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Notes:
Three women who call themselves The Dreamettes are discovered by an ambitious manager at a talent competition. He offers them the opportunity of a lifetime but he gradually takes control of the girls' look and sound. They soon realize the cost of fame and fortune many be higher than they imagined.
Drama Musical - This is a fast-paced, high-energy musical that is a terrific
entertainment in addition to serving a dramatic and emotional story,
making for a film with a wide demographic appeal. Fans of all the
stars, from Jamie Foxx and Beyonce Knowles to Eddie Murphy and Danny
Glover, should not be disappointed.
Berardinelli, Internet CriticFull Review Very Good Dreamgirls has all the aspects necessary to rouse audiences. It's the kind of movie people will tell other people to see, and word of mouth remains the most powerful advertising device. Dreamgirls is good and at times it touches greatness, and that's more than enough to make a lavish extravaganza like this a much-praised choice of critics and non-critics alike. As long as Hollywood can mount productions like this, the musical - which has been in intensive care for a long time - will never die.
Roger EbertFull Review Good "Dreamgirls” is flashy and dazzling. It is overflowing with zest and talent. My guess is that fans of the musical will love it. But it's a little short on heart and soul, and it is deeply conventional. As much as I enjoyed the sheer brassiness and emotion and bigness of this production, as much as I appreciated the performances from the terrifically talented cast -- as much as I liked "Dreamgirls" -- I didn't love it. Maybe it was just a little too slick and over the top for its own good.
USA TodayFull Review Good Jennifer Hudson is the heart and soul of Dreamgirls.
When she's on the screen, the movie shines. When she's not, the whole endeavor suffers. The film is worth seeing simply for the on-screen splendor of Hudson, a losing contestant on TV's American Idol. She's a natural — musically and theatrically — and delivers a tour-de-force performance. ...it's an enjoyable experience. It's just not as transcendent as you would hope. Dreamgirls falls short of a musical film like Chicago...
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DETAILED OPINIONS
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OPINION OVERVIEW The following is the original "What's Worth
Watching" write-up for this movie.
Moviegoer Opinions:
Based on a theater exit polling of 179 moviegoers: GREAT OPINIONS! Over half LOVED "DREAMGIRLS" rating it "Excellent" or "Fantastic." Most o the remaining half enjoyed it very much, rating it "Very Good." Highly recommended! Don't miss "Dreamgirls."
Set in the turbulent early 1960s to mid-70s, "Dreamgirls” follows the rise of a trio of women—Effie (Jennifer Hudson), Deena (Beyoncé Knowles) and Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose)—who have formed a promising girl group called The Dreamettes. At a talent competition, they are discovered by an ambitious manager named Curtis Taylor, Jr. (Jamie Foxx), who offers them the opportunity of a lifetime: to become the back-up singers for headliner James "Thunder” Early (Eddie Murphy). Curtis gradually takes control of the girls' look and sound, eventually giving them their own shot in the spotlight as The Dreams. That spotlight, however, begins to narrow in on Deena, finally pushing the less attractive Effie out altogether. Though the Dreams become a crossover phenomenon, they soon realize that the cost of fame and fortune may be higher than they ever imagined.
