Dreamgirls

3/4

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce Knowles, Danny Glover, Eddie Murphy, Annika Noni Rose

Rated PG-13 for Language, Some Sexuality and Drug Content

“Dreamgirls” is not a musical, at least in the way that “TheLion King” and “Rent” are.  Oh, there are a lot of musical numbers, and more is revealed in the songs than in the spoken dialogue.  The difference is in the context in which they are presented.  When someone sings, it’s always either in a performance or a recording session.  With one exception, no one bursts into song suddenly like they do in traditional musicals.

Deena (Knowles), Effie (Hudson) and Lorrell (Rose) are three friends who have formed a singing trio called “The Dreamettes.”  While they have the talent to make it big, it takes more than that.  Help comes along when a car salesman named Curtis Taylor, Jr. (Foxx) spots them at a talent show.  Looking to get into the music business, Curtis arranges them to become the new backup singers to African-American rocker Jimmy “Thunder” Early (Murphy).  It doesn’t take long for Early to become a major star, and for The Dreamettes, now dubbed The Dreams, to become stars on their own.  But as we know all too well, success has a price.

The interesting thing is that “Dreamgirls” looks at the dark side of show business from a different perspective.  Yes, we all know that marketability trumps talent, but “Dreamgirls” actually examines this mentality.  We get to see the full devastation of this kind of thinking because Curtis is a complete sociopath.

The performances are effective, but for the most part, having a great set of lungs and the ability to carry a tune trumps all.  The performances most recognized are Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy, and for good reason.  Hudson has a great voice, and she doesn’t just sing her songs, she imbues them with fire and pathos.  We know exactly what she is feeling when she is singing.  For an “American Idol” contestant, this should be a given (or considering what that show sells as talent, maybe not).  But unlike many popstars crossing over into film, Hudson can act.  Effie is stubborn and has a massive ego, the combination of which end up costing her dearly.  Likewise, Eddie Murphy shows us things that we have never seen.  Although he’s got the smile and the comic timing that we all know, he has the capacity to show emotion, and he’s got some great lungs as well.  Everyone else does their job, except Jamie Foxx.

The best performance in the film is also the most ignored.  At one point, Marty Madison (Glover), Early’s old manager, calls Curtis a “two-timing snake” and warns Early and the girls that he’s only going to use them.  Even he doesn’t know how right he is.  Curtis is as ruthless as they come.  His stars are products to him; their own feelings and desires mean nothing to him unless they may keep him from succeeding.  He has no soul or conscience; whenever he’s “sorry,” it’s only so the person won’t leave.  That is, unless they are of no use to him, in which case he disposes of them with no thought or care.  And boy, can he hold a grudge.

Unfortunately, the film has a few major problems.  For one thing, the first forty minutes are pretty rough.  There is little plot and even less character development.  Too much was left on the cutting room floor.  This is one movie where a few extra minutes would have done wonders.  Also, the songs only work in the context of the film; on an iPod, only one or two are worth listening to.

In the end, the second half is strong enough to warrant a recommendation, but barely.