Dreamgirls Make it Worth It

The question on everybody who has any vested interest in film’s mind is whether or not Dreamgirls really lives up to the hype. Arguably the most talked about, especially in terms of the impending awards season, film of the year…I’ll be the first to say that the film does live up to the hype. It’s a fun, carefree, decade-spanning, toe tapping ditty filled musical from Bill Condon. The number of Hollywood veterans that join them grounds the fresh young cast.
That being said, do I think that Dreamgirls is really Best Picture worthy? No. It fails in all the same respects that Bill Condon and Rob Marshall’s Chicago did. The musical numbers, though catchy and fantastically performed, just don’t seem to jive with the majority of the picture. The diagetic songs work like a dream, but it’s when the cast members begin to perform their respective subjective songs that the film kind of putters. Unfortunately for me and everyone at the advanced screening, a fire alarm went off right in the middle of scene-stealer, Jennifer Hudson’s performance of “And I’m Telling You, I’m Not Going.” In spite of this, the five-minute clip secured her as a lock in the Best Supporting Actress category. As the outspoken Effie, Hudson, is altogether pleasurable and heartbreaking. Also delivering a performance worthy of Oscar consideration and show stopping is Eddie Murphy as the indescribably funny and tragic. There’s a moment in the beginning of the film when his character is first revealed to the audience that just makes the audience bust out laughing. I can’t say if it’s his smile or hair or a combination of both, but Murphy is absolutely perfect for the character. Likewise, his rap boogie breakdown in the second act of the film is amazing and puts him on the same level as Hudson. Unfortunately for Beyonce Knowles, who plays Deena Jones, a majority of her above average performance is completely overshadowed by Hudson. That isn’t to say that Knowles doesn’t share some fantastic moments. Her performance of “Listen” is another high point of the film.
As I said before, the film seems to lose some energy at some points. This could be a result of my distaste for musicals, but it just doesn’t seem to work as well on screen as it seems it should. I think it’s less the fault of the film and more the fault of Condon, who seems to be unsure of himself. This seems sort of strange considering Condon’s track record. Looking at the larger picture, Dreamgirls is a much better entry to the modern film musical than Chicago. The musical numbers do work better here than they did for Chicago, but can often be awkward and forced rather than natural.
This is definitely a picture you don’t want to miss on the big screen. The sound, spectacle and fantastic performances are all worth paying 8 bucks for. If you can get wrapped up in the rather narrow story, which gradually becomes broader and broader as the film drives home, then I think you will leave the theater unbelievable happy. The problem lies in convincing the people who won’t be able to buy into the story that the film is beyond decent.