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Moulin Rouge This may be the biggest disappointment of the summer. Most films suffer from a weak third act, where they have a great premise and opening, but the resolution does not live up to the first half (think Castaway). Unfortunately, Moulin Rouge gets it backwards. The film is a very bad episode of Three's Company with a fantastic, Oscar award winning drama tacked on to the end. If Director Baz Luhrman had made the opening act as serious and moving as the second half of the film, Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor would be looking at Oscar nominations. Instead, they are left to dream about what could have been. Kidman stars as Satine - a high priced courtesan (hooker) in a posh turn of the century Parisian nightclub. Satine is one of the most beautiful women to ever grace this earth, and she can be had for the right price if you have the cash. While she has gotten by selling her beauty, Satine wants to be a serious actress. Christian (Ewan McGregor) is a poor writer living among the bohemians and artists who occupy the slums around the Moulin Rouge. He is inspired to help a ragtag group, led by the eccentric Toulouse Letrec (John Leguzamo), finish their masterpiece - a celebration of truth, beauty, freedom and love. The bohemians feel this play with inspire a revolution that will squash those who view materialism as the end all and be all of life. The group wants Satine to finance the play, but she has been ordered by her boss, Zidler (Jim Broadbent), to romance a rich Duke (Richard Roxburgh) so he will become the chief financial backer of a legitimate theater production at the Moulin Rouge. This legitimate production will give Satine the chance to prove she is a serious actor and allow her to leave the courtesan life. Of course, there is a mix up and Satine mistakes Christian for the rich Duke. They fall in love, but Satine must continue to use her womanly wiles on the Duke, so he will keep the production afloat, while continuing her secret love affair with Christian (and Chrissy thinks Jack is fooling around with Janet, but Mr. Roper thinks Janet is making a play for him. Will those crazy kids be able to pay the rent at the end of the month?). Will Satine and Christian find true love, or will the Duke discover their illicit affair and end the play? Baz Luhrman should be run out of Hollywood for blowing this once-in-a-lifetime-chance to make a memorable, wonderful movie. The first 40 minutes feel like a bad music video with hyper-fast cuts, loud music, and wildly over-produced dance numbers. Also, he decides to use popular songs from the 70's, 80's and 90's to advance the story instead of sticking to tunes that better describe the action. All of this adds up to silliness. I was shocked as scenes started to show promise only to be destroyed by the use of Madonna's Like A Virgin or Elton John's Your Song. The music destroys the mood instead of enhancing it. You may think I am a hypocrite for praising the same type of use of 70's music in A Knight's Tale. However, A Knight's Tale was a much less serious movie and director Brian Helgeland didn't use the songs at inappropriate times. He let the movie stand on its own at dramatic moments. Luhrman interrupts the flow of the action just to pander to the audience. This underestimation of our intelligence is insulting. The original tunes that are used later in the film are fantastic and fit the tone much better than the familiar tunes that cause the audience to laugh when it should be emotionally moved. For as much as I hate Luhrman's decisions in the first 40 minutes, I have to praise him for saving the film in the last two acts. Moulin Rouge finally becomes the tragic, amazing, dramatic story that is promised to us in the trailers and commercials. Kidman is fantastic as the woman torn between love and money. She is able to capture Satine's underlying desperation and need for love, then contrasts it with her conniving side. Kidman isn't the greatest singer to grace the screen, but her acting is superb. She makes the audience feel compassion for her charcater, even though she is unsavory. Satine becomes a tragic figure. Ewan McGregor is another member of the cast who deserves praise. Best known for his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars:The Phantom Menace, McGregor embodies every person's belief in love. He transforms the character from a naïve, idealistic writer into a man in love into a bitter, lonely soul. Obi-Wan can even sing! McGregor's tunes are moving and captivating due to his talent and ability to flesh out the character's feelings. Together with Kidman, the couple shares a spark that captivates the audience. The sets' colors explode, the costumes are fantastic, the supporting cast shines in the dramatic moments, and the story is well written. If you get rid of the first 40 minutes, Moulin Rouge could have been a contender. Grade: C Copyright 2001 - WaffleMovies.com
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