by Baz Luhrmann, 2001.
Starring: Jim Broadbent, Nicole Kidman, John Leguizamo, Ewan McGregor, Richard Roxburgh.
Rating: 9/10, 7/10.
Whee!
The first time I saw Moulin Rouge, I just kinda sat there the whole time with a goofy grin on my face, and occasionally my eyes would get really big when there was something particularly surprisingly wonderful.
It’s the story of Christian (McGregor—HOT!), a romantically inclined poet who falls in love (love is a many splendoured thing love lifts us up where we belong all you need is love!) with Satine (Kidman—HOT!), a business-like (diamonds are a girl’s best friend) classy whore in the classy bordello that is the Moulin-Rouge. Christian is writing the play that Satine will star in, but the problem comes in the form of a) Satine’s consumption and b) the Duke (Roxburgh), who wants Satine for his own and becomes insanely jealous of Christian.
This plot, of course, could be any movie at all. But not any movie has incredible sets and costumes, the craziest cinematography this side of...um...crazyland, and the coolest use of pop music in pop music history. The scene where Christian is trying to convince Satine to love him, and she’s trying to convince him not to love her, and they do it by singing little bits of famous love songs (Up Where We Belong, I Will Always Love You, that kind of thing) at each other is, well, brilliant. McGregor and Kidman both have beautiful voices (to hear a different sound coming from McGregor, you should see Velvet Goldmine, another movie where he did all his own singing).
The movie isn’t flawless, in fact it’s pretty hugely flawed. But it’s just so damned good, so damned fun, that it doesn’t matter. One of the first things I said when I left the theatre after the first time was "I would have loved this movie even if I was either blind or deaf," and I still say that. It’s pure eye candy/ear candy, and damn proud of it. Just one word of advice: if it’s at all possible, see this movie only in widescreen. It just doesn’t work with the edges ruthlessly chopped off of it.
Baz Luhrmann’s last film was the Romeo & Juliet starring Leonardo DiCaprio. There should be some sort of "most improved director" Oscar, just so Luhrmann can get it.