Rating: 
Summary: ONE OF 2001's TWO GREATEST MOVIES!
Review: How often do you go to see a movie and come out feeling your expectations have been exceeded? It probably only happens to me once or twice a year and I love watching movies. In my opinion this was the first of only two truly great movies in 2001 (The Fellowship of The Ring was the other). Baz Luhrmann's spectacular movie is a new spin on old idea - the movie musical. From the opening set-piece at the Moulin Rouge, an amazing set-piece of complex choreography, involving a cast of hundreds singing and dancing to a sequence of pop/rock "classics", including such diverse songs as Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Madonna's "Material Girl" seamlessly segued together, Moulin Rouge is nothing short of wonderful. Original (with a capital O) from the opening credits to the closing credits, this is in my humble opinion, nothing short of genius. "But what's the plot I hear you cry?" Well, without trying to give too much away ... a young writer by the name of Christian (Ewan Mc.Gregor)arrives in Paris in search of inspiration which inevitably leads him to the Moulin Rouge. There he meets Satine (Nicole Kidman), an elegant courtesan and the star of attraction of the Moulin Rouge, who mistakes the young writer for the very rich Duke of Worcester - cue innuendos galore - and Christian and Satine fall in love. But of course their love is not without complication, as Satine's affections have already been promised to the Duke and the lovers have to embark on a secret love affair... Maybe it does favour style over substance but hey, hasn't it got STYLE!!! This is pop culture at it's finest, wonderfully brash, fantastically OTT and nothing like anything you have ever seen before. Ewan Mc.gregor and Nicole Kidman light up the screen with sexual chemistry, great acting and unexpectedly good voices. And if the Academy has any taste (which is certainly debateable) this should be a winner of something major at the Oscars. PS The extras for the DVD are (unlike many other DVD's) superb and well worth seeing!
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular, Spectacular
Review: Moulin Rouge is my favorite movie of all time. It was a great love story with a great amount of comedy and suspense. I became so involved with all the characters. You begin to hate some, and totally love other characters. I think I cried the hardest at this movie than any other movie I've seen. They chosed great songs to make what they were saying all the more meaningful.
Rating:
Summary: The Show Must Go On
Review: This is definitely THE BEST movie ever made, hence the five stars. This is Baz Luhrmann's third and final installment of the Red Curtain series he directed, which also includes "Strictly Ballroom" and "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet". There are a couple comparisons I've noticed that I'll point out right now: The "L'amour" sign on the side on Christian's apartment building is painted on a wall near the pool hall (that happens to be called the Globe Theatre, which is where Billy Shakespeare had his plays performed in England) in "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet". Also, the leading lady in "Strictly Ballroom", Tara Morice, appears in a short cameo at the beginning of "Moulin Rouge" as a prostitute with cigarette smoke curling out of her mouth who glares at the camera for a split-second before the camera cuts to the Bar Absinthe. I love music, and it was awesome that it was filled to the brim with covers of pop classics from the '80s and '90s, such as Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Madonna's "Like A Virgin" among many others. Nicole Kidman was beyond perfect as Satine, the doomed courtesan, and Ewan McGregor did a smashing performance as Christian, the sensitive writer. I can't say enough good things about this movie. Do yourself a favor and see it!
Rating:
Summary: What a [surprise!!]
Review: I recently rented this DVD, thinking I would probably watch it for 10 minutes and think it was ... then turn it off. I was more than pleasantly suprised. I couldn't help loving every second of it. So of course, I ran out and bought the DVD and soundtrack (had to hear Ewan sing 'Your Song' on it). I only wish I hadn't avoided it when it was at the theatre. The performances by Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman were oustanding. And Jim Broadbent was simply delightful as over the top Zidler. The Like a Virgin scene was soo amuzing! And the Tango de la Roxanne scene is flawless and incredibly moving. The colors are vibrant, the pace is quick, the direction is amazing and the dance scenes are intoxicating.
I think I've watched this movie at least 5 times, and I could probably watch it every night. It's that entertaining, and in the end that's what it's suppose to be.
Not to say that this movie is for everyone by any means (that's made quite clear if you've seen some of the other reviews on here). But you have to check it out for yourself. If I went by what other people have said about it, I probably never would have discovered this delightful treat of a movie. It truly is my favorite movie of 2001, if not my favorite movie of all time.
Rating: 
Summary: if you make it past the first part, it gets better
Review: After watching the first thirty minutes of Moulin Rouge, full of senseless talking, nauseating camera tricks, and all around wierdness from having stuff from 2002 being in 1900, I was ready to call it quits. But i didn't, and I'm glad. After the first part, the love story between Christian and Satine really develops and Ewan Mcgregor and Nicole Kidman are excellent in their roles, potentially scoring nominations next week, at least, Kidman will. The plot is simple: A poor writer/poet falls in love with a dancer at the Moulin Rouge, who is trying to woo a Duke for money. Instead, she falls in love with the writer and the two must keep their relationship a secret from him. Like another great movie, AMERICAN BEAUTY, this movie combines, Musicals, Comedy, Suspense (A wonderfully done dance scene with the song Roxanne being sung), Mystery, and Drama. When a movie is able to succesfully combine all of these elements and pull it off, it's done a good job. This movie is an extravaganza of elaborate costumes, stunning sets, and odd camera tricks, but without them, Moulin Rouge would have been boring a dull. It's very entertaining to see modern day songs (Like a Virgin, Smells Like Teen Spirit) and have them twisted around for Moulin Rouge
Rating:
Summary: One of a Kind
Review: If you've seen the other two films from Baz, Strictly Ballroom and Romeo and Juliet, you've got a premise as to what to expect from his films. His films grow on you. I recall my first watch of Strictly Ballroom started out with me fidgeting and wondering what the bonkers this rinky dinky Australian flick was about. By the end I was hooked. Baz likes to use other forms of art to carry his stories, and he uses live, colorful characters to suspend the tale. In 'Ballroom,' it was ballroom dancing that aided in telling the tale. In Romeo and Juliet, it was the language of Shakespeare that was the method of storytelling. In Moulin Rouge, it's song. Music is truly the language of the heart in this case. To be able to enjoy Moulin Rouge, you have to be able to surrender yourself to suspended disbelief. You have to realize you're watching something to the likes of a fairy tale. Where an orthodox method of making a film is to make it as realistic as you possibly can, Moulin Rouge takes the exact opposite approach. Traditionally, the film should seem so realistic that audiences are easily convinced the story is real and are easily caught up in it. Moulin Rouge never hides behind any such pretense- the story is fiction and the creators have embraced it as such. Think of Moulin Rouge as an impressionist painting, or impressionist movie, I should say. What I love about this movie is, like it's predecessor Strictly Ballroom, the story is simple, and the themes are perhaps even innocent and naive. Yet, it goes to show that even the simplest of stories, as long as they are sincere, can tug and pull at heartstrings just as well as any other movie. Originally, I had intended to give Moulin Rouge only 4 stars, but then I thought about it and changed it to 5. Nobody has attempted something like this before in mainstream film making, and Baz has only gotten bolder and braver with each movie. The movie is meant to be rushed and maddening. You're watching what's going on through Christian's (played by Ewan McGregor) eyes. Everything happens to him in a flurry, so instead of watching the character get swept up in the flurry, the audience gets hit over the head with the rush, as well. Very brave decision on the director's part. It's an "impressionist movie." Just as Picasso's works don't look like anything it was inspired upon in real life, Moulin Rouge is like nothing you've ever seen, but it is everything you've ever felt. From the lightheaded joy and bliss of first love to the destructive pains of jealousy, and finally loss and heartache, it's everything we've all felt. Fitting to say, Moulin Rouge is a fine statement of a movie- a statement of the 20th century as a whole, not just the time frame the film was set in. Ewan McGregor plays his character splendidly. He's every bit the anxious, yearning, sincere and naive young man his character was meant to be. Nicole Kidman, though not she didn't seem as wide-eyed about love as Ewan's character did, expresses her feelings in a very repressed manner, which I feel is more appropriate for her character considering her situation. Both their performances are sincere, and Ewan's performance is very, very powerful. Plus, Moulin Rouge includes a colorful myriad of other characters (played exceptionally well, as well), bursts of songs, and plenty of high powered dancing, none of which ever detract from the plot but add to it. What's not to like? p.s. Who knew Ewan could sing like that?!
Rating: 
Summary: Vulgar Tripe
Review: Everything about this film seems fake. That's not
necessarily bad, if the look is creative, but the
trouble with "Moulin Rouge" is that there is no
chemistry between the two leads. The emotional
core of the story feels as theatrical and
artificial as the computer-animated Paris. It
might have worked as a musical if the drama
hadn't been undermined by the thin, semi-pro
singing voices of the two leads. They're
unconvincing when they most need to sell their
feelings to the audience. The question with this romance, or any, is why?
In "Moulin Rouge," our writer sees the glamour queen
across the dance floor and becomes unglued, that's
why. His infatuation is from then forward played as
high drama. It's never believable. And the fact she
two-times him continuously never changes him. He's
in love with the image, no matter what lies beneath
the surface. The worst blunder is her fatal disease. We see Satine
early in the story coughing up blood. It's impossible after that to forget that bloody mouth every time
the writer closes in on her face. What are you
supposed to feel when you're wondering if that bright
red stuff is all lipstick? The closing death scene
is truly awful. A great romance would dictate a final
embrace; but the film can't show him kissing her
disease. I caught myself thinking, "Don't do it, man!
You've got your whole life ahead of you!" Another point. Where this film was supposed to be
funny, I found it loud, obnoxious, and overdone. The
only genuine amusement I got was from the introduction
of modern pop lyrics into the dialogue. What's best about this film? The eye candy is truly
spectacular. But you've pretty much seen everything
you need to see in the first half. The second half
is mostly a repetitive backdrop for a story that not
only slows down but becomes more a downer with every
passing minute. I was relieved when it ended. If you want to see this kind of thing done well,
check out "Cabaret."
Rating:
Summary: What a trip!
Review: So THIS is what happens when screenwriters are high! This movie, though excellent, has a definite halluciogenic feel to it, complete with swirling colors and dancing fairies, not to mention the fact that the herione lives in a giant elephant!
Be alert and clear headed when you watch this movie, or you will lose the plot in the flashing lights and sometimes surreal musical numbers. Bare bones plot summary: The hero is a naive young writer who falls in love with a beautiful performer and courtesan, and he must struggle to win her love and thwart the plans of the duke, who plans to marry her. Sound like a simple plot, but it is carried out in a spectacular fashion, thick with both comical and tender moments, as well as the requisite tearjerker scenes. Oh, did I mention the music? Almost anyone will recognise at least one of the songs in this movie, which are borrowed from such artists as Gilbert and Sullivan, Rodgers and Hammerstein, classic Broadway, The Beatles, and even Madonna! Who knew that Nicole or Ewan could sing like that? I sure didn't! Whether you love it or hate it, I doubt that you have ever seen anything quite like Moulin Rouge!
Rating:
Summary: A Crowd Pleaser
Review: I bought the Moulin Rouge DVD right at the day when it came out. And I have to say, that the DVD was worth the wait. There are so many special features that can be accessed for us to get into the in-depth movie making of the Moulin Rouge!
The Film is an Experience with Spectacular Music, Fantastic Performers and Dizzying Sequences that is sure to be watched over and over again. Baz Luhrman creates a reality that is well Visioned with the Audiences being drawn and captured in this film for 2 Mesmerising hours.
It's a very rare movie that is, for sure, going to be tried over again. A lot of movies, these days, don't capture many emotions like Moulin Rouge, did for me. But, I guarantee this is a Movie not to be missed.
With everything a movie has to offer, Moulin Rouge, is sure to be a worthy addition to anybody's DVD collection.
Rating:
Summary: Wow.
Review: I can't remember the last time I was swept away by a movie like I was with this one. Totally engrossing, beautifully acted and staged--this is one of my all-time favorites.
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