Review of Dreamgirls (2006) by Paul C — 12 Nov 2009

Musicals, should fulfill one of two things in my opinion. 1 - They should have excellent songs and 2 - They should have a great story upon which those songs perfectly fit. Of these two elements there is none more important than the other as they must both be in synergy for it to work.

Unfortunately for "Dreamgirls" neither of these elements are truly realised. Let's start with the songs. Set in the 60s and 70s the film does a good job at pastiching Motown songs but never really seems to get anywhere better than parody (Jennifer Hudson's rendition of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" being the only exception).

The tunes hit all the right notes in terms of the style but lack the emotion which then leads to lacklustre performances in the film itself. Loosely based on the beginning on the Motown label the film struggles when it comes to the story.

The whole plot feels like it's on the cusp of something epic but it never quites get there. There are tears and there are laughs, but too many plot points are handled awkwardly and you finish the film sort of wondering what the point was.

The cast (though seemingly quite capable) fail to deliver anything special with only Eddie Murphy really making an impression, but only because he's not playing multiple characters or being chased by children.

Having said that, Jennifer Hudson, in her debut role puts in a fine performance infusing it with passion and real heart. In summary then "Dreamgirls" isn't a nightmare but it also isn't the greatest dream; it's just a bit of a sleep really.