Murderesses Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart find themselves on death row together and fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows in 1920s Chicago.
Director:
Rob Marshall
Stars:
Renée Zellweger,
Catherine Zeta-Jones,
Richard Gere
Good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fell in love over the summer. When they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance?
Director:
Randal Kleiser
Stars:
John Travolta,
Olivia Newton-John,
Stockard Channing
Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by Japanese forces firsthand.
In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after breaking parole, agrees to care for a factory worker's daughter. The decision changes their lives forever.
Follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.
In the waning days of the American Civil War, a wounded soldier embarks on a perilous journey back home to Cold Mountain, North Carolina to reunite with his sweetheart.
The year is 1899, and Christian, a young English writer, has come to Paris to follow the Bohemian revolution taking hold of the city's drug and prostitute infested underworld. And nowhere is the thrill of the underworld more alive than at the Moulin Rouge, a night club where the rich and poor men alike come to be entertained by the dancers, but things take a wicked turn for Christian as he starts a deadly love affair with the star courtesan of the club, Satine. But her affections are also coveted by the club's patron: the Duke. A dangerous love triangle ensues as Satine and Christian attempt to fight all odds to stay together but a force that not even love can conquer is taking its toll on Satine... Written by
O.G.
The majority of the Can Can dancers at the Moulin Rouge have a specifically designed 'persona', most of them based on different male fetishes. The full list of names of the Can Can dancers and their 'persona' is as follows: Antoinette - Based on the famous French Queen, Marie-Antoinette. Arabia - Based on Arabian courtesan garb. Babydoll - Dressed in Infant Clothing (Often mistook for Bo Peep) Chinadoll - Dressed in Chinese silks. Dominatrix - Self explanatory. French Maid - Self explanatory. Garden Girl - A hippie/bohemian/earthy seeming girl. Gypsy - Self explanatory. Harlequin - Based on a court jester's diamond patterned costume. Historic - Based on the Statue of Liberty. Juno - Dressed as an Angel. Liberty - Dressed in 'Napoleonic' garb. Mome Fromage - Dressed in candy/cake/confectionery type colors and fabrics. Nini Legs-In-The-Air - Costume decorated with windmills, as the character is said to have the best legs in the Moulin Rouge and is always showing them off, waving her legs around, likening her legs to a windmill. Dances in the center. Pearly Queen - Decorated in sophisticated clothing; pearls, furs, jewels. Petite Princess - A dwarf woman in a princess costume. Polka Dot- a spirit of winter with evergreen trees drawn on her dress. Schoolgirl - Self explanatory (strongly resembles Gigi (1958) or Madeline (1952)). Spanish - Dressed in a flowing, veiled Spanish costume. Tarot - Costume is decorated with various imagery from tarot cards. Tartan - Costume is a full traditional Scottish Garb, with the skirt designed to look like a kilt. Tattoo - Dancer is covered entirely from the neck down in tattoos. Travesty - Cross-dresser, upper half is of an upper-class man; top hat, tuxedo, and bow tie. Dances with Nini. Urchin - Dressed as a poor street girl (strongly resembles Eponine from Great Performances: Les Misérables in Concert (1995)); bowler hat, patchwork costume. See more »
Goofs
Just after Chocolat leaves the passed out Satine (recovering from her fall from the swing) and returns to the dance floor he goes from having a rhinestone top hat on to having no hat at all and back again about 4 times. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Toulouse-Lautrec:
[singing]
There was a boy, a very strange enchanted boy...
See more »
Crazy Credits
Curtains open at the beginning and close at the end of the movie. And at the bottom of the screen you can see an orchestra conductor. See more »
"Moulin Rouge!" revives our imagination and relives the musical era of Hollywood. The film is like an extravagant, expensive Broadway production on screen, with enough open courage, engrossing passion, and zesty energy for several motion pictures. It's one of the year's best films; "Moulin Rouge!" may be a cliché-ridden love triangle, but Baz Luhrmann, the film's director, shines a fresh, stunning originality on a familiar plot. He creates a candid, exuberant style for his characters-a mixture between a fast-paced music video and lush, exotic images. He uses a vast variety of camera placements and shooting angles. In several of the songs, he cuts on nearly every word. This does indeed make us dizzy, but it is the perfect approach to the material.
From the opening moments, "Moulin Rouge!" plays full force, overpowering our senses. The film doesn't even wait for its opening credits to begin. The usual 20th Century Fox logo appears on the screen within a screen as a little bald musician rises from the bottom, and continues to frantically conduct the traditional Fox fanfare. From this, we cut to "The Sound of Music," where young writer morns over the loss of his true love. The film includes an interesting use of the bookend structure, and I like how it reveals the information about the main character's deadly disease early. This is the kind of movie that does not need to astonish us with sudden plot twists or unexpected character revelations. The joy of watching "Moulin Rouge!" is in the visual stimulation; the plot is more interested in its own character's discoveries than playing mind games with the audience.
Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman prove that they can really sing. Most of the time, celebrity singers turn to the silver screen with a lot of star power but little acting ability. Look at LL Cool J, Ice Cube, Jennifer Lopez, and I just know Brittany Spears is going to turn up in a movie one of these days. "Moulin Rouge" may be one of the first movies to open musical doors for its leading performers. Even Jim Broadbent proves to be well cast in a crazy, intensified character that he really sinks his teeth into. I will never look at any of these stars in the same light again, even, to my great reluctance, John Leguizamo.
The film takes place in the early 19th century, as Christian (McGregor) enters Paris hoping to write love stories. Several peculiar figures live above him, including the French artist Toulouse-Lautrec (Leguizamo) and his Bohemian troupe attempting to construct a play. After a freak accident, Christian is suddenly thrust into the middle of their play. The crew hires him as the star writer. He then takes a visit to the flirtatious Moulin Rouge night club, ran by the robust Harold Zinder (Jim Broadbent). It is here where he tries to persuade the club's popular, sexy lead performer and courtesan, Satine (Kidman), to work in their production.
After mistaking Christian for a rich and powerful aristocrat, The Duke (Richard Roxburgh), Satine falls in love with Christian, much to the dismay of many. However, she believes herself to be a simple prostitute, who should never fall in love because it will get in the way of success. When the Duke agrees to produce a major production at the Moulin Rogue, but only under his circumstances, things become even more complicated. The Duke demands that Satine becomes his personal property if Harold and the others want his financial support.
Obviously, the best thing in "Moulin Rouge!" is the music. Apart from the cast, the film's big list of musical artists includes David Bowe, Christina Aguilera, Mya, Pink, Fatboy Slim, Beck, and many others. The kind of music that plays here does not account for a period epic at all, however. "Moulin Rouge!" doesn't try to be a historic depiction, but instead an expression of fantasy and passion. The elegant sets, eventful style, and powerful choreography scream modern day, post-pop-culture. I ran out to purchase the motion picture soundtrack. You should, too. But listening to the soundtrack on your CD player at home is nothing like experiencing the memorable singing and dancing, sexual energy, and relentless enthusiasm on the big screen.
As I say in very few film critiques, some movies are you watch, others you experience. "Moulin Rouge" is an experience not to be missed. It is a bizarre, unique blend of exhaustive energy and lively action-one of the bravest, most ambitious and entertaining movies of the year.
216 of 319 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
MOULIN ROUGE! / (2001) **** (out of four)
By Blake French:
"Moulin Rouge!" revives our imagination and relives the musical era of Hollywood. The film is like an extravagant, expensive Broadway production on screen, with enough open courage, engrossing passion, and zesty energy for several motion pictures. It's one of the year's best films; "Moulin Rouge!" may be a cliché-ridden love triangle, but Baz Luhrmann, the film's director, shines a fresh, stunning originality on a familiar plot. He creates a candid, exuberant style for his characters-a mixture between a fast-paced music video and lush, exotic images. He uses a vast variety of camera placements and shooting angles. In several of the songs, he cuts on nearly every word. This does indeed make us dizzy, but it is the perfect approach to the material.
From the opening moments, "Moulin Rouge!" plays full force, overpowering our senses. The film doesn't even wait for its opening credits to begin. The usual 20th Century Fox logo appears on the screen within a screen as a little bald musician rises from the bottom, and continues to frantically conduct the traditional Fox fanfare. From this, we cut to "The Sound of Music," where young writer morns over the loss of his true love. The film includes an interesting use of the bookend structure, and I like how it reveals the information about the main character's deadly disease early. This is the kind of movie that does not need to astonish us with sudden plot twists or unexpected character revelations. The joy of watching "Moulin Rouge!" is in the visual stimulation; the plot is more interested in its own character's discoveries than playing mind games with the audience.
Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman prove that they can really sing. Most of the time, celebrity singers turn to the silver screen with a lot of star power but little acting ability. Look at LL Cool J, Ice Cube, Jennifer Lopez, and I just know Brittany Spears is going to turn up in a movie one of these days. "Moulin Rouge" may be one of the first movies to open musical doors for its leading performers. Even Jim Broadbent proves to be well cast in a crazy, intensified character that he really sinks his teeth into. I will never look at any of these stars in the same light again, even, to my great reluctance, John Leguizamo.
The film takes place in the early 19th century, as Christian (McGregor) enters Paris hoping to write love stories. Several peculiar figures live above him, including the French artist Toulouse-Lautrec (Leguizamo) and his Bohemian troupe attempting to construct a play. After a freak accident, Christian is suddenly thrust into the middle of their play. The crew hires him as the star writer. He then takes a visit to the flirtatious Moulin Rouge night club, ran by the robust Harold Zinder (Jim Broadbent). It is here where he tries to persuade the club's popular, sexy lead performer and courtesan, Satine (Kidman), to work in their production.
After mistaking Christian for a rich and powerful aristocrat, The Duke (Richard Roxburgh), Satine falls in love with Christian, much to the dismay of many. However, she believes herself to be a simple prostitute, who should never fall in love because it will get in the way of success. When the Duke agrees to produce a major production at the Moulin Rogue, but only under his circumstances, things become even more complicated. The Duke demands that Satine becomes his personal property if Harold and the others want his financial support.
Obviously, the best thing in "Moulin Rouge!" is the music. Apart from the cast, the film's big list of musical artists includes David Bowe, Christina Aguilera, Mya, Pink, Fatboy Slim, Beck, and many others. The kind of music that plays here does not account for a period epic at all, however. "Moulin Rouge!" doesn't try to be a historic depiction, but instead an expression of fantasy and passion. The elegant sets, eventful style, and powerful choreography scream modern day, post-pop-culture. I ran out to purchase the motion picture soundtrack. You should, too. But listening to the soundtrack on your CD player at home is nothing like experiencing the memorable singing and dancing, sexual energy, and relentless enthusiasm on the big screen.
As I say in very few film critiques, some movies are you watch, others you experience. "Moulin Rouge" is an experience not to be missed. It is a bizarre, unique blend of exhaustive energy and lively action-one of the bravest, most ambitious and entertaining movies of the year.