Rating: 
Summary: Pure torture!
Review: I went into this film expecting to see exciting production numbers, great chemistry between the characters, and non-stop "eye candy". The overly-frenetic style of the editing spoiled all of that to a major extent. Even the opening number, a creative melding of the songs "Lady Marmalade" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" had the camera whizzing around much too rapidly for it to be enjoyable. The plot was choppy and just plain silly. The character development was non-existant. The volume on the dialogue was often too soft, and the volume on the songs was often painfully loud.Ugh! Sheer torture! If I hadn't gone with someone I would have walked out 10-20 minutes into the film. I sent an e-mail panning this movie to my friends, and I got back two immediate responses that they, too, wanted to leave early but sat through the entire horrid mess.
Rating: 
Summary: Moulin Rouge Is Great - Once You Get Past The Wackiness!
Review: At first, I was a little put off by the sheer craziness of the film's first ten minutes. But once the film retreats a takes a break, you start to enjoy the opulent setting of 1900 Paris, the sweet and tender songs of today and yesterday, the alluring costumes, and the very good acting involved. Nicole Kidman is Satine, a courtesan working at the Moulin Rouge who desperately wants to be an actress. (I can relate to that!) Ewan McGregor plays Christian, the young writer who falls in love with Satine and they begin their romance by singing love tunes to each other. There are many songs here such as: Madonna's "Like a Virgin" and "Material Girl," Elton John's "How Wonderful," LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade" (already a single's hit in the country) and many others! The songs are used to convey the characters' emotions. Their obstacle is the Duke of Worcester, played by Richard Roxbaugh, who wants to marry Satine and help make her the actress she's always wanted to be. However, she can't stay away from Christian, which drives the Duke mad! He threatens to have Christian killed if she doesn't make love to him! She can't do it, and runs back to Christian! They have their big night at the Moulin Rouge when their musical opens. It ends when Satine, dying from an inherent disease, dies on stage in Christian's arms. A very sad moment, that, strangely, was very effective! Not like other sappy films that are manipulative with their point (i.e. PAY IT FORWARD). John Leguizamo also lends a hand, playing the miniature artist/painter Henri Toulouse-Lautrec who helps Christian with his writing his musical for the Moulin Rouge. (A role previously played by Jose Ferrer in John Huston's 1952 version of MOULIN ROUGE.) Directed by Australian director Baz Luhrmann, who also directed STRICTLY BALLROOM and ROMEO + JULIET, brings a new and exciting tale that has been told quite often. Luhrmann also wrote the script with Craig Pearce. This is a wonderful example of a genre that is sorely missed and can still wow them even in today's cinematic society.
Rating: 
Summary: Spectacular!
Review: If you see any movie this month- or this year, for that matter, make it Moulin Rouge. This is a sophisticated, fun, visually stunning, overall GORGEOUS movie. The story is elegant... during several parts of the movie it reminded me of the love story between Jack and Rose from "Titanic": simple and beautiful. It really works well to tie this film together. The actors were incredible. I had my doubts about Nicole Kidman at first, but she was perfect for the role. I can't imagine any other actress that would suit the part better. Ewan McGregor was also perfect... like Nicole, he showed just the right amount of charisma and charm in the movie. All of the actors sing in the movie, which also had me worried before I saw the film but their voices proved worthy and blended well with the feel of the movie. The costumes and sets are incredible, they truly make you feel that you are in France at the Moulin Rouge 100 years ago. The only disappointing part of this movie is the fact that not as many people are appreciating it as I had hoped: sadly, it's already below the top 5 in the box office. I can understand that in a world of untalented teen movie stars and shallow story- lines that a deeper, more substantial movie like Moulin Rouge may scare away many. Moulin Rouge is definitely a movie for sophisticated audiences with a taste for quality actors, a good story, and stunning visuals. It can easily be compared to a Broadway musical- not just because it is a musical, but because it was made with the talent and the care and the hard work that it takes to produce a Broadway show. This movie is definitely worth a try, and if you're like me you'll want to go back a second, third, fourth... time to see it again. Don't let this movie pass you by because it's absolutely SPECTACULAR, SPECTACULAR!
Rating:
Summary: Come What May...
Review: I waited quite a while before seeing this movie. I wasn't going to see it at all originally. Not because I'm too mature to give in to hype, but because I was anti-Nicole. It's not as though I love her now, but I guess she's not as bad as I made out... The first twenty minutes of the film had me a little worried - I was afraid I'd paid to see a stinker. But once it got going; once I was mercilessly pulled into the bizarre world of the Moulin Rouge, I was mesmerised and bound to come out feeling overwhelmed at the end. The music, movement, colour and singing is extremely energetic and addictive. The creative use of (good) popular songs that we all know is very clever, and gives the viewer a sense of familiarity in a way. You already know the lyrics, so you don't need to grow accustomed to new tunes too often. I must make note of the amazing talents of one gorgeous Ewan McGregor - boy can that man sing!! His voice is so rich and full of life that he manages to make good, popular tunes into wonderful, spine-tingling anthems of love (truth, beauty and freedom as well). If 'movie musicals' are going to come back in style - then this is the guy to use as the lead role in all of them! Without giving too much away, this film was different to what I thought it would be. The emotions were much different to what I thought they would be. There is never a dull moment during the two hours or so that it runs for, that much is for certain... so whatever your tastes may be, it is definitely worth a look.
Rating:
Summary: Moulin Rouge (DUH)
Review: I REALLY LIKED THIS MOVIE BECAUSE IT WAS VERY ARTISTIC AND VISUAL.WHEN I CAME OUT OF THE MOVIE THEATER I CRITICIZED IT FOR BEING UNUSUAL AND FOR NOT HAVING ITS ORIGINAL MUSIC IN THE MOVIE.AFTER I GAVE IT SOME THOUGHT , I REALIZED THAT NOT ONLY DID I NOT MIND GOING TO SEE IT FOR THE SECOND TIME, I LOVED IT. I ALSO BEGAN TO LIKE THE FACT THAT MOST OF THE SONGS IN THE MOVIE WERE FROM THE EIGHTY'S AND NINETY'S (EVEN THOUGH THE SETTING IS PARIS,1899). IT GAVE THE MOVIE CHARECTER AND HUMOR.
Rating: 
Summary: Comparable to watching a Vegas show on acid
Review: Comparable to watching a Vegas show on acid I primarily wanted to see Moulin Rouge to head Nicole Kidman sing. I should have just contented myself with the fact people say she can sing, and not wasted an evening viewing this movie. I can't say it's the worst movie I've ever seen, but it comes pretty close. The plot of the movie is fairly simple, something that had the potential to expand into a good movie, but it fell short. The characters were poorly developed; in fact Christian (Ewan McGregor) was the only character with any background at all. His desire to live the Bohemian life and write prompted him to head to Paris, even though the voice of his Father haunted him at first, but mysteriously stops, even though he fails at his goal of becoming a famous writer. Satine starts out as a whiny courtesan/dancehall girl who wants to become an actress and will do whatever it takes, and through the course of the movie develops into a woman who's willing to sacrifice it all to be with the man she loves, even though she's striken with a deadly disease she doesn't know about. Kidman does make a beautiful Satine though, she looks like a china doll, and she can actually sing, maybe not like Mariah Carey or Aretha Franklin, but she has the voice of a singer in a dancehall. There's very little background on Zidler, only that he owns the Moulin rouge and keeps care of Satine. There's even less background on the Duke, how he came to be an invester in Spectacular, Spectacular is unknown, all you ever really find out is that he has an interest in Satine. The film could be compared to watching a Vegas show on acid, the camera takes strange twists and turns, vibrates randomly, and then swirls the colours together even more randomly. The contemporary music doesn't add to the movie except in a few rare spots(I nearly walked out when Zidler and the Duke sang Like a Virgin).
Rating:
Summary: A Diamond Sparkles.
Review: This movie was remarkable! I entered the cinema expecting to see some half-baked movie toting a few seconds of 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend' and 'The Sound of Music', mixed and jumbled, smashed together by someone who was trying to make a few bucks. By the time that the film had finished, I wanted to get up and applaud. It really was that great! I feel though, that to enjoy this film, one must (in this order): (a) like or love a musical (b) like or love a romance (c) have an open mind (d) have a sense of humor. The film is great fun to watch, and even re-watch. This movie does contain music, is a romance, and if you have an open mind, most, if not all of the humor will come to you. For the most part, the humor isn't crude, but it comes in the form of parodies of different things, whether it be songs, skits, or expressions. My final word of advice: go to the cinema, and enjoy a night at the MOULIN ROUGE!
Rating:
Summary: Strange movie
Review: My mom took me because I liked the song. The movie was really strange musical. I did not like it. My mom said she knew all of the songs and she laughed at some of the things, I didn't. I couldn't wait unitil it was over
Rating:
Summary: A Visual and Emotional Feast for Eyes and Soul
Review: This film completely overwhelmed me, both sense-wise and emotion wise. No, I didn't go blind. No, I didn't cry my eyes out. But it still flooded me, surrounded me, immersed me in its vision of life, love, and what's important. Its setting is nearly arbitrary -- as Ebert has pointed out, this is the Moulin Rouge of your teenage imagination -- your teenage imagination confounded by absinthe. Gaudy, lively, bursting with colorful, creative, contorted characters, it is the kinetic center of 1899 Paris. Plenty of others describe the plot. Young idealist falls in love with jaded courtesan. Courtesan falls for young idealist. Money and the future of the Moulin Rouge interfere. A mind-blowing play-within-a-movie finale culminates the movie. Visually and aurally,the movie is a two-hour feast for film lovers. Luhrman and the movie's production designer and costumer have, like Tim Burton and the Gotham of the Batman movies, created an entire city, though more specifically a certain sector, entirely from their wild imaginations. Exquisitely detailed sets, textured costumes, and music, music, music come at the viewer like a tsunami of sensation. Yet once the initial crash of sound and fury hits, the movie pulls back (a bit) and allows the viewer more room and time to get to see and know this fantastic world. Enough people have chimed in about the music, so I will keep my comments here short. First, you should know I generally hate musicals. And I loved this film. Whether it's because I already "knew" the songs (though for all intents and purposes, they are radically redone/interpreted here), or because I was swept along with the movie, the songs worked. And many of the songs are not "sung" but act as the soundtrack. Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman acquit themselves nicely, especially McGregor. Second, the songs and music are part and parcel of the heart of the film---it simply wouldn't be the same without it. Both the production design and the songs all benefit from the camera work in the film -- crazed and intense, it swoops, dives and sharply cuts, sinks us into the hot, beating heart of the movie. The story itself is an unabashed, unapolagetic, shout-it-from-the-rooftops paen to love. LOVE. Even with the tragic bookends of the movie, it's easy to see the theme is love is worth any price you pay--once two people connect and intertwine, nothing else is more important. And yet it's not about selfishness, about the modern preoccupation with serving one's self without regard. Integral to the plot is Satine's dedication to the theater company, and it's easy to see that Christian and Satine are both inspired by their love, and the inspiration is used to create a play for the company. Christian's openness and enthusiams affects more than just Satine--it draws the viewer in, fills you with hope and happiness, and you revel in the newfound joy of these two characters. On one level, it's a very old story -- young idealist falls for jaded courtesan -- but it's done with such genuine passion and refreshing excitement that it feels new. Contrast it with the "love story" of Pearl Harbor -- three entirely unrealistic "characters" created solely for manipulating the audience. I'm a fairly cynical person, and yet "Moulin Rouge" still touched me, spoke to the sleeping romantic within. If you like cookie-cutter plots and restrained, "real-life" dialogue, stay home. If you want to be swept off your feet, sing your heart out and laugh out loud, support Luhrman's creative vision and treat yourself to a great film.
Rating:
Summary: exciting, frenetic, beautiful
Review: Sit me down for a couple of hours to watch Nicole Kidman in skimpy outfits? Sure! Add a good story and a creative and enchanting production design? Excellent. And the actors sing their own songs. It's a winner!
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