Waka And The DREAMGIRLS!!

Merrick here...
Waka (is that "Waka" as in Pac Man's "Waka Waka", or "Waka" as in Fozzie Bear's "Waka, Waka"? This is a very important distinction...) sent in this look at DREAMGIRLS. By my reckoning, the film looks pretty great (if you missed the HD trailer, CHECK IT OUT). Nonetheless, buzz for this film seems frustratingly limited...and I can't figure out why. Come what may, I'm really looking forward to it & have a sneaking suspicion that those who venture to the film will enjoy a remarkable payoff.
Here's Waka...

Hey Harry, Been a fan of the website for a long time, but I have never had anything to write in about until now. Last Thursday night, my wife and I were able to see what we were told was the first screening ever of the new Bill Condon musical, Dreamgirls. When I was offered the opportunity to attend the screening, I was more than anxious having heard great buzz about it and that it might be an oscar-contender this year. I will keep the review short and hopefully won't give too much away. The basic premise of the movie goes as follows... Three young black soul singers in 1960's Detroit are trying to catch their big break. The three girls are Deena Jones (Beyonce), Effie White (Jennifer Hudson), and Lorrell Robinson (Anika Noni Rose) with all of their music written by Effies younger brother C.C. (Keith Robinson. Meanwhile the group crosses paths with two music managers at a late night music competition. Marty Madison (Danny Glover) manages James 'Thunder' Early (Eddie Murphy), a aging but still rocking soul singer who is popular on the black stations but hasn't been able to become mainstream with white America. Marty is desperately searching for new back-up singers since James has a hard time not cheating on his wife with his back-ups. The other manager is Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx) who is a used car salesman trying to also break into the music business. Of course all the various parties end up together and going on tour. From there you have your typical issues arise. The girls breakaway from Early...there is jealously among the group...egos get out of control, etc. So overall? I really liked the movie. First off...everyone needs to understand that this is not a movie with music in it...its 100% a musical. I am a big Motown fan, which is why I think I enjoyed this more than Chicago. I think most people will like Chicago more, but like I said, this was my preference. I also appreciated that the movie ran right at 2 hours even. I think a lot of time its easy to have musicals run a little long since so much of your screentime has to be filled with people singing and you can't really hammer home as much plot as the director/writer might like. Dreamgirls works because of the great acting and spectacular music. The music is the best part of this movie. Beyonce and Hudson both really show their range and skills as singers...and the rest of the crew does a pretty nice job as well. There are two scenes that stick out in a movie full of great performances. Beyonce has an excellent number in a recording studio but the best musical scene I have seen in a long time comes mostly from Jennifer Hudsons character, Effie. All of the main characters end up confronting Effie because of how she has been acting toward everyone. This is all done in song, which is very well done and a good payoff from Effie having an attitude the previous 10 minutes on screen. But then Hudson goes straight into a solo song that is nothing short of incredible. The audience was literally gave numerous ovations throughout the number and was sent into a roar when the scene finally ended. Maybe the best musical number I have seen on screen in the last 15 years. The performances were also great...here are a few thoughts on some of the major characters: Beyonce as Deena Jones: Good performance but nothing spectacular. She seemed a little cheesy at first, and I found myself noticing that her lack of experience was really showing. By the end of the picture, I felt completely different. I thought her she conveyed her emotions well and handled a pretty tricky role quite effectively. Jamie Foxx as Curtis Taylor Jr: Like Beyonce, Foxx gives a good performances, but not of the caliber you saw in Collateral or Ray. Most of that is the character her is playing....a smooth salesman at the beginning of the movie who becomes obsessive and power-hungry. Keith Robinson as C.C. White-- Really liked Robinson in this role...he reminded me of a young Isiah Washington. He is probably the only character that you root for the entire time. Eddie Murphy as James 'Thunder' Early-- Eddie Murphy is back...that's all there is to say about that. This movie will open up a lot of eyes and remind everyone why they loved Murphy for so long in the first place. His character is funny, sleazy but still like able. He gave my second favorite performance only behind.... Jennifer Hudson as Effie White-- Jennifer Hudson steals the show. She is going to be a huge star after this movie. First...that voice. My goodness does she have a voice. Its pretty hard to over-shadow Beyonce when it comes to singing, but that's exactly what Hudson did. Throughout the entire movie, Hudson continually gave awesome performances with a voice that showed soul and character. Her acting is excellent as well....she was the character that went thru the most turmoil and really seemed to hit home with the audience. Hudson is who everyone will be talking about when this hits the screen.

DREAMGIRLS sashays into theaters December 21.