Cheap Dreamgirls (DVD) (Bill Condon) Price

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Customer Reviews of Dreamgirls

Parts should have made a better whole
DREAMGIRLS has individual parts and pieces that, when film production was announced, sounded delicious, like a surefire winner. But the parts, as good as they are, do not gel into the knockout whole that this movie could have been. Writer Bill Condon (CHICAGO), who also directed DREAMGIRLS, perhaps was spread too thin to pull this one off. <
>The legendary Broadway musical of 1981 was directed by the late Michael Bennett (the stage version of A CHORUS LINE) who was lauded for his "cinematic" staging of the original. He managed, with pivoting onstage towers and with lighting, to achieve before the eyes of a live audience what amounted to the stage version of cinematic wipes, dissolves, cross-cutting, and fades. His vision made for thrilling stage work, as he had done in A CHORUS LINE. <
>Twenty-five years after the original Broadway show, DREAMGIRLS seemed like a guaranteed screen hit. With CHICAGO, Condon showed that Broadway musicals still had legs for the big screen. <
> Not only would the movie version of DREAMGIRLS feature mega-star Beyonce Knowles, Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx, veteran film star Eddie Murphy and "American Idol" reject Jennifer Hudson ("everybody loves to root for an underdog", etc.); DREAMGIRLS would be shephered to the screen by DREAMWORKS and David Geffen. <
>But the film simply falls short of expectations. The film talks a lot about how white performers repackaged black performers' songs and style. But the execution of this point is weak. Montages of archival footage of the Civil Rights era are on screen, but seem to exist in another world from the action of the main storyline. <
> Despite her Golden Globe win as Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Musical, Jennifer Hudson is a weak substitute for the great Jennifer Holiday, who originated the role of Effie White. We want Hudson to be good. But she simply does not have the voice that Holiday used to burrow Effie's rejection and pain into the very bone marrow of those privileged to see her perform the role on stage. Holiday's live version of Effie's powerful lament, "And I am Telling You I'm Not Going," is one of the most powerful performances that will ever close a first act--or any act--on the stage or screen. Whereas Holiday's version contains in every breath soul-ravaging pain, Hudson, on certain notes, goes nasal, thin and strained. If for no other reason than to capture Holiday's performance on film, DREAMGIRLS should have been filmed twenty years before it was. <
>All the Eddie Murpys and Beyonces in the world cannot make up for this fact. Because DREAMGIRLS was always really "about" Effie and what happens to her, Jennifer Hudson in this pivotal role is like a fourth or fifth carbon copy of the original--similar, but weak. <
> For those unfamiliar with Jennifer Holiday, they might find Hudson more than adequate. But if anyone wants to see--and to hear--"Effie White", simply go to youtube, type in "Jennifer Holiday" and watch the clip of her performance from the 1982 Tony Awards show. If her performance, even on a small computer screen, with less than perfect audio, with video glitches and all, doesn't shake you to your very core and leave you knowing you've seen greatness, then call the undertaker, because you are probably dead. <
>On balance, the performers in the film do more than adequate jobs with their roles. The problem is, DREAMGIRLS, while "about" Effie White, has so many characters and so many "stars", each of whom it appears had to be given their "moment", that the movie comes off choppy. Just as we're trying to learn about this character or that plot line, we're whooshed off to the next star's "big number." The movie, in essence, lacks cohesive flow. <
> Condon's DREAMGIRLS is an admirable attempt at turning a legendary stage musical into screen gold, but the musical's score is so thin that several songs had to be written to beef it up. They make it something "other" than what, in 1981, had audiences swept up into the backstage story of a girl group and the road they traveled into pop stardom. <
>Because ROCKY BALBOA did better box office than DREAMGIRLS (both were released on Christmas 2006), my only hope is that DREAMGIRLS doesn't hurt other great stage shows' chances at reaching the silver screen.

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only one word(is it really a word?): WOW...........!
i can never imagine a musical(movie) could be this good. every song, all the dancing scenes, music, sound track...whatever you call it or name it, is soooooooo gooooooood. i never enjoyed a movie so much and never thought a story mixed and told with songs could be so seamlessly perfect. everybody, all the performers in this musical did a fantastic job. i still remember when we watched 'chicago', after tortured by it about 30 minutes, we looked at each other and stood up at the same time, all tried to grab the dvd player's remote to reject it. but when we decided to watch this 'dream girls', since we got that bad experience of 'chicago', we both hesitated and struggled before stepped into the showing room....oh my god, once the movie started, once the music and songs started, we're totally intoxicated!!!! <
>never thought it could be this great. all the female singers are amazing, the directing, the screenplay, the editing, the performance are all out of the world. if there's indeed a heaven, i wish it could be full of this kind of songs and music. love it! <
>an after thought to amazon.com here: <
>5 stars limit is a lousy and stupid rating system, man. it simply couldn't show how really good or how really bad a book, a movie or whatever a product really is. better change back to 10 star rating or change to a ceiling score of 100 then coming down. 5-star rating really couldn't show or mean anything, man. let's think in this practical way: 5 bucks means nothing if you got to have 10 bucks to buy something good; but if you got 100 bucks, it ain't just mean that you can buy something good, you can buy something really really good, man.

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A Nappaland.com Review
Plot Summary: A trio of black female singers climb from unknown status to stardom, and learn about life, love, and sacrifice along the way <
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>Reason for the Rating: Language, some sexuality and drug content. <
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>Wow. I had heard a lot about this movie before seeing it, watched interviews with the actors and saw clips and trailers, but all that did nothing to prepare me for this musical movie. Dreamgirls is full of amazing music, acting, and cinematography, and is a movie you don't want to miss. <
>Dreamgirls is the story of three black soul singers in the 1960s who want to make it big. One night at a talent show they meet Curtis Taylor, Jr. (Jamie Foxx), a car salesman who wants to break into the music business as well. He not only offers to become their manager, but insists they become the new back-up singers for James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy). The girls, Effie (Jennifer Hudson), Deena (Beyonce Knowles), and Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose) are thrilled to be back-up singers to one of the rising stars of R&B, but only take the job when Curtis promises to get them their own record deal as well. <
>All is well until Curtis realizes Jimmy will never be able to cross over into pop music, as his style (think "James Brown") is just "too black" at this point in history. As a result, Curtis breaks the "Dreamettes" away from Jimmy and creates a new group, The Dreams, replacing plump and outspoken Effie as the lead singer with slender and gentle Deena. For the good of the group, Effie swallows her pride, until the group goes international, and then she just can't take it anymore, making life miserable for everyone. Against her desires, Curtis replaces Effie with a new Dream, Michelle (Sharon Leal). While Effie struggles for the next few years, the Dreams make it big, seeming to really be living the dream. But backstage, in real life, the dream of happiness is as elusive as sleep for an insomniac. Just out of reach. <
>There have been movies made telling "rise to fame" stories of many musicians, both fiction and non (Ray Charles, and Johnny Cash just last year), but none have been told in the way Dreamgirls tells its story. Originally a musical on Broadway in the 1980's (interesting fact: the original part of Effie was written to be played by Nell Carter, until she left for Gimme a Break), Dreamgirls was adapted for the big screen, with four new songs added to the screenplay. The music and choreography maintain the feel of Broadway, but the cinematography is all Hollywood. The sets and costuming are beautiful, and the acting superb. <
>What sets this movie apart from other Broadway musicals turned movie (ie, Chicago) is Jennifer Hudson. She has the most amazing, larger than life voice, and is perfectly cast as outspoken Effie. She gives life and personality to the three girls who make up The Dreams. As she draws you in, she makes you want to stand and cheer for her success. There is an old movie called "A Star is Born," and that is what this movie is for Jennifer Hudson. If you want to see a star being born, go see this movie. <
>In addition to Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy is surprisingly great as Jimmy "Thunder" Early. Who knew Eddie Murphy could sing? And with a string of comedies behind him (Beverly Hills Cop, The Nutty Professor, and Shrek, to name a few), who knew he could act in a serious movie without one comic crack? He is convincing as this heroin-addicted, attention-starved, wife-cheating musician who so desperately wants success, but won't sell his soul for a few records. <
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>MOVIEBLOG RECOMMENDS: <
>You will want to see this movie. Not only because it has been nominated for Golden Globes, and probably a few Oscars, and not because it includes actors like Beyonce Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Danny Glover and Eddie Murphy, but because it is all around fantastic...you might even want to go out and get the soundtrack after seeing it. <
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>AFTER THE SHOW: <
>* What is a dream you would like to pursue? <
>* Is it ever acceptable to deny someone else's dream so that you can pursue yours? How do you weigh moral/ethical choices involved? Explain. <
>* How would you rate your family relationships? If so, how do you express those sentiments to your family? <
>JW <
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