Moulin Rouge!

At the risk of sounding overly bombastic, "Moulin Rouge" is the best film I've seen all year, perhaps the best one I've seen in over a year. It is operatic in the best sense of the word, being at once massively outlandish and deeply personal. It is clear that a lot of people took career risks in choosing this film, and although "Moulin Rouge" may not rack up a huge box office, I think this film will become a classic alongside his other two films "Strictly Ballroom" and "Romeo + Juliet."

In the showing of "Moulin Rouge" I saw last week, at least 5 people walked out. At the same time I heard audience members audibly gasping at the films visuals and talking back to the screen. The source of these strong reactions? Baz Luhrmann's confidence in his garish cinematic vision and the commitment his actors have in him. The cast fills their roles with relish, even when the entire scene totters on the edge of overkill--but oddly enough, it is the focus that sets "Moulin Rouge" apart from other films these days. Whereas some actors sleepwalk through their roles as they collect their paychecks, everything about "Moulin Rouge" is done in earnest.

This movie is the anti-"Pearl Harbor," because instead of being a hodgepodge of market-tested ideas, "Moulin Rouge" presents a bold vision and dares the audience to accept or reject it. I, for one, accepted it with delight. A telling comparison: Luhrmann has Nicole Kidman and Ewen MacGregor sing the film's love song. Very daring. For "Pearl Harbor" Michael Bay chose Faith Hill. Very safe. Too safe. Can you imagine Ben Afleck belting out "There You'll Be"?

"Moulin Rouge" glitters with such bold decisions. It is a sumptuous feast for ear and eye featuring gorgeous costumes, intricate sets (Nicole Kidman's boudoir in a gigantic elephant is a case in point), and outlandishly choreographed dance numbers are paraded with frenetic relish. And the music, the MUSIC! As you probably know by now, Luhrmann has thrown into his period piece a collage of musical snippets from, among many bits, "The Sound of Music," Madonna, The Police, and Elton John. In most cases, no one song gets performed without intersplicing. Witness Luhrmann's audacity: the opening number includes a melding of Labelle's "Lady Marmalade" with Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." And here's the spooky part: it works.

The entire movie plays this way, and for the most part it works. Most surpising is that "Moulin Rouge" has a solid, deeply sincere emotional core. Although the film professes to be about love, I'd add that it is equally about loss. The Moulin Rouge is a playground where adults pretend they are children with the added spice of sensuality.

All the performances are excellent, but the hidden gem is Jim Broadbent as Zidler. Broadbent for years has been doing majestically understated supporting work, from "Brazil" to "Enchanted April" to "Topsy-Turvy." In "Moulin Rouge" he manages to be both repulsive and endearing. His spirited rendition of "Like a Virgin" is classic. Too bad it's not on the soundtrack.

Expect to be overwhelmed by "Moulin Rouge" in the most unexpected, delightful ways. It will make you wonder why other films can't or won't dare to be that bold.

This movie blew my mind. Watch it, then watch it again. 'Moulin Rouge' made me laugh, cry, and dream. It's boldness and confidence to produce something so original and different impressed me. At times the scenery was as surreal as something you would experience in a dream, which only makes this movie more amazing. 'Moulin Rouge' shows love from all angles. It includes the raw passion, infatuation, vehemence, intensity, ecstasy, jealousy, and pain that is found in true love. The acting was staggering. Ewan McGregor is unrealistically perfect, combining sweet innocence with masculinity. Kidman perfectly brings out the seductive side of Satine, yet never loses the vulnerable soul that lies behind it. Roxburgh(The Duke) and Leguizamo(Lautrec) bring out just the right amount of comic relief in this intense drama. There is nothing I would change about this movie. One warning, though: Moulin Rouge is not for the artistically deprived. It is quite a contemporary movie, so you may not like it if you prefer to watch simple movies(ex. 'American Pie', 'Scary Movie').

If you look at the story in an emotionless way then it is 'La Dame aux Camélias' meets contemporary music in an abundantly colourful background.

Only I can't look at it emotionlessly. It is just too spectacularly wonderful!

For me, this film lets euphoria take possession of me! It flows all through me and I feel sadness and bliss at the same time as it has me both smiling and crying ecstatically. It makes me yearn for "La grande passion" and, at the same time, feel that passion through Satine and Christian.

This is perfection!

What an insane movie. For the most part, in a good way. That being said: there were moments in it, and some aspects, that I found incredibly frustrating... yet there was a lot that did work, and I found it growing on me as the movie went along.

I tried watching this about 8 or 9 years ago and couldn't stomach the first fifteen minutes, and so shut it off. I think it was right around the time they started singing Nirvana; I just said 'nope,' not for me.

Returning to it now, those first fifteen minutes were still a fairly tough sit. The editing and loudness is just ridiculous. I didn't know whether it was supposed to be funny or cool or what- I was overwhelmed and confused, whilst still recognising that technically it was at least interesting.

Things got better slowly- an extended comedic sequence filled with innuendo felt like it was from an Austin Powers movie, and tonally the whole thing felt all over the place. Nothing was given room to breathe, and certain stunning shots would only last a second or so before a jarring cut to something else. There were a few brief moments here and there where I literally couldn't comprehend what was going on.

I think the movie did slow down a little in its second hour, or maybe I just grew more used to the style... maybe both? I started to enjoy the music, bold colours, fast-paced musical numbers, and the acting more. The latter is quite good, honestly, especially when it comes to Ewan McGregor, who was excellent. I hated John Leguizamo in this movie though- his character was super irritating, even by Baz Luhrmann standards.

And while the final act feels a little drawn out, it's got some stunning moments, and probably the best music in the whole film.

Overall, it's exhausting and insane, but for me at least it mostly worked. I can understand people loving this movie. I can understand people hating this movie. And honestly, I can understand anyone being anywhere inbetween on this movie.

You can't compare Chicago to Moulin Rouge, because they share, really, nothing besides the fact that people sing and dance. Moulin Rouge stands alone. I really love this movie.

Nicole Kidman did sorta over act in parts (the Elephant scene, and when she tells Zidler she wants to leave.), but other than that, the acting is wonderful. I just love Ewan McGregor's character, and I love Ewan McGregor. John Leguizamo's character, Henri Toulouse Lautrec (yes, the famous painter), I found was just such an annoyingly funny character, he was definently one of my favorite characters. The Duke (Richard Roxburgh) is definently overacted, and frankly, Zidler (John Broadbent), is sooooo horribly annoying, you really would want to throw yourself off the Moulin Rouge windmill.

I love this movie. There are some funny parts, but they are mostly just in the beginning, and the best musical number isn't 'Diamonds', but rather, the dramatic 'Roxanne'. Another one of my favourite pieces is 'Nature Boy', the song sung at the very beginning. It's so sad, but very touching.

The beginning is sort of depressing, but it doesn't last long, so don't stop the DVD then. The middle sort of drags on, so be warned. The sets and costumes are beautiful, and very colourful, and the dancing is really Spectacular Spectacular (excuse the pun...), but long periods of time with the Bohemians, or at the Moulin Rouge can make you feel like you're stuck in a circus tent. But since Ewan McGregor's in it, I give it 10 stars.