Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Search cinema listings

Browse cinemas A-Z

Search 20,000 reviews

 

Dreamgirls (2006)

Director: Bill Condon

Average user rating
No reviews

Synopsis

Musical account of the rise and fall of fictional 1960s girl group The Dreamettes.

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Industry watchers expressed shock last week when an early Oscar frontrunner was denied a Best Picture nomination, but had any of them sat through the movie? ‘Dreamgirls’ traces the fractious rise of a Supremes-like singing group from the American ‘chitlin’ circuit’ to worldwide stardom, a voyage that pushes aside big, brassy Effie White (Jennifer Hudson), the Dreams’ lead vocalist, in favour of skinny, feather-voiced Deena Jones (Beyoncé Knowles). Knowles does an excellent Diana Ross imitation, but she only has two expressions; Eddie Murphy makes up the deficit as a bawdy soul singer who never quite crosses over, but he’s only reviving his old ‘Saturday Night Live’ skit, ‘James Brown’s Celebrity Hot Tub Party’. And if audiences hadn’t been briefed in advance that they are watching a career-making Movie Magic Moment when Hudson caterwauls her way through ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going’, one might have mistaken all the yowling and yawping for an experiment in ritual humiliation. This is, alas, a Motown-inspired musical that’s indebted to the melisma-addicted exhibitionism of modern R&B. It doesn’t produce a single hummable song. It features the lyrics ‘You are so horribly Satanic.’ It reserves singing and dancing for the stage until Jamie Foxx just randomly bursts into verse while strolling down the street. ‘Dreamgirls’ wants to be Effie but ends up as Deena: thin, smooth, unburdened by a personality.

Author: 2007-01-30 19:45:37

Time Out Film Guide


  • Print this page
  • Send to a friend

What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields





Top Stories

Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'

Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'

Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him

Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?

Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?

How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains

Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'

Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'

We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon

A gateway to all things 'New Moon'

A gateway to all things 'New Moon'

In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.

London Children's Film Festival

London Children's Film Festival

Read our exclusive reviews of films playing at the 2009 London Children’s Film Festival

The films that deserve a TV spin-off

The films that deserve a TV spin-off

With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations

The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'

The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'

Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’

Michael Haneke discusses 'The White Ribbon'

Michael Haneke discusses 'The White Ribbon'

Dave Calhoun met with Michael Haneke in Munich to mull over the details of his Palme d'Or winner, 'The White Ribbon'

Ten inspirations behind 'Avatar'?

Ten inspirations behind 'Avatar'?

Time Out ponders the influences behind James Cameron's anticipated space-opera on the basis of the trailer

Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam

Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam

In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations