LOL -- OOPS

I saw Dreamgirls in Denver and had mixed reactions. I thought Jennifer Hudson was terrific as Effie and will be sadly disappointed if she doesn't get an Oscar nod. Eddie Murphy was also great as Jimmy - much better than I expected.

Now for the disappointing part ... I thought the film lost a lot of momentum after "And I am Telling You..." and recovered some of it only when Effie returned. Lorell and Deena just weren't compelling characters, so I didn't care much about what happened to them after they made it to the top. Beyonce has a lot to learn about acting, but her peroformance on "Listen" was almost as strong as Jennifer's in "And I am Telling You."

I think a lot of the movie's second-act problems were also present in the stage production, and I was disappointed that the director, Bill Condon, didn't do more to beef up the characters and fix some of the flaws.

The bottom line? I'm glad I saw the movie, and I'll probably rent it after it comes out on DVD. But it could have been even better. I'd give it 3 stars out of 4.

The movie is worth seeing just for Hudson. We were sitting at the front of the theater and with all the clapping and whistling behind us during "And I Am Telling You" it felt like a stage show.

Caught the matinee at the Uptown theater in DC today, and I thought the movie was well worth the $7.50, just to see it on the big screen. So much of it involves "live" stage performances that I have a feeling it will feel very small on a TV screen when it hits DVD.

As everyone has noted, this is Hudson's film, and her singing is absolutely outstanding. She also does a wonderful job in a role that could be pretty sour - Effie is not the most pleasant character, but Hudson has us sympathizing for her the whole way. For a first-time actor, she was great, especially in small moments, like when she realizes Curtis is not just sleeping with Deena, but that he's actually leaving her for Deena, and during her comeback audition, bragging about blowing $500,000 in two years.

Beyonce was absolutely fine in her role, although I don't know if she merited a Golden Globe nomination. She's lucky that Deena remains an essentially decent and honorable character throughout the film, so she's not called on to go too far from her comfort zone. I thought she was most effective showing Deena's transition from the naive girl at the talent show, who doesn't even have the ambition to sing lead, to the more mature and worldly singer of the 70s, who was caught up in the tidal wave of fame and fortune, and is just now able to catch her breath and realize she does not particularly like where her life has gone.

Having never seen the stage production, I was surprised at what a bleak view of show business the film presents. Sure there's a reconciliation among the girls, but by the end of the film, even the "good" characters, like Danny Glover's Marty, are willing to stoop to blackmail to get a piece of $$ and success - and the "villian" of the piece, Jamie Foxx's Curtis, doesn't really get his comeuppance in the end. That's not to say the movie isn't truthful about the sometimes slimey tactics one must use to get to the top, I'm just surprised to see Hollywood willing to show that side of the business.

I was actually most impressed with Foxx, who really created a great character - the consumate salesman with a heart of absolute stone. He blithely uses everyone he can to get to the top, and discards them just as easily when they are no longer useful, not to mention using the exact same methods as the white record companies and producers in order to not only compete with them, but destroy those he perceives as his rivals. Even at the movie's end, when everyone involved in the creation of the Dreams has walked out on him, he is still at the top, and has a new beautiful singer on his arm, ready to do it all again. It's even as if he has some more respect for Deena, Effie, CC and Marty when they stoop to his level in order to turn the tables on him. It's all just business to him, and they made a good deal. Curtis is such a soulless character that I am not surprised he does not seem to get the buzz of Hudson, Eddie Murphy (who is fantastic) and Beyonce. I do wonder, though, whether that aspect of the character will limit his chances at awards season.

I saw it today, and as was previously mentioned by sportinlife, people applauded after Jennifer Hudson's "And I Am Telling You..." and at the end. And I hate that -- applauding at movies. If no one's there in person to accept your applause, don't waste your time! But that's just me.

After "And I Am Telling You..." was done, it just dragged and dragged and dragged and dragged! Many years ago I saw a stage version, and though I don't really remember it in any detail I don't recall it dragging on like that. Something like that I'd remember for sure (like when I saw "Phantom" on Broadway).

The performances overall were good but not great. And by the way, being able to sing does not by itself mean an actor's performance is Oscar-worthy.

I give it 2.5 stars out of 4.

Saw it today and was pretty much captivated. Jennifer Hudson deserves the Oscar. The movie is mentioned as a possible Best Picture contender and she is the reason. Credit Bill Condon for picking her for the role because no one could have done it any better.

I've now seen The Queen, The Departed and Dreamgirls, and thought Dreamgirls was the best of the three. It was certainly the most entertaining. I knew the singing would be great but what surprised me was the acting. I rarely shed a tear in movies any more, but when Hudson belted out "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," I was a mess. Her eyes tell a story almost as much as her voice and that's the sign of a truly great actress. It's hard to believe this is her first acting role because she was perfect in the role of Effie White.

I agree with Joe in Philly. I loved the stage version of "Dreamgirls," but after all the hype for the movie, I thought it was going to be a lot better. We saw it yesterday and I thought it was...okay. The acting was...okay. Jennifer Hudson's singing was EXTRAORDINARY. In addition to "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," don't forget "Changing," which Jennifer Holiday also turned out in the original version. Anika Noni Rose and Beyoncé looked beautiful and also sang beautifully, and though Beyoncé's song "Listen" was pedestrian in terms of its words and melody, she gave it her all. Actually, she and Rose turned in pretty good acting performances as well. Eddie Murphy was superb in his role, but I wish the director had shown his decline more sharply, and Jamie Foxx was pretty much Jamie Foxx, with a conk, just as Danny Glover was Danny Glover. The other guy who played CC was cute, but had only one expression. Jennifer Hudson has the pipes of God, but in terms of acting, well--it really doesn't matter, because she can sing like there's no tomorrow. But the story in general, and the direction didn't live up to the hype. (One great touch was the Loretta Divine cameo, since she was in the original show.) The singing alone pretty much made it worth going to see.

SFJohn-

You are right! Of course singing alone isn't why Jennifer Hudson is being recognized. It's what she's doing WHILE she is singing that's truly amazing. The hurt you can see in her eyes, her expressions and body language (as with all of her songs) is why she is being credited as one of the truly standout performances of the year, by ANYBODY.

This will be a well deserved Oscar nomination for Jennifer Hudson.

Saw Dreamgirls and enjoyed it very much, but wasn't blown away. J-Hud made a solid debut and Beyonce was strikingly beautiful. Well directed by Bill Condon, who doesn't get the props of the big name directors, but he has an impressive track record record (writer-director for Dreamgirls, Kinsey, Gods and Monsters, and screenplay for Chicago) and he's gay, to boot. Nice cameo by Loretta Devine, the original Lorell. Wonderful wigs and makeup, I can imagine drag queens of the world sewing up new costumes for New Years.

I had bought the 2-cd soundtrack prior to seeing the film, and agree with someone above that It's all over, the lead in to And I'm telling you was well done. Those dance re-mixes at the end don't do anything for my body, as Effie would say

Interesting to compare and contrast with the Dreamgirls cast album with Sheryl Lee Ralph (Deena) and Jennifer Holiday (Effie) and the benefit Dreamgirls concert version with Audra McDonald (Deena; a Broadway star, but miscast vocally in this role) and Lilias White (brings wonderful maturity and Broadway experience to the role).

I saw Dreamgirls a second time and loved it just as much if not more than the last. It's kind of like Brokeback Mountain was for me... I noticed lots of things the second time around that I missed the first time. The theatre was about 3/4 full this time rather than sold out like when I saw it Monday. I'll say it again... Jamie Foxx really got the shaft from critics who overlooked his performance. He's great. Then again, it's difficult to really see how great everyone else is when Jennifer Hudson steals virtually every scene she's in. I really wish the studio had pushed her for Best Actress instead of Best Supporting Actress because I think she'd give Helen Mirren a real run for her money.

Dreamgirls' per-screen-average this weekend was $18,192, nearly double the next highest per-screen average (Night at the Museum, which was at $10,031 per screen). Those were the only films playing at more than 25 theatres nationally that made more than $6,800 per screen.

I was reading an article about a Paramount exec who reported that Dreamgirls got a 95% favorable rating from audiences in exit interviews, the highest rating in Paramount history.

I saw D/G Tuesday night. And I'm with Canmark on this one. It was good, Hudson did a terrific job, but I wasn't blown away. The movie was a bit uneven to me, Foxx was rather uninteresting, Murphy was quite good, Knowles was genuinely respectable -- and wonderful on "Listen" -- and I found myself really liking Anika Noni Rose. Condon, on the basis on Gods and Monsters alone, ranks as a great director in my book -- and add to that his writing of Chicago and his track record is stellar; this, although not his best, is still an outstanding effort and adds to his lustre. I did think the music in the movie was quite listenable/enjoyable.

Another thing: the youtube of J Holliday's Tony performance is a great argument for stage performance. So much more to it than a recording alone (even the original cast album -- and dare I say it? even/also the movie) reveals.

I think the movie told it's story well - it's pretty much all devotees of the play could have hoped for. Hudson was the show, but Foxx and Murphy were above average. The music of this show, except for And I Am Telling You, always seemed kind of lame and it annoys me that it's not very similar to the era it's supposed to be showing. As a big Supremes fan, I enjoyed being taken back to the excitement of their success. I was surprised they used actual Supremes album covers and inserted the pics of The Dreams- one with Deena was a post Diana Supremes cover (Touch). Wish Flo's story had ended as well as Effie's.

I agree that Jennifer Hudson gave a terrific performance, but her character was absent for long stretches of the second half of the film. She certainly deserves a Best Supporting Actress nod but not a Best Actress nomination, in my opinion. (Even if Jennifer Hudson were elevated to the Best Actress category, the prize belongs - and rightfully so, I think - to Helen Mirren.)

I guess I'll chime in and say I saw it yesterday and it was great. Yes, Jennifer Hudson was amazing and I'm sure she'll get the BSA Oscar, but Eddie Murphy was outstanding. Wow. What a terrific performance. It must've been tough for Jamie Foxx and Beyonce, who were very good (actually, I didn't realize Foxx was in the movie until I went to see it because he's gotten so little notice) to be upstaged by Hudson and Murphy. I'm not sure what the Oscar front runner is (unlike last year, there doesn't seem to be a film that is getting all the attention), but Dreamgirls has a shot at taking the big prize.

Anthony

Too bad my Dreamgirl movie experience was ruined by screaming, crying babies, bleeping NEXTEL phones and talking ignoramuses. Why can't people let others enjoy their movie watching? Other than that I thought the movie was excellent.

That sucks about the crying babies and ringing cell phones. I hate stuff like that and it seems to happen all the time. It's rare these days when you don't hear a cell phone go off in a theatre.

Anyhoo....

Some major news and some major momentum for an Oscar nom for Dreamgirls came today with the announcement of the 5 films nominated for Best Picture by the Producers Guild of America. This was considered the biggest indicator yet of possible Oscar picks. The 5 films up for Best Picture by the PGA: Babel, The Departed, The Queen, Dreamgirls, and Little Miss Sunshine.

And the SAG nominees were just released too, which Dreamgirls leading the way. Both Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy were nominated along with the film.

Also, Jennifer Hudson will sing live on Good Morning America Thursday, Jan. 4, and also be a guest (and sing) on Letterman this coming Monday.

Clearly this is the "Brokeback Mountain" thread all over again.

I saw "DreamGirls" on New Year's eve and thought it was pretty good. I think Jennifer Hudson's performance was good and the solo performance heartwrenching. I think that was the only part of the movie I was waiting for :-)

Saw it tonight and loved it. Jennifer Hudson was terrific but honestly no one will ever hold a candle to Jennifer Holiday's voice and knock down drag out performance. But it is a big role, the audience's favorite, and Hudson made it hers.

I was surprised at how great the movie looked, how well the dark story of the sixties and "motown" came across, and how a couple of performances stood out far more than I expected: Eddie Murphy, Aniki Nona Rose, and especially Beyonce. I've never bought a Beyonce CD and really am pretty neutral about her but I didn't expect her to make the toughest part in the movie (the pretty girl who gets moved around by others) so big and purposeful. She did a great job and I was definitely surprised. And I'm glad she got a chance with the big song in the end to show her voice. Everyone in the audience roots for the Effie character but no one roots for Deena. She did a great job.

The movie's a sure bet for a best pic nom. Expect a slew of design nom's as well.

VH1 had a special last night called "Dreamgirls: Divas, Drama and Destiny" (I think I got the title right) about real-life girl groups from the Supremes to Destiny's Child. It was much more interesting than most VH1 specials, and I wish I'd seen it before seeing "Dreamgirls."

The film lives up to the hype . Hudson is senstational from the moment she appears on the screen. Murphy makes a strong come back. But the score is not that hot and yes once Hudson does her show stopping solo- the film sort of dies- this is a good but not great movie musical.

Did anyone see J-Hud's appearance on Letterman tonight? OMG she blew the roof off the place with "I Am Changing." She was incredible. You never hear and see the Letterman audiences erupt in applause in the middle of songs like that.

Jennifer's performance from Letterman on YouTube

Also... Time magazine has named what it calls the "5 most notable performances of this awards season." Time has chosen the performances of Helen Mirren, Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Ryan Gosling, and Robert Downey, Jr.

Jennifer Hudson is ABC's Person of the Week this week.

Director Bill Condon seems to have a healthy attitude towards the Dreamgirls "snub." From the NY Times.

Jennifer Hudson has made history by becoming the first black female singer ever to grace the cover of Vogue magazine. In fact, she'll only be the 3rd black woman ever to appear on the cover of Vogue. Not only that, it's the annual "power" issue. Good for you, J-Hud.

She's still forcing her voice and not performing in the sultry low range where she is best. One day she may have an experience that allows her to emote without refering to the audience, but to an inner need and voice, and then she will truly stun people.

Oh my god are you serious? Only the 3rd black woman to ever appear on the cover? Whats up with that?

I started wondering: Obviously, Jennifer Hudson's "American Idol" experience was, in some ways, the perfect preparation for playing Effie White. Actress and character meshed perfectly, and the result was a terrific performance (in my opinion.) Here's my question: Will Hudson be a one-hit wonder, or does she have a great acting career ahead of her?

Yep. Third black woman ever on the cover of Vogue. It sounded odd to me too. Jennifer joins Oprah and Halle Berry. Pretty damn good company.

I never thought I'd see the day when my favorite Idol contestant would be the "it" girl in Hollywood. She's everywhere! On ET, they mentioned that over 100 world renowned designers -- including all the top names -- made offers to dress her for the Oscars. That's incredible.

She's going to be interviewed by Barbara Walters on her annual Oscar Night Special too.

Jennifer Holliday, the original Effie, will be telling you she's not going in an Atlanta revival of Dreamgirls, July 20-27.

Playbill article
Theater of the Stars

Jennifer's first single will be "Spotlight" and after a couple of listens, I am not blown away by the song. It's ok, but I think it needs to grow on me a little more.

Hopefully, the remainder of the album will be better.

J-Hud

Speaking of Dreamgirls, The Movie there is apparently a lost scene that ended up on the cutting room floor. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jvL6VlEg4Y...feature=related

The song is definitely growing on me and I love the 80s R and B vibe and hook to the song.

The "maximum security" line at the start is a bit cheesy... I think a lot of people will skip the rest based on that....

I love the end where we get the feel of the real Jennifer letting it rip.

Whenever I get pissed about my girl Jennifer- I listen to the performance of Weekend in New England that got her booted and still say it is one of the best American Idol performances ever.... her ouster was a producers crock (she was becoming a threat to Fantasia.....)

I love J-Hud's "All Dressed Up in Love," from the SATC soundtrack, and I'm glad some of the trailers for the film are now using it as the background track. She'll always be my favorite Idol contestant ever.