Dreamgirls

Grade: A-

Only twice in my entire theatre-going lifetime have I witnessed a performer receive a standing ovation in the middle of a show. The first and most memorable was Jennifer Holliday, during her final week of performances in “Dreamgirls,” belting out “And I Am Telling You, I’m Not Going.” It would be more than a decade before I would be a part of such an amazing moment again.

May God and gay men all across this nation forgive me, but Jennifer Hudson’s rendition is even better. Simultaneously gut-wrenching and exhilarating, you will want to stand up and cheer in a movie theater. As Effie White, a diva with a voice of the gods reduced to singing backup, her entire performance is a brash, vulnerable powerhouse. A star is indeed born, and so too, I suspect, is an Oscar winner.

As James Brown, Marvin Gaye, and Little Richard all rolled into one, Eddie Murphy is nothing short of a revelation as R&B star James “Thunder” Early, a man with explosive soul forced into the straight-jacket of pop music conformity. Every moment he is on screen your mind will be hard pressed to process just how talented Murphy is, whether blowing the lid off the place as a performer onstage or quietly disintegrating as a man offstage. A resigned moment of defeated desperation will quite simply break your heart, and Murphy should bring home a “Golden Child” of his own to bookend Hudson’s. Together they represent this year’s breakout performances.

“Loosely” based on the story of Diana Ross and the Supremes (I am also “loosely” a Democrat and my partner is “loosely” a homosexual) screenwriter/director Bill Condon had much to live up to – the legacy of Michael Bennett’s now legendary original – and he has delivered the goods. The film is sleek, glossy, thrilling, heartfelt and wildly entertaining. From the first rhythmic beat fans of the Broadway musical and original cast album know all too well, we’re putty in his hands. Toes will tap, heads will bop, shoulders will shimmy – who says this white boy from Long Island ain’t got no soul? At a too-short two hours, the film glides by on its high-octane energy – no slow build-up here, the film starts with a pow, steps on the gas, pumps up the volume and quick-cuts its way to a Big Hollywood, slightly hokey, but eminently satisfying finale. In a spot-on attempt to capture the mod style of the 60’s music industry, Condon can be forgiven his excesses, although his desire to encapsulate the black experience (replete with burnt out buildings, street rioting, and stray commentary on the Vietnam war) is a touch heavy-handed and slightly awkward. Some additional plot-points not in the original storyline add a sprinkling of gravitas and big old-fashioned movie musical payoff . Several new takes on some old lyrics (including a beautiful moment during “Hard to Say Good-Bye,” where Deena Jones redirects her love and caring in a decidedly unexpected direction) add new layers and meaning.

In the Diana Ross role, Beyoncé Knowles surprises with a knock-out voice and glamorous look filled with understated warmth and depth underneath, Jamie Foxx holds his own as her oily Svengali and Danny Glover provides the film some much needed heart and humanity underneath all its sheen. Cameos by the likes of Broadway veterans Loretta Devine (one of the original “Dreams”), Hinton Battle and Ken Page delight. Several new songs (usually an Oscar-grubbing distraction in most stage-to-screen endeavors, including “Chicago’s” most recently unnecessary “I Move On”) effectively underscore and enhance some genuine character development, and provide the opportunity to hear even more from Hudson, Murphy and Knowles, especially in the longingly hopeful “Patience” and the defiantly personal “Listen.”

Except for some flawed lip-synching and uninventive “fade to black” scene changes, Condon’s only real transgression – and it is not a small one – lies in the songs he has cut (the outrageously funny tirade “Ain’t No Party,” and the equally tender “I Miss You Old Friend” are nowhere to be found) the songs he has edited (“Steppin’ to the Bad Side,” “One Night Only,” and “I Am Changing” – the best song in the entire score – are sacrilegiously pared down ) and the songs where he has interspersed dialogue to move the action along at breakneck pace (even the title song is cut away from for a moment of distracting banter). His edits hurt my heart and should mildly outrage enthusiasts, but his blatant adoration for the material should one day allow me to forgive him his trespasses.

In recent interviews, Condon has talked about the enormous pressure he was under to get the film version right. Recognizing that gay men everywhere would have his head on a platter if he blew it, he further acknowledged his own boyfriend probably wouldn’t ever speak to him again as well.

His boyfriend should not only speak to him, he should give Bill exactly what Condon has given “Dreamgirls” – a dozen long-stemmed roses, and a heart shaped box of chocolate wrapped in a big old red bow.

More Movie Info: http://imdb.com/title/tt0443489/