Dreamgirls

FLICK The audience went wild with applause after most of the musical numbers when I saw Dreamgirls in the movie theater. I’m trying to imagine this happening in people’s homes around the country when they watch the newly released DVD. This mostly faithful adaptation of the Supremes-inspired Broadway musical features a crowd-pleasing cast, including Beyoncé, Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy, and Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson. The severity of Beyoncé’s character Deena, based on Diana Ross, is a nice contrast to the sincerity of the other girls, and is exactly how one would imagine Ms. Ross to behave. Hudson offers a bravura performance as the disheartened Effie in her "introducing" movie role and easily makes the signature song, "And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going" her own. Murphy and his pompadour steal the show as the splashy James 'Thunder' Early, loosely based on and infused with the personalities of James Brown and Marvin Gaye. The toe-tapping songs express the characters' feelings and are very suitable for a Broadway stage but they don’t imitate the Motown sound, which would create the sincerest form of flattery. On the other hand, this is justified as it parallels the Dreams selling out their signature sound to obtain the American dream, not easily accessible to African-American artists in the 1960s. The sets and costumes are period perfect. The fast editing works cinematically to create excitement and movement but this also creates distance and a lack of closeness to the engaging characters as there is no time to focus on their facial expressions. The medium creates the difference. When watching live performers on stage, you can look in their eyes while they're standing in front of you, belting out a song or shedding a tear, to make a connection. Overall, these are minor faults as this entertaining musical has glamour, romance, and is a sweet dream. My Score: 8 out of 10.