u think u like it more than me...well, i beg to differ~
Rating: 
Summary: Didn't live up to the hype . . .
Review: Seeing this movie once was enough. I loved the costumes and art direction and the movie deserved its Oscars for those. What I didn't like about the movie was that the director couldn't seem to decide whether it was a campy spoof or a serious musical. It ended up being neither, which made it weak. I did like the cast, but didn't like the music - it didn't fit and was distracting. Some great ideas were there, but I don't think the picture put it all together. Maybe that's why Luhrmann wasn't nominated for best director and why it didn't win best picture.Previous reviews have described this as one long MTV video. I think that is a fair description. It would have been much better with original music, a better story and without a frantic pace that assault's one's senses.
Rating:
Summary: Best movie I have seen in a long time!!
Review: One of the best movies that has come along in the last few years, Moulin Rouge met all of my hopes, and went far beyond. The DVD edition is awsome with behind the scenes info, cast pictures, costume designs, and many documetaries, it will keep you entertained for hours. Long Live Moulin Rouge!!!
Rating:
Summary: Simply pure genius
Review: This movie is pure genius. I have to admit it caught me off guard the first time I saw it, but there's no doubt that Baz Lhurman has created a masterpiece. "Moulin Rouge" has now become one of my favorite movies of all time. Not only is it a great story, but it is a visual feast accompanied by a great soundtrack.
And as for the DVD, they have done a great job. Beautiful presentation and all the extras you could hope for.
...don't doubt, get this NOW! You won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: A windmill of a musical--not for those who demand Reality TV
Review: This is one of those films people either love or hate--so how to tell which group you fit in before you rent or buy Moulin Rouge? Well, this is THEATER, 100% all the time, as one of my colleagues astutely remarked. So, don't expect a costume drama, a realistic, gritty look at life in Montmartre during L'Age D'Or in pre-WWI Paris. No, indeed. However, if you like over-the-top musicals, music videos and outrageous theater, you may adore Moulin Rouge. My French friends certainly all loved it--"brilliante, merveilleuse" they cooed after it was shown at a Strasbourg film fest last year. There is, in addition to a lot of computer generated hijinks and music video lightning-fast editing, some wonderful song moments such as burly Jim Broadbent singing "Like a Virgin" (yes, Madonna's anthem.) The finale number is something out of Vegas crossed with an Indian movie spectacular. It's all too much sometimes so you just have sit back and enjoy the ride. Nicole Kidman is on-screen nearly the entire time and does a fabulous job as Satine, the "Sparkling Diamond." A courtesan (high priced long-term call girl, or kept mistress in modern terms) falls for a penniless writer. Meanwhile, she's being auctioned off to a clueless (or nearly clueless) Duke who is to finance the failing Moulin nightclub. Ewan MacGregor shines as the penniless, lovestruck writer and the rest of the cast is also excellent. If you loved the film, the DVD is worth having for the music, which is really marvelous. Enjoy.
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