Rating: 
Summary: This is not a story about love
Review: Luhrmann and co-writer Pearce evidently think that having their hero walk around repeatedly proclaiming that "this is a story about love" somehow makes it so. It may well be the case that "the greatest thing you'll ever learn is to love, and to be loved in return," but rather than be told so ad nauseum, I'd much rather be told a story which demonstrates it. On that count, the Christian/Satine love story fails. It is escalated so rapidly and explored so superficially that it's hardly even moving, let alone a compelling argument for love as the meaning of life. But such is the nature of musicals where plot is subservient to spectacle. And on that count, 'Moulin Rouge!' succeeds marvelously. As always with Luhrmann, music and production design are the primary attractions. And this looks and sounds utterly spectacular. Kidman and McGregor shine, and seeing Jim Broadbent and Richard Roxburgh perform 'Like A Virgin' is worth the purchase price alone. (Roxburgh entirely steals the show. We can now forgive him for 'M:I-2'.) But don't be fooled by the taglines. This is not a story about love. It's not really a "story" about anything. It's a lecture on the history of romantic musicals and a two-hour commercial for a couple of CDs. But for all that, it's highly original and will still have you grinning from ear to ear.
Rating: 
Summary: Quasi-musical is terrific
Review: While the storyline is not entirely original, Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor are good actors with the vocal talent to make up for it. It's not realistically set in the 1890's, either, but that didn't bother me too much. Good choreography, music, makeup, and costumes, as well. :)
Rating: 
Summary: We need more Musicals.
Review: I am a big fan of Musicals from the 40's and 50's. The big in color productions. Moulin Rouge brought some of that out for me. Knowing that Ewan and Nicole did their own singing was even better. If you don't know how you feel about Ewan McGregor, see this movie. You will be swayed in his favor. He does an excellent job not only acting but this boy can sing. I bought the soundtrack for this reason alone. The music, costumes, and sets are excellent. It is a wonderful love story. It is funny, romantic, and sad but worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, but give it time
Review: When I started watching Moulin Rouge, I thought I was going to absolutely hate it! For the first ten minutes: I thought it was depressing and way to fast! However, when Nicole Kidman had been on the screen for a few minutes I relized that this would be my favorite movie ever. She has a wonderful voice and Ewan McGregor
is a cross between a pop star and a country music singer (He is sometimes even better than Kidman). The 4 important words and ideas in this movie are Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and above all things LOVE! If you believe in these things, Moulin Rouge could end up being your favorite movie too!
Rating:
Summary: All McGregor
Review: Even though I am a BIG fan of Ewan McGregor, I was scared to rent this movie. I guess because I didn't know what to expect. I knew or actually heard of how different this movie was. However, I did rent this movie not too long ago and Ewan McGregor steals the movie.The movie centers around this young wanna-be writer, Christian (McGregor) and he recounts his life at the Moulin Rouge and his love for Satine (Nicole Kidman). My favorite part of the movie is the "Elephant Love Medley". I played that scene over and over again, because I love McGregor's singing. Don't worry, I'm not forgetting Nicole Kidman...I was surprised by her voice. Even Kidman is good in this movie, this movie is ALL Ewan McGregor. He is SO GOOD in this movie, it's hard to describe. From the beginning to the end, he shows such emotion. I have never seen him act THIS good in a movie before. This is one of his finest performances I have ever seen. Kidman's performance is also so very strong. They have such good chemistry...I hope to see them together in a movie again. McGregor was stripped of a Golden Globe he was so rightly nominated for and Kidman definitely earned her Golden Globe win!!!! The thing about this movie is that it does start off crazy in the first 15-20 minutes, but then it goes to an unexpected storyline that I didn't expect. It is something different, but don't be afraid of it. Yes, it's a musical, but if it wasn't for the music, the movie wouldn't really make sense if there wasn't the singing. Even though I've gloated about McGregor's performance, the whole CAST is great!!!!! The story itself is very good and I had no idea what the story was and I certainly didn't expect the ending, there are some slow, boring scenes like the "Like a Virgin" music number. I could've done without that. All in all, it's a good movie with AWESOME performances by Nicole Kidman and especially by Ewan McGregor.
Rating:
Summary: truly eye-popping
Review: This is another one of those movies that I never saw in the theatre for whatever reason, and now that I've seen the DVD, I wish I had. "Moulin Rouge" is straight-up eye candy. It's an exquisite edifice built up around a "story" so totally inane and shallow that even the characters in the story remark on the fact in between cartwheels and costume changes. But that's ok. As it exists, it's really nothing more than a paean to 20th century pop culture - but a damned spectacular paean. It's literally eye-popping. Anybody who wants to complain that it doesn't accurately depict "Paris 1900" is willfully missing the point. If the anachronism of "Like a Virgin" 85 years before its time is just too much for you to process, I suggest you go rent "You've Got Mail" or whatever and relive the late 90's exactly as they really were for practically everybody, and leave me alone. "Moulin Rouge" relies on a gimmick, or, to be nice, a "convention;" namely, that of expressing the emotions of the characters and the development of the plot through pop songs, so that what you really have is a musical with immediately familiar lyrics and emotional associations built in. It's tantamount to hip-hop's often unlikely sampling of pop music for its own creative ends. Some say it's cheap and easy and reflects the superficiality and indolence of our consumer culture; others say it's the next evolutionary step in creativity. I say it's just another form, but a potentially brilliant one. It's collage. And in "Moulin Rouge" it's beautifully done, although definitely an instance of style over substance. The plot might make you gag, but your eyes won't get bored. Nicole Kidman is always nice to look at, and she gets the hard-core glam treatment here in her Barbie-the-circus-performer getups. Ewan MacGregor is all toothy cuteness and naive charisma like always. They can both really sing too; MacGregor in particular sounds like he should've released an album in the 80's. John Leguizamo as Toulouse-Latrec is amusing in an irritating sort of way with his tweety-bird speech impediment and artificially diminished stature. I don't know who that is playing the Count but he is the smarmiest, most rat-looking...I have ever seen. Good casting. If you want to be visually blown away by a film, see "Moulin Rouge." The DVD(s) are packed with better extras than most.
Rating:
Summary: Stylistically wonderful... not much else
Review: Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGreggor star in a visually stunning retelling of the classic Moulin Rouge tale. Ewan stars as an aspiring playwright that has come to Paris to make a name for himself when a dazzling actress/prostitute (Kidman) catches his eye when he happens to wander into Moulin Rouge, a berlesque house in 19th century France. They have an affair that is not meant to be. While the film is visually attractive and new age, the content is very thin. I know most fanatics of the film would argue that content is not the prime focus of film's intent and is simply a work of art in motion, I do appreciate that, don't get me wrong. I can justify my rating. For its overall appeal it is lower on a five point scale-a two, but for its artistic value, a five. Thus the average is three. It is an "artsy" film, sorry for the label, but there is no other way to describe it. I recomend it to true fans of the story or someone interested in seeing theaterlike productions put to film. Traditional movie viewers, beware.
Rating: 
Summary: Someone Please Explain...
Review: Someone please explain to me how it is that in a film which is supposed to take place in 1900 Paris everybody is speaking in English and singing Nirvana songs. Maybe I just don't 'get' it. Or maybe its that I have recently seen Marcel Carne's 1946 'Children of Paradise', and although shot in black and white, 'Moulin Rouge'- with all its color and flair, pales in comparison.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful but Definitely Not What I Expected
Review: From the previews, I thought that "Moulin Rouge" would be a more traditional movie musical with a classic love triangle between the beautiful woman, the poor artist who truly loves her and the rich man who can give her everything she wants EXCEPT true love--no doubt ending tragically. In fact, the anticipation of a tragic ending kept me from seeing "Moulin Rouge" when it was in the theaters. I just wasn't in the mood for that at the time. Boy, did I misread the tone of the movie! What a shock I had when, shortly into the film, I caught strains of "The Sound of Music." Just what were those hills doing "alive" in fin-de-siecle Paris?, I wondered. That was just the first of many songs from more recent decades that made surprisingly fun appearances in "Moulin Rouge." At first, I wondered what was going on, and then I relaxed to enjoy the hilarious ride. In "Moulin Rouge," director Baz Luhrmann (of the equally funny "Strictly Ballroom") sets out to revive the musical. He does a stellar job of it! The outlandish sets and glamorous costume are a feast for the eyes. The plot never slows down, and the musical numbers never leave you feeling that the action has stopped for someone to sing. Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor--yes, reportedly we hear their voices, no Milli Vanilli-esque lip-syncing--sound amazing. They also show a real flair for physical commedy. An early scene in which Kidman mistakes McGregor for the wealthy duke, and then has to conceal him when the real duke arrives in her dressing room is reminiscent of similar "hide-the-lover" scenes in "The Marriage of Figaro." My only regret was not seeing it on the big screen. What was I thinking?
Rating:
Summary: Stunning...
Review: Brilliant. Stunning. Visual Masterpiece. Lovely. Articulate. Left me wanting so much more.
There are no words of praise enough for this modern marvel of moviemaking.
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