Rating: 
Summary: Don't Resist It -- Just be Prepared for a Wild Ride!
Review: Visually stunning, "Moulin Rouge" mixes elements of drama, theater and music in ways that perhaps no other film has ever achieved. Part "Wizard of Oz," part "Shakespeare In Love" this is an original vision from director Baz Luhrman, who has isngle-handledly invented his own style with this one-of-a-kind film. Sure, there are moments that make little or no sense - nonsense in fact - but you'll be entertained in brash, unexpected ways that perhaps you never thought you'd experience on film. I was startled, cajoled and shaken at times, frustrated to miss little details that on repeat viewing make some parts make sense, but always drawn into a roller coaster ride that bears little resemblence to anything ever put on screen, and yet owes plenty to other musical and non musical classics. The revelation here is Ewan McGregor, who seems to be channeling Orson Welles and Robert Downey Jr. at times, but who succeeds beyond all my wildest expectations as an actor, a singer, a performer, and proptagonist. Nicloe Kidman is grand, and beautiful beyond words, with ravishing red hair that sweeps down her graceful back and costumes that set off her famous curves in new almost non-human ways. Both are chameleons as actors, and both deserve tremendous credit for taking on these characters who are colorful yet remote. The supporting cast is tremendous, especially Jim Broadbent. John Leguizamo's turn as Toulousse-Latreque, while intriguing, is the only sore spot. His lisp is unnerving and doesn't serve the plot or character one bit (his parts I found were superfulous anyways.) Other than McGregor (again, phenomenal as the writer Christian) the film soars by being both oddly foreign (no one's ever seen anything like this before) and innately familiar at once (at times, you can practically recite the script.) What Luhrman has done - other than create a masterpiece that will be analyzed and dissected for eons - is to bring pop culture to the plot, via well known songs that Boomers, Gen X'ers and Y'ers all know by heart. "Come What May" the central theme and practically only new song even feels familiar, with its shades of every Broadway musical you've ever loved, from "Phantom" to "Miss Saignon" to "Les Miz." If you dream in Technicolor, your nightscapes will surely be enhanced by this unforgettable film, which must take its place beside the most innovative films of all time, from the "Wizard" to Kubricks "A Clockwork Orange" from a Spike Lee Joint to a Speilberg spectacular. Hats off to Baz Lurhman for creating a spectacle that eludes easy classification, in fact, one that creates its own unique category of film. You'll find yourself wondering how he achieved this vision, and whether mind altering drugs had anything to do with it (it recalls a great and evil acid trip of the Timothy Leary sort.) To be sure, any viewer who resists may find themselces frustrated by the quick edits and tornado-like sequences, but let it ride folks. This is pure movie magic, and destined to be a singular sensation, a landmark achievement in filmmaking that, if you let it, will sweep you away in time and then bring you back to the present before you can say "Moulin Rouge!"
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular Musical Experience on DVD
Review: There's no other word to describe this movie other than SPECTACULAR! Coincidentally, the musical being written and performed in the movie is titled "Spectacular, Spectacular". This movie made me realize how talented Ewan and Nicole are. They can sing very well, even better than some so-called professional singers! Now on to the DVD... This one is definitely worth buying. There are lots and lots of extra features. And besides the ones mentioned on the cover, watch out for some hidden extras (easter eggs). This is a true 2-disc-set, with the entire movie on Disc 1 and extra features on Disc 2, unlike the disappointing "Pearl Harbor" DVD.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: Of all the movies of 2001, this is the one I keep returning to. Everytime I watch it I find I see more layers of richness and detail and I find more emotional depth. It's a simple story, but deliberately so, like all the great myths. It turns instantly from broad comedy to romance to poignance and tragedy, sometimes mixing them all simultaneously. There are hundreds of cultural references in this movie, each one adding a mosaic chip of power and emotion to the whole. Take "Like a Virgin" for instance; you have the waiters' dance from "Hello Dolly" combined with a dark Satanic vision of sexual evil combined with Jim Broadbent's hysterically looney drag pantomime to deceive and frustrate the lustful Duke intercut with Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor's love story racing toward its tragic climax. This film-making is bold, brilliant, moving, complex and so original that it will change the movie musical forever. It's the first film masterpiece of the 21st century. (Plus the music is great, and how can you not love a movie where John Leguizamo plays Toulouse Leautrec as a parody of Sister Wendy?)
Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: Great movie/great DVD. I laughed and cried throughout it at the theater and do the same at home.
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular, Spectacular
Review: I totally disagree with Dr. Ravna's cruel and unusual review. i saw this movie in the theater and thought it was wonderful and that both main actors were wonderful singers. The way the director shot this film was marvoulus. The part where they first go to the Moulin Rouge was just many quick three second shots! I hope this movie wins many Academy Awards and it already won 3 Golden Globes. So if you are thinking of see this movie, RUN out to the nearest rental store and pick up a copy!
Rating: 
Summary: And Now For Something Completely Different.
Review: I had heard a lot of good things from friends about MOULIN ROUGE and critics seemed to love it. However, the only promotions I had seen for the film advertised the sexuality of the picture and nothing else. That made me a bit leery. However, after finally viewing the movie, I'm happy to say though the film is full of sexuality (notice I said sexuality and not sex), it's a great movie well worth watching. The plot of the film, about star-crossed lovers separated by different lifestyles is an old one; but makes for a great story when told well (by the way, in MOULIN ROUGE the poor man wins the girl in the end, but in a slight twist, fate intervenes). And in MOULIN ROUGE the story is told exceptionally well. The scenery and costumes are marvelous, capturing all the lively decadence that was the Moulin Rouge. The altered pop music score and soundtrack is brilliantly done and one can only hope that future films choosing to use this format will be as well done. Many have praised and much ballyhoo as been given to Nicole Kidman for her performance and she may end up garnishing an Oscar because of it. However, Kidman isn't the real star of this movie. The real star is Ewan McGregor. He pulls off one of the finest and most believable performances of his career. Not only that, but man can this boy sing? Did anyone ever know how good his pipes were? He could easily pull of a Broadway musical and it would be a treat to see him try. Now, I'm not dissing Kidman; she gives a fine performance and has a difficult role. Nevertheless, McGregor has been overlooked and he's the one who really pulls off the better performance. Besides, it is his character (Christian) and not Kidman's (Satine), that the story really revolves around. The supporting cast is wonderful as well. As for the movie overall. The first twenty minutes are really strange and bizarre. After that, the pace picks up and things make sense. It is as though Baz Luhrmann didn't know what kind of movie he was making, toyed about doing a musical farce, but finally decided to make a pop-cultured, new breed musical. I'm glad Luhrmann finally made up his mind.
Rating: 
Summary: Garish. No substance.
Review: I loved Luhrman's Romeo and Juliet, but I think this project is a failure. I respect him for his ambitiousness and I encourage him to keep up with such attempts for the successes are surely worth it. In my opinion, the film failed in several respects. Foremost, I don't think there is any character development. What fuels Satine's ambition? How can Zidler be so cold and greedy? Louie and that gang, they only appear when it's convenient for the unbelievably weak plot. The life in the club is not developed well either. Basically, I didn't get a chance to know the characters or the "bohemian life" well enough to feel anything for them. The musical aspect of the movie did not seem to work either. To me, this really muddled what Director Luhrman was aiming for. What is the significance of using take-offs of 80's hits? Is this supposed to be some satirical social commentary? There is a shallowness and ambiguousness throughout the movie. Thus, although I wanted to like Satine and Christian, all I could muster was a sense of triteness.
Rating:
Summary: Smells like teen spirit..........
Review: Ugh...........Talk about a terrible film. It's no surprise that Moulin Rouge was so well received in today's pop-culture wasteland by a bunch of pop-culture drones. Baz Luhrmann has taken a classic tale of a penniless writer (Ewan McGregor) who falls in love with a stunning and exotic showgirl (Nicole Kidman) in the famous turn of the century Paris nightclub and turned it into an MTV video full of frantic editing that kills any appreciation one might have for the lovely sets. Every camera shot is soft-focused and stop-actioned and grainy-printed to within an inch of its life....YAWN. And Moulin Rouge is a musical? Nirvana? Modanna? Queen? Elton John? Oh please. No, placing [...sorry] modern rock tracks to an historical event is not "brilliant." Why not throw in Ozzy Osbourne, Oasis, Smashing Pumpkins, Duran Duran, Nine Inch Nails, Sex Pistols, and Public Enemy? Moulin Rouge isn't the next Grease or West Side Story, Moulin Rouge is nothing more than a 21st century Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Rating:
Summary: I was looking forward to see this movie
Review: Only three movies in my life have I walked out on:
1 - Terms of Endearment
2 - Drunken Master (Jackie Chan)
3 - Moulon Rouge
I love movies, and have rented every new release Blockbuster
has had over the last 10 years.
I'm sorry, but this movie was absolutely terrible. I walked out
at the 41 minute mark -- couldn't take it any longer.
For you younger people: the green, flaming drinks that most
of the characters were drinking are called 'Absinthe'.
Absinthe was the late 1800's version of LSD, was very popular
in europe, but now very illegal.
It seemed to me like the director, writer, cast and crew had
found a supply of real Absinthe, and were tripping heavily
during the production of this show.
Everything was so disconnected, like a jumpled, bad acid trip.
The costumes, sets, and camera angles were O.K., but the
lighting was always too dark, as though filmed in a dark studio.
Nichole had a nervous, bloodshot look that I found disturbing.
The lead actor had terrible teeth, too many close-ups.
I am sorry to be negative about such a popular movie.
No, I'm not a mormon.
I really rate this movie ZERO stars, but the website where
you type your reviews only goes down to one star.
Rating:
Summary: Waste of time!
Review: I was completely surprised by this movie. I heard nothing but good things about it. I was so annoyed by the end of the movie I had to watch American pie with a Remember the titans chaser to calm down. Nicole Kidman was great to look at but everything else was terrible. They tried to make the movie interesting by putting in a bunch of freaky people but it only made me feel more distant. Do not buy this movie unless you are into torturing yourself.
|
