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Moulin Rouge (Double Digipack)

Moulin Rouge (Double Digipack)

List Price: $26.98
Your Price: $20.23
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Absolutely AMAZING!
Review: I can't emphasize how amazing this film is! Quite honestly I've never seen anything like it. It's a film that appeals to all of our senses and takes them on a roller coaster ride. It's touching, funny, beautiful and doesn't take itself too seriously. It's my favorite movie ever! Ewan is so amazingly gorgeous and talented he truly deserves an oscar for this. Nicole Kidman is beautiful and truly does a great job. Buy this movie and I can gaurentee you'll watch it over and over again!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: ROUGE Rules!
Review: Could this be the dawning for a new age of the movie-musical? From the opening curtain to the closing credits, MOULIN ROUGE was pure pleasure. The critics had me entering the theatre with low expectations... cue the opening dance sequence, and my senses are overwhelmed with sheer entertainment. Director Baz Luhrmann blows you away with brilliant tour de force and a love story that it sure to capture even the coldest of hearts.
Ewan McGregor (Christian) truly shines in ROUGE. With flawless acting and a surprisingly ravishing voice, he gives his best and most notable performance to date. Belting out the 1970 Elton John hit, "Your Song," McGregor gives the classic a new found glory and flare after 30 years. His voice commands the not quite original score (it was originally penned for 1996's ROMEO + JULIET), "Come What May," with beauty and style. McGregor is indeed a rising talent that holds much more in store.
Nicole Kidman (Satine) lights up the silver screen with charisma and flavor. Debuting her vocal talents, Kidman cuts loose with dance numbers and duets; not to mention a dramatic performance nothing short of excellent. Solos such as "Some Day I'll Fly Away" and "Sparkling Diamonds" showcase her musical onset (There has been talk of a future album from Kidman).
Ewan and Nicole have an on-screen chemistry that even Romeo and Juliet would envy. Dazzling audiences with romantic duets, you will find yourself singing "Come what may..." and humming the tune of "Elephant Love Medley" long after you exit the theatre. Hence, an amazing movie makes for a beautiful soundtrack.
This is definitely my favorite movie of the year. The National Board of Review seems to agree, naming it Best Film of 2001. I'd bet on McGregor, Luhrmann, and the film itself taking home the hardware on Oscar night.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This Is One Fully Packed DVD
Review: I won't be reviewing the movie much except to say that I enjoyed it tremendously. The music, the choreography and the sets were wonderful.

I will just say a few things about the DVD edition. For one thing, it is given in it's original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and not cut to 1.85:1 as stated in Amazon's website. It is an anamorphic transfer (enhanced for 16x9 widescreen TVs), although there is no mention of this on the box cover, or anywhere inside for that matter.

The casing unfortunately is a flimsy cardboard affair which cracked at the edges when I opened it.

The print used for the transfer is practically flawless and the picture quality is generally quite good. There is however quite a bit of edge enhancement seen in various scenes, especially the darker ones.

The sound is sumptuous and comes in both 5.1 Dolby Surround and 5.1 DTS.

The DVD had a tendency to default to displaying the subtitles when played on my RealMagic Hollywood Plus player but this wasn't a problem on other DVD players.

The extras make up the second of this 2 disc set and they alone are worth the price of the DVD. Unfortunately none of the material here has been enhanced for 16x9 TVs. There's a half hour documentary on the making of Moulin Rouge. There are separate interviews with all the main stars. There are full rehearsal sequences for all the major dance numbers. There are also sequences in the choregraphy section, of Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman rehearsing their dance routines and clowning around. There are extended sequences for all the major dance numbers and there are multiple camera angle shots for all these numbers. This allows you to view the dances from whatever position you like. Fascinating. Unfortunately the camera angle thingie works in a small window and not full screen.

The deleted scenes segment contains alternate sequences for several scenes. The "Come What May" sequence includes scenes of the lovers rowing on a lake and of the them in a hot air balloon a la "Around the World In Eighty Days". The "Dance Across The Sky" sequence is longer with heavier use of animation. There is also an extended Can Can Sequence and an alternate Green Fairy Sequence.

There is also a mini documentary showing Kylie Minogue rehearsing for her role as the Green Fairy. This is tucked away under the "Design" section in a sub-section under that titled "Smoke and Mirrors".

There are numerous other short documentaries on the special effects, costumes, artwork etc used to create the show and tonnes of photographs.

The music videos section includes a glorious full screen version of the Lady Marmalade music video which has razor sharp images compared to some of the other material here. There is also a live performance of Lady Marmalade taken from the MTV Awards which looks soft and almost blurry by comparison. After that there is a letterbox version of the "Come What May" video, the one featuring the insistent underlying thumping rhythm. For those who don't like this version, you can go to the Japanese Movie Trailer (it's in english) which features "Come What May" with a standard orchestral accompaniment.

This DVD release is fully packed and aside from the edge enhancement problem would be fully worthy of five stars.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Singing
Review: When I went to see this movie, it was at my daughter's request. When the movie started, I thought I would be bored, and I was, until Ewan McGregor opened his mouth and began to sing. Themost wonderful sound came out. If I see this movie again, it would be to see and hear him sing. I really believe that the singing between him and Nicole Kidman were the saving features of this film. They pulled the movie together. Yes, I would watch it again and again.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Move over, "Matrix"!
Review: I've always felt that "The Matrix" was the ultimate DVD to show off the features of this relatively new home video format to friends who you were trying to lure into the world of DVD. Not anymore.

Let's start of with the first disc. Brilliant video and audio transfer of the film itself. Two separate, highly educational commentary tracks. A special English audio track, for the visually impaired, which gives full descriptions of the on-screen occurrences other than the dialogue. A "Follow the Green Fairy" feature where you can click on the fairy which appears at the bottom left of your screen at various points in the film, to take a quick peek at some scene-specific production footage, intelligently explained by specific members of the crew.

The second disc is even more of a collector's dream. The deleted/alternate versions of scenes actually contain notes on which draft of the film they appeared in. The cast list doesn't contain the usual credits and brief biography that you usually see on DVDs - you get short featurettes with interviews of the stars where they talk about the experience of making the film, with on-topic clips interspersed throughout. In the "Dance" segment of the disc, you get extended versions of the production numbers in the film. Three of these actually allow you to shift the camera angle of the film, from four different continuous shots. To make selection easier, the alternate shots, running in sync, appear in smaller windows beneath the letterboxed main image you've selected.

When you click on the "Music" section, you'd expect videos for the two most popular songs from the film, but you actually get several bonuses - the live performance of Lady Marmalade from the MTV Movie Awards, a featurette, and even an interview with Fatboy Slim.

Even the "Marketing" segment contains more than the usual stills, posters and trailers. You actually get a montage of clips from the various TV programs the film was featured on, from Network TV to E! and more.

All this, and I haven't even gone through the entire package. That will take days, possibly even weeks! The only thing that seems to be missing is the shooting script - or maybe I just haven't found it.

This is a MUST for any DVD Collection.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: You've Got To Be Kid(man)ing
Review: Perhaps im in a different world, but it is, at least, the world of most people. I had great expectations with only one exception. Quite frankly I didn't think N. Kidman could pull it off, But i was more then willing to give her the benifit of the doubt.
Long ago I discovered that if i read the reviews of the so called critics it would often color my feelings of a movie. Since I am the most important person in the theater the only thing that matters is did I, not the critics. like the film.

For me the Moulin Rouge doesn't really cut it. Much of the time i was bored and the only redeeming thing was the Photography at times. Ms Kidman does not do justice to what could have been a great role. Madonna, even at her age, would have done a better job. Her voice was never up to the part and the weakness of her acting was to me apparent.
Mr McGregor did a passable job and is a rising star. The result of this production is that it sank like a rock and was here today and gone gone gone tomorrow. If the information in the papers is true and the studio is going to release this flawed film again in the after glow of 911 i predict that it will once again sink deep into the abyss.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: One of the Genuine Gems of 2001!
Review: "Moulin Rouge" marks the return of Baz Luhrmann, the man who made Shaekspeare hip for the MTV generation with "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet". Whilst he has a lot to answer for in terms of his influence on how Shakespeare has since been portrayed (I recently saw a production of "Othello" that played the Pretenders' "Don't Get Me Wrong" seventeen times before the play began), with "Moulin Rouge" he gives us a full-blooded, intoxicatingly frenetic reminder of why the moviegoing public swooned in the first place. Infusing the classy tragic lovestory trappings of the melodramatic musical with twentieth century love songs, the result is an all-out riot.

The setting is nineteenth century Paris at the infamous Moulin Rouge club, made so for its penchant for pantie-less can-can dancers. Luhrmann, however, throws every modern filmmaking trick into the book to free up a risque bohemian spirit that spreads itself throughout the film in a massive chaotic sweep. Everything is increasingly weird and wonderful to behold, from the giant elephant that holds home to Nicole Kidman to the deceptively huge nightclub itself. And the musical numbers are wonderfully performed as well as being very witty; revelations include an early floorshow mix of "Lady Marmalade" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Kidman and Ewan McGregor's "Elephant Love Medley", a bold medley of classic songs that could have gone terribly wrong. It is a testament to Luhrmann and his team that they never ever do.

Performances all around are faultless. Kidman and McGregor throw themselves into the film mercilessly, at first appearing as deranged and gaudy as the caricatures around them, until the film's second act shifts into darker dramatic territory and they are required to deliver the goods. Kidman does so with gusto, earning the majority of the scenes and some truly ravishing costumes, but McGregor is just as wonderful, and the finale couldn't have packed any punch that it has without him. Standouts from the supporting cast include Jim Broadbent, possibly the best British actor around (an Oscar nomination please!), and Richard Roxburgh as the shy-but-villainous Duke.

The only real problem is that "Moulin Rouge" has an acquired taste: whilst it marries the absinthe-strewn freakishness well with the timeless musical qualities very well, they are still two disparate elements that some people won't wholly register with. People I know have remarked "Oh it was so good, but it was really weird in places" whilst others have said "It was really funny and witty but the romantic bits were slow and boring". One noted male remark that I found funny was: "That movie is so gay, man!" But what "Moulin Rouge" serves up is so unlike anything around, and should be praised for that, especially in a season of redundant sequels and remakes. Cult Classic status beckons.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Unexpectedly Great!!
Review: The opening sequences were so overwhelming that I thought "I'm gonna hate this movie" then by the end of the movie, I thought "I wasn't crazy about the way it was presented, but it was such a beautiful story." But a funny thing happened afterward--The movie has stayed with me ever since and I can't wait to see it again! What can I say...I generally hate musicals, but this one is exceptional and very memorable. I think it is my favorite movie of 2001 (but Fellowship of the Ring isn't out yet)...and it is positively the one I think about most.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Bring The Musicals Back, NOW!!!!
Review: Moulin Rouge is one of my favorite movies that I have seen all year! It is everything that a musical should be, colorful, spirited and funny! The music selection is alright, mostly pop hits from the last thirty years like "Roxanne" and "Like A Virgin", though Kidman's rendition of "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" is nothing short of spectacular! It is nice to see Ewan McGregor lighten up in a role for once. Though it doesn't have the charm of "Everyone Says I Love You" or the exellent music of "Dancer In The Dark" it stills warrents a look if you love musicals!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best Movie Ever Made
Review: I have seen this movie three times and have not tired of it in the least. It is truly a wonderful movie and the casting was excellent!Iwish more films of this caliber could be made.


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