Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2139 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-05-28
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 125 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The spirit of Motown runs through the long-awaited film adaption of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, which centres around a young female singing trio who burst upon the music scene in the '60s, complete with bouffant hairdos, glitzy gowns, and a soul sound new to the white-bread American music charts. Sound familiar? You aren't the first one to draw comparisons to the meteoric rise of the Supremes, and despite any protests to the contrary, this is most definitely a thinly veiled reinterpretation of that success story. The Dreamettes--statuesque Deena (Beyonce Knowles), daffy Lorell (Anika Noni Rose) and brassy Effie (Jennifer Hudson)--are a girl group making the talent-show rounds when they're discovered by car salesman and aspiring music manager Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx). Sensing greatness (as well as a new marketing opportunity) Curtis signs the Dreamettes as backup singers for R&B star James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy). But when Early's mercurial ways and singing style don't mesh with primarily white audiences, Curtis moves the newly-renamed Dreams to center stage--with Deena as lead singer in place of Effie. And that's not the only arena in which Effie is replaced, as Curtis abandons their love affair for a relationship with star-in-the-making Deena.

Besides the Supremes comparison, one can't talk about Dreamgirls now without revisiting its notorious Oscar snub; though it received eight nominations, the most for any film from 2006, it was shut out of the Best Picture and Director races entirely. Was the oversight justified? While Dreamgirls is certainly a handsomely mounted, lovingly executed and often vibrant film adaptation, it inspires more respect than passion, only getting under your skin during the musical numbers, which become more sporadic as the film goes on. Writer-director Bill Condon is definitely focused on recreating the Motown milieu (down to uncanny photographs of Knowles in full Diana Ross mode), he often forgets to flesh out his characters, who even on the Broadway stage were underwritten and relied on powerhouse performances to sell them to audiences. (Stage fans will also note that numerous songs are either truncated or dropped entirely from the film.) Condon has assembled a game cast, as Knowles does a canny riff on the essence of Diana Ross' glamour (as opposed to an all-out impersonation) and Rose makes a peripheral character surprisingly vibrant; only Foxx, who never gets to pour on the charisma, is miscast.

Still, there are two things even the most cranky viewers will warm to in Dreamgirls: the performances of veteran Eddie Murphy and newcomer Jennifer Hudson. Murphy is all sly charm and dazzling energy as the devilish Early, who's part James Brown, part Little Richard, and all showman. And Hudson, an American Idol contestant who didn't even make the top three, makes an impressive debut as the larger-than-life Effie, whose voice matches her passions and stubbornness. Though she sometimes may seem too young for the role, Hudson nails the movie's signature song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," with a breathtaking power that must be seen and heard to believe. And for those five minutes, if not more, you will be in Dreamgirls' thrall. --Mark Englehart

Synopsis
Set in 1960s Detroit, DREAMGIRLS follows the commercial and cultural struggles of the R&B recording industry, through the rise of the Dreamettes (later shortened to just the Dreams) from backup singers to headlining international superstars. The trio--Deena (Beyonce Knowles), Effie (Jennifer Hudson), and Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose)--soon discover the harsh reality behind the glamour of fame and fortune, as the group's controlling and shady manager, Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx), uses them to help build his musical empire and capture his dream of crossing over from R&B to the pop charts. He sacrifices Effie's immense talent as lead singer for Deena's stunning, more mainstream look to sell the sound, pushing marketable appeal over musical artisanship--and compromising the ambitions of his proteges.

Since its Broadway debut, DREAMGIRLS has been widely rumoured to be inspired by the hugely successful girl-group the Supremes, as well as some of Motown's biggest players. Knowles's Deena portrays the Diana Ross character, radiant in miraculous recreations of the hairstyles and fashions that made Ross timeless, while Foxx's Taylor exemplifies influential Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. Former AMERICAN IDOL contestant Jennifer Hudson makes her feature-film debut delivering a knockout performance as the larger-than-life Effie, and Eddie Murphy is believable as the misunderstood James Brown-like character of Jimmy "Thunder" Early. Vibrant with colourful costumes and sleek backdrops, the film flows effortlessly from dialogue to musical numbers, each song capturing the richness of the talented cast and the essence of the era, endlessly soaring with fast-paced excitement and non-stop emotion.

Customer Reviews

A Stage Musical On Film - No More, No Less
There is a double sound track CD of this film and I am wondering how long it runs? The film is 120 minutes and 85% of that is made up of songs, so I suspect the soundtrack album is not much shorter!

I was expecting a bio-pic in the style of the wonderful 'What's Love Got to Do With It?' or 'The Beat Goes On - The Sonny and Cher Story'. A film with good dialogue between musical numbers. Dreamgirls, however, is more or less sung right through, like an Andrew Lloyd Webber show and, for me, it loses the impact that the story clearly has when members of the cast start to SING in the middle of an argument (with musical accompanyment coming from somewhere off camera!) in the style of the 40's musical classics. In one scene, where dropped Dreamgirls singer Effie launches a legal challenge on her former manager - complete with lawyer in tow and damning evidence of his mis-deeds over the years - she SINGS her final sentence to him - whilst her lawyer and others look on, nodding in an appreciative manner! As they would......?! I suppose the viewer is lucky that they do not start to provide backing vocals....

The cast do the best they can in the circumstances. The musical numbers are expertly staged and Jennifer Hudson (Effie)was a worthy award winner for her outstanding vocal range and heart felt performance. Eddie Murphy is wasted - he seems to be crying out for pages of dialogue to deliver, and while Beyonce does her best, the role of a successful singer who is asked to do little more than sing and look glamorous is hardly a stretch for her. The songs are ok, but none are old-time classics that we would already know - unlike those in the Ike and Tina film which most of the audience were able to sing along to while viewing, or at least remember hearing previously.

Had I known this was the film version of a 'Tony Award Winning Broadway Hit', I would have held back from buying it until it was on offer (3 for £20 or whatever). Fans of 60's and 70's style music may do better to buy the soundtrack CD alone and wait for the film to pop up on television.

It could have been an excellent, fictional 'bio-pic'. It opted to be a stage show on film - with short snippets of dialogue. A wasted opportunity.

Jennifer Hudson as Effie White is a name to reckon with
A stellar cast ;Eddy Murphy, Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles and Danny Glover. This mockumentary on Diana Ross and The Supremes (so you thought it was a work of pure fiction ?)has a brilliant soundtrack and great performances from everybody. However, in addition to the 4 names above, there is one newcomer who steals the show; Jennifer Hudson as Effie White is a name to reckon with. The former American Idol contestant shines in her first film; bright enough to win an Oscar.
Her feisty approach and confident demeanour even when she is eclipsed by Beyonce and sidelined by Foxx is memorable. She has it; reminiscent of Queen Latifah in 'Chicago'. She will go far.

Amazing Film
You either love it, or hate it!
I loved it, I think Hudson is amazing and Beyoncé and Anika both put in strong performances.
the only fault I have is that Beyoncés voice is too strong for us to believe she shouldn't be lead!