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334 out of 467 people found the following review useful:
The most original and groundbreaking movie of recent history, 3 February 2003

Author: (emandal_maggs@yahoo.com) from Seattle, WA

I have seen Moulin Rouge at least 25 times. I think it is the most extraordinary movie of my generation and breaks every limit set by the industry. I have heard all the traditional complaints...people didn't like the music, the editing was too swift, or it wasn't "their taste". Moulin Rouge took a risk. A risk films like A Beautiful Mind and Shakespeare in Love don't. It risked by being controversial. To make a likeable movie isn't hard, follow the Hollywood mold and stick in a few attractive actors, some bland dialogue and viola you have a film. Moulin Rouge was made knowing that not everyone would like it, but knowing everyone would at least appreciate it for its artistic ingenuity. Visually it is superb, an indulgent feast for the eyes with every breathtaking, artistic scene. Everything about it is over the top, every scene more stunning than the next, and as it continues your heart becomes more and more intertwined in the love story. The editing in the Roxanne scene rushes through your body and is the most incredible of any movie in history. Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGreggor are the most passionate on-screen couple; entirely convincing as their voices meld them together into one. Never has a movie done what Moulin Rouge did. It realized that the world of film is only being represented in one small way, whereas Moulin Rouge uses a camera and screen to make something bigger and more extraordinary than has ever been made before. It pushes against the confines of convention and leaves you breathless.

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231 out of 315 people found the following review useful:
A stunning, visual feast, 12 June 2001
Author: Gouda-3

At the risk of sounding overly bombastic, "Moulin Rouge" is the best film I've seen all year, perhaps the best one I've seen in over a year. It is operatic in the best sense of the word, being at once massively outlandish and deeply personal. It is clear that a lot of people took career risks in choosing this film, and although "Moulin Rouge" may not rack up a huge box office, I think this film will become a classic alongside his other two films "Strictly Ballroom" and "Romeo + Juliet."

In the showing of "Moulin Rouge" I saw last week, at least 5 people walked out. At the same time I heard audience members audibly gasping at the films visuals and talking back to the screen. The source of these strong reactions? Baz Luhrmann's confidence in his garish cinematic vision and the commitment his actors have in him. The cast fills their roles with relish, even when the entire scene totters on the edge of overkill--but oddly enough, it is the focus that sets "Moulin Rouge" apart from other films these days. Whereas some actors sleepwalk through their roles as they collect their paychecks, everything about "Moulin Rouge" is done in earnest.

This movie is the anti-"Pearl Harbor," because instead of being a hodgepodge of market-tested ideas, "Moulin Rouge" presents a bold vision and dares the audience to accept or reject it. I, for one, accepted it with delight. A telling comparison: Luhrmann has Nicole Kidman and Ewen MacGregor sing the film's love song. Very daring. For "Pearl Harbor" Michael Bay chose Faith Hill. Very safe. Too safe. Can you imagine Ben Afleck belting out "There You'll Be"?

"Moulin Rouge" glitters with such bold decisions. It is a sumptuous feast for ear and eye featuring gorgeous costumes, intricate sets (Nicole Kidman's boudoir in a gigantic elephant is a case in point), and outlandishly choreographed dance numbers are paraded with frenetic relish. And the music, the MUSIC! As you probably know by now, Luhrmann has thrown into his period piece a collage of musical snippets from, among many bits, "The Sound of Music," Madonna, The Police, and Elton John. In most cases, no one song gets performed without intersplicing. Witness Luhrmann's audacity: the opening number includes a melding of Labelle's "Lady Marmalade" with Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." And here's the spooky part: it works.

The entire movie plays this way, and for the most part it works. Most surpising is that "Moulin Rouge" has a solid, deeply sincere emotional core. Although the film professes to be about love, I'd add that it is equally about loss. The Moulin Rouge is a playground where adults pretend they are children with the added spice of sensuality.

All the performances are excellent, but the hidden gem is Jim Broadbent as Zidler. Broadbent for years has been doing majestically understated supporting work, from "Brazil" to "Enchanted April" to "Topsy-Turvy." In "Moulin Rouge" he manages to be both repulsive and endearing. His spirited rendition of "Like a Virgin" is classic. Too bad it's not on the soundtrack.

Expect to be overwhelmed by "Moulin Rouge" in the most unexpected, delightful ways. It will make you wonder why other films can't or won't dare to be that bold.

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220 out of 310 people found the following review useful:
I am in love with "Moulin Rouge"!, 31 August 2001

Author: Rob from New York, NY

I have not ever felt for a movie the way I do about "Moulin Rouge." It is not just a movie...it is a cinematic experience the likes of which I have never before seen. The story, the music, the acting, the visual imagery strikes emotion in me I never before thought possible from a film. It is without a doubt the most brilliant piece of cinematic art I have ever seen. It is dizzy, maddening, beautiful, and heartbreaking! The music is rapturous, and Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman's voices compliment each other and the story perfectly. This movie takes its story to a mythic level and surrounds these two star-crossed lovers with music and imagery that simply will take your breath away. The story is grand, huge, and operatic, as is the music. The brilliant score skillfully weaves many modern, popular songs, and rescores them as the libretto to this grand opera. There are some images in this film unlike anything you have ever seen. And the performances are absolutely incredible, particularly Nicole Kidman's. I truly felt for these two people, and truly felt that they were in love. My heart broke into a million pieces for them every time I saw this movie, and I've seen it 8 times. It's an absolutely breathtaking, visionary, masterpiece that did not get the credit it deserved by American critics, who seem to complain that every movie is the same. Yet when an original, daring, shocking film like this comes along, they don't know what to do with it. But then again, this really is not just a film. No mere film could strike me the way this one has, in a way that reaches to the very fibres of my being in a way only "The Wizard of Oz" ever has before. Yes, the story is sad, but what a journey it takes you on! A journey I will be sure to repeat over and over and over again.

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193 out of 286 people found the following review useful:
One of the few movies out there worth watching several times, just because of the sheer visual and musical enchantment. **** (out of four), 16 June 2001

Author: Blake French (baffilmcritic@cs.com) from USA

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.

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124 out of 184 people found the following review useful:
This is a musical for people who don't like musicals., 8 October 2001

Author: kay321 from San Francisco, CA

This was easily one of the best movies I've seen in years. Rarely do movies have a visual force capable of stunning you into rapt silence; and even more rare are films able to further this with a soundtrack that can move you and ensnare you as well, if not better, than the images. Yet some how, through genius, magic, luck, or some combination, Moulin Rouge has managed to do both. In truth Moulin Rouge is a fusion of two fabulous films into one. A film of images capable of conveying meaning without dialog or music, and a film which you could feel and understand with out needing to see it. Much effort was obviously spent on both the visual and audio aspects of this film, and by choosing not to focus on one over the other, and sacrifice the songs for the story or vice versa, the filmmakers were able to make a truly unique, modern musical which those of us who have hated musical since childhood could enjoy. Moulin Rouge is a blend of old, established techniques with innovative experimental ones, resulting in a movie which could only have been made in our time, yet which has a classic feel. The acting is wonderful, the mixture of modern songs is ingenious, and the cinematography is at times simply amazing. The end result is a stunning film with unbelievable performances; a cinematic experience that people will be loving, analyzing and trying to imitate for year.

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122 out of 186 people found the following review useful:
Undescribable, 1 July 2001
Author: honeypot from Southampton, England

This movie blew my mind. Watch it, then watch it again. 'Moulin Rouge' made me laugh, cry, and dream. It's boldness and confidence to produce something so original and different impressed me. At times the scenery was as surreal as something you would experience in a dream, which only makes this movie more amazing. 'Moulin Rouge' shows love from all angles. It includes the raw passion, infatuation, vehemence, intensity, ecstasy, jealousy, and pain that is found in true love. The acting was staggering. Ewan McGregor is unrealistically perfect, combining sweet innocence with masculinity. Kidman perfectly brings out the seductive side of Satine, yet never loses the vulnerable soul that lies behind it. Roxburgh(The Duke) and Leguizamo(Lautrec) bring out just the right amount of comic relief in this intense drama. There is nothing I would change about this movie. One warning, though: Moulin Rouge is not for the artistically deprived. It is quite a contemporary movie, so you may not like it if you prefer to watch simple movies(ex. 'American Pie', 'Scary Movie').

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99 out of 149 people found the following review useful:
Spectacular! Spectacular! A unique masterpiece to be seen again and again!, 29 June 2001

Author: skyler58 from Boston, MA

I have now seen Moulin Rouge more times than I should say and I have noticed something new and unique every time. This film is so intricate (and beautiful) that you cannot possibly absorb it all in one viewing. Luhrman (along with his Bazmark production team) really is a visionary and his films push the limits in such amazing ways. The music, the sets, the choreography - all of it is awe-inspiring. Ewan McGregor proves his versatility as an actor yet again by bringing such a heartfelt innocence to Christian - and the man can sing! Nicole Kidman went from being just another actress to me to one of my favorites - she takes on the role of Satine so honestly and proves that she not only has a comedic side but a great voice as well. Together the two of them light up the screen. In a year of mostly mediocre films (with a few notable exceptions) Moulin Rouge is totally refreshing. It not only promotes truth, beauty, freedom, and love but is a perfect example of them as well. Luhrman himself said that it was time for a new kind of storytelling and he was right! Open your mind and enjoy one of the most original movie experiences in years. A bohemian storm is brewing!

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103 out of 171 people found the following review useful:
Stunning Bag Of Wind, 23 May 2005

Author: ptmcq05 from United States

I wonder if that line from the Duke "I don't care about your ridiculous dogma" was directed to Lars Von Triar. It could be, the film is full of knowing lines "He could make you a star and you're dallying with the writer!" or "They dressed me with the Argentinean's best clothes and passed me for a famous English writer" There is something of Ken Russell's second period in "Moulin Rouge" Everything is emphasized, underlined and repeated at least three times for safety. Excess seem a rather feeble term to describe it and yet, it works. The film, for the most part, is a delight. Nicole Kidman, ravishing and spectacular, spectacular. Ewan McGregor, superb, and so charismatic that no one would blame me if I confess I had a had crush on him as soon as he broke into "The Hills are alive with the sound of music..." Kidman and McGregor, this film proves it, are the closest thing we've had in years to the big stars of yesteryear. They could make anything shine and they have. Another detail that shouldn't go amiss, "Moulin Rouge" opened the door again for musicals and that's always a good thing even if we're bound to be bombarded by some terrible stuff. I say it doesn't matter as long as it allows glorious film talents of the caliber of Kidman and McGregor to give us the pleasures they have even in a bag of wind such as "Moulin Rouge"

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86 out of 147 people found the following review useful:
Mostly, It's a Story About Love, 11 June 2001

Author: jhclues from Salem, Oregon

This is a story about life. And about the artists who congregated in Paris in 1900, living a bohemian lifestyle and giving the world the fruits of their labor, of their art, for which they would gladly bleed and die. But mostly this is a story about love. Of a young man named Christian, a penniless writer, and a singer named Satine, who for a moment came together and tasted the nectar of the gods. `Moulin Rouge,' written and directed by Baz Luhrmann, takes you into a world that is bright and brilliant, fast and flashy and filled with all of the things that make life worth living. It's a fantasy world of song and color, of soaring hearts and aspirations-- but also of the reality upon which the illusion of it all is built. And the effects of that reality on Christian and Satine, whose love has been forbidden by that same reality they seek to dispel by impaling it with the artistic endeavors that give them life.

If Disney had commissioned a film to be written by Shakespeare, directed by Fellini and produced by Spielberg, this would be it. It's a dizzying, whirling burst of lights, colors, music, drama and comedy that assails the senses and will hold you spellbound from beginning to end. Like the bohemians he portrays, Luhrmann leaves convention behind and dips instead into his own inspired and highly imaginative formula to tell his story. The cinematography (by Donald McAlpine) and art direction (by Ann-Marie Beauchamp and Ian Gracie) are brilliant, as well as the production design (by Catherine Martin) and the sets (by Brigitte Broch). One of the many inspired touches Luhrmann employs here, is the use of different film speeds throughout, which, when combined with the superlative, quick-cut editing (by Jill Bilcock), makes it all transporting and surreal.

Ewan McGregor turns is a terrific performance as Christian, the young man who arrives in Paris with nothing more than spirit and a head filled with ideas and ideals. When artistic differences leaves Zidler (Jim Broadbent), proprietor of the Moulin Rouge, without a writer for a new show, `Spectacular, Spectacular,' Christian steps in. And so does McGregor, who shines in the part. And the boy can sing! He may not have the greatest voice in the world, but it's a good `stage voice,' and most importantly, he can sell a song, as evidenced by the scene in which he puts across Elton John's `Your Song.' McGregor has a charismatic screen presence, and in this role he really gets a chance to demonstrate his versatility as an actor.

As Satine, Nicole Kidman is saucy and sensuous, bringing her character vividly to life, this woman who makes her living by being every man's fantasy as she sings and sashays her way through this world of the Moulin Rouge. In her heart, she longs to be a serious actress, and if this new show is a success, she just may get her chance. But first, the show needs someone to finance the lavish production. They may have one-- the Duke of Worcester (Richard Roxburgh), has expressed interest, but he has one condition. If he pays for the show he wants something in return (besides a profit on his investment). He wants Satine. But so does Christian, who has nothing to offer the show but his talent, and nothing for Satine but his love. Zidler, meanwhile, aware of the Duke's demands, urges Satine to turn her back on Christian, to `save him.' And beyond and besides all that is happening, there is something else going on with Satine, something more personal, that ultimately will have an effect on the outcome of the dilemma for all concerned.

The supporting cast includes John Leguizamo (Toulouse Lautrec), Kylie Minogue (The Green Fairy), Garry McDonald (Doctor), Jacek Koman (The Narcoleptic Argentinean), Matthew Whittet (Satie), Kerry Walker (Marie) and Laszlo Lukas (Conductor). With an eye for detail and his imagination thrust into overdrive, Luhrmann has put together and delivered one of the brightest films to come along in quite awhile. `Moulin Rouge' is an explosion of sights and sounds, a film laced with humor and visual largess that holds a poignant and dramatic story at it's heart. Entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable, this is a memorable film and a satisfying movie-going experience. It's a story about love; a story told through the magic of the movies. I rate this one 9/10.

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54 out of 84 people found the following review useful:
An inspiring rebirth of the movie musical..., 6 September 2005

Author: ironside (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Luhrmann's flamboyant musical 'Moulin Rouge' is a combination of Camille, La Bohème and Showgirls... The film swings easily between present and past, among so many wildly different moods: farce, tragedy, romance, satire, comedy and rock and roll...

'Moulin Rouge' is an assault on the senses, a non stop visual explosion, an exotic trip, and a love story that is sure to touch your heart... It is a gloriously cinematic spectacle with opulent imagery directed with an eye for rich color, especially the color of rouge... It is also a breathtaking and poignant piece of cinema, a disco of dreams, a crazy and daring show, a vibrant screen fantasy, a "Bohemian Revolution," a magical movie for those who love romance, pop music and old musical movies...

Nicole Kidman gives the film its soul... She is the "sparkling diamond" of the show, the toast of Paris, the city's top courtesan... She melts her characterization with a sizzling, yet tender, performance... She is undeniably sexy, a beautiful singer, a flashy dancer whose heart sings whenever she sees Christian... In many ways, she is drawn as the ultimate sex goddess, as enigmatic as Greta Garbo, and her glamor masks her pain as well as her happiness... Kidman gives the film its central erotic charge, and its romantic thrills... She sways on a flying trapeze belting out Marilyn Monroe's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," and Madonna's "Material Girl."

Ewan McGregor achieves a nice mix of optimism and desperation, emphasizing the sincerity of the love-struck poet-hero... Christian is a young idealist who moves to the bohemian section of Paris during the 'summer of love' of 1899... He is hired to write a show about 'truth, beauty, freedom and, most of all, love.' Christian battles for the body and soul of the ravishing Satine... His fundamental believe is 'the greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and to be loved in return…

John Leguizamo is vulnerable and sweet as Henri de Toulouse Lautrec needing a good writer to come up with story and lyrics for his new show called "Spectacular Spectacular."

Jim Broadbent is wonderfully comic as the ringmaster Harold Zidler... He is a jovial impresario who peddles the charms of a successful Satine to a mesmerized public... He is the owner of the infamous nightclub who has promised Satine to the evil Duke of Monroth... He has his eye on her too...

Richard Roxburgh is odious as the jealous benefactor obsessed with Satine to the point of murder... He is stunningly arrogant wanting the gorgeous can-can chanteuse in an "exclusive contract."

Luhrmann combines 1900 Can Can burlesque with modern musical poetry, exploiting Kidman's grace and beauty and overwhelming the audience with frenetic dance numbers delivered in operatic-style... Like Orson Welles, Luhrmann loves the technical magic of movies... When a red curtain opens, an orchestra conductor emerges to direct the unmistakable '20th Century Fox' theme opening, we immediately realize we're in for something really magical: A spectacular costume revue, an eye-catching fin de siècle exuberance, an inspiring rebirth of the movie musical...

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