Moulin Rouge (Double Digipack)

Rating:
Summary: Spectacular Spectacular!
Review: I was sooo ready to hate this movie: I can't stand most musicals in general (don't understand the fun of interrupting dialogue to break into mediocre song). Then I heard that Kidman and McGregor sang for their own parts and that Leguziamo was playing artist Toulouse-Lautrec...I thought, this stinks! But then I ended up renting it out of curiosity. I heard it was a kind of retelling of Dumas' Dame aux Camelias (but the courtesan goes for the pauper, not the aristocrat).
And I loved it. It's such a great movie for so many reasons. First of all, the visuals are incredible. The movie has a story book quality to it. Some of the scenes are pure metaphor (I love the shot of Paris at night- quiet and moonlit, except for the red glare and cheer coming from the wild Moulin Rouge). The use of music is very clever! Some people here mentioned they would have liked something more authentic. Now, an authentic depiction of the Moulin Rouge already exists- if you watch the extra feautures, you'll see what the scene was like. You can understand and logically make out that at those times, to be in such a place, dancing like that, glimpsing the underwear of unattached and very available ladies was a titilating experience. But you'll be watching with an air of nostalgic comprehension. We see far spicier on any sitcom nowadays. However, in this version, the music is contemporary. It has bass, it has beat- it's loud, it's wild (the looks on people's faces make you think of how right on Toulouse-Lautrec's posters were). By having this contemporary music playing, music that is dancing music, music that you would recognize at a nightclub, you are having a visceral reaction to the whole scene. Suddenly you feel why this place was so decadent, why it was so wild.
There is only one original composition in the film, but the songs you'll recognize here have all received a special treatment, and are old and new at the same time (Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friends is successfully mixed with Material Girl, for instance). It also makes you think about the power and familiarity of love songs- whether in 1900 or 2002, the desire, longing, and love are the same.
I thought Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor sang decently. Toulouse-Lautrec would have loved his trickster-like portrayal, because he was, after all, a decadent lover of the Paris cabaret, bohemian and artistic crowd.
The references to absynthe were chilling and seductive at once- like a hellish muse. And ultimately the story is about a muse who loves and is loved by an artist- whether she is hellish or divine is something you must view (and decide) for yourself...
If you can deal with your initial shock and discomfort (it is very unique, and because of its unfamiliarity, at first it feels strange)you might enjoy this clever movie.

Rating:
Summary: How do I love this movie? Let me count the ways...
Review: This movie is beautiful and breathless. The DVD edition is jam-packed with loads of info, and if you're a movie dork like me, then this makes watching the movie all the more fun. I almost cannot put into words how wonderful I think this movie is. Everything about it is spectacular. Simply lovely.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely captivating
Review: After reading some of the reviews posted here I guess it's true when they say that you'll either love or hate this movie. I'm definitely in the "love" category. I think to truly appreciate this movie you have to let go of some preconceptions you might have about musicals or period pieces. This movie plays outside of any boundaries or genres you'll try to put it into. That will definitely frustrate a lot of people who want to put it in a box and label it. I was absolutely entranced by everything in this movie. The visuals, the music, and especially the performances by Nicole and Ewan are all so full of energy and life that I couldn't help but have a stupid grin on my face through most of the movie. I think it's fairly safe to say there's not another film out there like this one. Definitely one to add to your collection.

Rating:
Summary: I guess I just don't get it.
Review: I've always appreciated films that take some risks...Memento, Being John Malkovich, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, to name a few. I am also a fan of musicals. But after listening to many glowing reviews and recommendations, I watched Moulin Rouge and was baffled.
For the first 30 minutes I was just flat out confused as to what the director was "going for." Then about 30 minutes into it, I thought it was supposed to be a satire. But after 45 minutes or so, the whole idea of this film began to wear a little thin. The whole "Hey, we've moderized some old songs and turned some modern ones into show tunes" really began to grate on my nerves. The renditions of "Like a Virgin" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" were especially...well, stupid.
I'll give them an "A" for creativity, but avoid this one if you can.

Rating:
Summary: Umm...It was supposed to be anachronistic!
Review: The people who hate this movie seem to base their loathing on a radical hatred of anachronism. I think that saying this movie is terrible on the basis of its anachronisms is ludicrous. I think that we all need to realize that Moulin Rouge wasn't supposed to be a historically accurate movie. I found it a wonderful, stimulating, and exciting romp through a postmodern Paris. The pop music seen through a new lens really proves that in Moulin Rouge, the medium really was the message.

Rating:
Summary: I understand...
Review: I loved this movie but i can understand why people did not like it. Moulin Rouge is very different. You either love it or you hate it. If you like music, than you will love this movie. You will probably hate it if you are not to open minded, or if you do not like fanatsy movies or movies that go almost to above and beyond. I loved this movie mainly for it's music. They have a very wide range of songs from like a virign to I will always love you. Ewan Mcgregor's voice is so adorable. I was extremly ill when i saw this movie for the first time. I acctually started sleeping through it until i heard Ewan's voice for the first time . I was so sick i think that i started to cry, it is just so gorgeous. Nicloe's voice is alright, she seems to be off pitch sometime though. But, when all is said and done if this movie did not have any music it could not survive on it's own. There are two parts in the movie that are just really wierd, the poetry reading, and the like a virgin. John Legizamo preformance as Tohloouse is good, but it seems that Baz just put him in there to have another character, he's trying to hard. That downgrades the movie. The costume designs and the cinematorgaphy are well done.And the chemistary between Nicole and Ewan is faboulas.
As i am writing this review i want to change my review form 5 stars to 4, but i can't, i just love this movie too much, and i would feel guilty for a long time. I don't really know what it is about this movie me love it. It is unexplainable. And, ...

Rating:
Summary: ABSOLUTELY the best movie of the decade!!
Review: I absolutely loved the music, the costumes, the story and the cast! It couldn't have been more perfect!! I watch movies to be taken away from reality and movies like Magnolia that depress me and show the worst side of society are a waste of my time. This movie made me want to be in love again and took me to places I'd never been. Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor were excellent and the way they took the look of Christian from an innocent writer to the devasted, broken-hearted man he became was incredible. It felt like you were there and could feel his pain and loss.

Rating:
Summary: The BEST DVD ever produced ...
Review: One of the best movies of all time is now on THE best DVD yet made. Most DVDs have pretty lame extra features, but this one is a cornucopia of magic and amazement. It includes the full dance scenes, including my favorite, Hindi. Many deleted scenes are provided, showing you that Moulin Rouge could have been even better, had Baz not had to cut it down to a "viewable" length (I could have watched this movie for hours on end!). It also goes in depth with respect to the music behind the movie. I love this movie, and I love this DVD! Thanks, Baz (now work on getting a better soundtrack out there!).

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: I was one of those people that didn't see Moulin Rouge when it was in theaters, and now I'm really sad I didn't. Seeing this movie on a small tv screen does not do it justice. The visuals are absolutely amazing, and the acting performances from Nicole Kidman and Ewan Macgregor are electrifying. The story was straight-forward, but the way director Baz Luhrman brought it to life was incredible. It's a damn shame he wasn't nominated for best director for this year's Oscars, because Moulin Rouge is easily one of the best and most imaginative films of 2001.

Rating:
Summary: Come What May...
Review: Moulin Rouge is the Musical/Movie Specatacular Spectaular of the year! Though it seems uncannily strange in the beginning, you begin to love the loud colors, suggestive dancing, and amazing voices of Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. Although a tragic love story, Moulin Rouge is without a doubt THE best movie I have seen in a long time...