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Dreamgirls From stage play to movie

#1 User is offline   Lord Aquaman Icon

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Posted 27 December 2006 - 11:14 AM

So who here plans on seeing Dreamgirls? Anyone? I might go see it if I have the time.
I am the Fisher King.

I'd like a qui-gon jinn please with an obi-wan to go.
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#2 User is offline   Despondent Icon

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Posted 28 December 2006 - 10:56 AM

I'll see it. Thought JH was Great on IDOL.
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#3 User is offline   johnnycancer Icon

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Posted 29 December 2006 - 06:07 AM

I just saw it today.

It wasn't a bad movie and I enjoyed it for the most part. Eddie Murphy basically played the role of a lifetime and he had a lot more screen time than I had originaly thought he would. Jaime Foxx was great as well (I don't know why people criticize his performance as being sedated; he's not Al Pacino portraying Scarface); in fact the whole cast is really incredible to watch together; there's even a cameo by Jaleel White! But, God help me, I just don't like Beyonce' and I never will.

the movie did have some problems though (this might have some spoilers, so, don't read on if you're planning to see the movie and you don't want anything given away).

I had forgotten that it is technically a musical; personally, I didn't like the musical numbers too much (aside from those which were supposed to be actual musical performances) because they tended to run a little long and the transitions into singing were really awkward and distracted from what the characters were actually saing to one another.

I also had an issue with the plot and characterizations in the film. The basic outline of the plot is that Curtis Taylor (Jaime Foxx) becomes the manager for The Dreams - Deena Jones (Beyonce'), Lorell Robinson (Anika Noni Rose) and Effie White (Jennifer Hudson - after he books them to perform as backup singers for the flamboyant James Early (Eddie Murphy). After a song by the Dreams is stolen and redone by a White artist, turning it into a number one single, Taylor makes it his mission to create a record label which will be able to promote Black artists on a national level and compete with White record labels, essentially allowing Black artists to break into the Pop charts.

Taylor accomplishes this goal the same way every record label does: by paying off DJ's so that they will play singles by artists on his recording label. He also makes extensive changes to the images of James Early and the Dreams; Early's act is toned down so that he can perform for White audiences; and Deena replaces Effie as the lead singer of The Dreams because Effie's voice is too distinctively Black. Taylor makes these changes so that the artists will have more pop appeal. The latter change The Dreams' lineup creats problems because Taylor is romantically involved with Effie.

Effie eventually quits the group because she can't stand taking a backseat to Deena. Deena ends up marrying Taylor. Later, when Effie is making her musical comeback, Taylor (now the head of a successful music empire) uses legal wrangling and payoffs to have The Dreams record their own version of Effie's song and release it nationwide, effectively killing Effie's bid for a comeback. When Deena finds out that Taylor purposely sabotaged Effie's comeback, she leaves him and his record label because she feels that Taylor went too far. She also mentions that she objects to Taylor having used payoffs to get The Dreams singles played, and she turns over evidence of these payoffs to Effie's lawyers so that they can get back the rights to Effie's song.

Sorry for that long summary.

Now here's my problem with this. Taylor is apparently the bad guy in the movie; Richard Roper actually refers to him as the villain of the film. But, what else was he supposed to do? Taylor did what he had to do to make his artists successful; that meant paying off DJ's because that was and is how singles get airplay and that was the only way to make sure that artists on his label got recognition for the songs they wrote; he changed the image and sound of The Dreams because for a song to be successful, it had to appeal to Whites - otherwise a White artist would just steal a Black song and redo it, so Whites would profit off of Black artists who didn't get any money out of it.

Deena doesn't seem to object to Taylor's changes to The Dreams when he makes her the star; it obviously doesn't bother her that Taylor leaves Effie for her; she doesn't seem to care about dilluting the "Blackness" of their music as long as they're making money and she's in the spotlight. The only time she cares at all about Effie is when she's mad at her husband and wants to hurt him in the worst way she knows how.

Does Taylor have his faults? Yes. He's manipulative and a control freak. But, he also did what he needed to do to be successful and protect his artists. The Dreams only got a break because of him; Jimmy Early would have stayed small time on the "chitlins" circuit without Taylor's management. The problem isn't Taylor's actions; the problem is that Deena and Early wanted to be stars; they didn't just want to be musicians; they wanted to be famous; and you sacrifice parts of yourself to be famous; you create an image; and that image isn't a reflection of you; it's a reflection of what people want.

Also, for a movie which indicts one of the characters for dilluting the Blackness of Black music, there isn't much Black music in Dreamgirls; it's pretty standard broadway for the most part.

Anyway, I liked the movie; I liked the actors; but it has problems. Not having seen the original broadway play, I can't say if these are problems which arose from the transfer to film of if they were always there. If you're interested in the subject matter, you'll definitely enjoy it, but it's not the best film of the year.

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#4 User is offline   TruJade Icon

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Posted 29 December 2006 - 07:28 PM

Wow Johnny that was more than just a spoiler
Yes i know you warned and really
it's ok b/c i don't plan on seeing the film.

Which is rather weird since i love films that include character singing.
All the countless Disney classics,and others like Sound of Music,
Grease, Chicago and even High School Musical.

But i just don't see this film being all that great.
Sometimes it's better to leave things alone.
I know its a critically acclaimed Broadway production
but I'm wary of the casting choices.

Well mainly just Beyonce I think she's a tad
over rated and has been given to much free reign.
When will Hollywood realize that most stars can't be triple-threats.
Some might think Beyonce can
act but I'm certainly not one of them.

And how typical is it that Ms. Knowles' character basically
screws over a life long friend
to get ahead and be the most famous
Hmmm. . . i suppose life imitates art in this case.

Duct tape is like the force....

There's a lightside, a darkside

and it holds everything together


There are too many people in the world...We need another plague -Dwight K. Shrute [The Office]
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#5 User is offline   johnnycancer Icon

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Posted 29 December 2006 - 09:44 PM

QUOTE (TruJade @ Dec 29 2006, 04:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
And how typical is it that Ms. Knowles' character basically
screws over a life long friend
to get ahead and be the most famous
Hmmm. . . i suppose life imitates art in this case.


Actually, I'm so out of touch with what's hip right now that I completely forgot about Destiny's Child. That is a pretty funny point you raise though...

I think Beyonce' is pretty overrated too; that being said, she's not bad in the movie; I just have to be honest about the fact that I can't be objective about evaluating her performance because I really can't work past my own biases.

As for your lack of interest in the movie, well, I think subject matter has a lot to do with it. Dreamgirls is still in limited release right now; I had to drive an hour away from where I live to see it; and that's basically because unless you're really interested in the history of Black music or you really like the period of the early 60's and late 70's, then you're not going to like the movie that much.

And, as I said before, I've never seen the play, so I don't know what's different and what's been changed; or if the musical numbers fit in better with the stage version. So I'm not even sure if it appeals to musical-lovers either.

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#6 User is offline   TruJade Icon

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Posted 31 December 2006 - 03:06 AM

DUDE!!!
How could you forget Destiny's Child and the DRAMA!!!!
Anyhow i think you are very brave

(or something to that effect)
to drive an hour out of your way to see a movie.
The only way i would ever do that is

if i'm not driving or someone else is paying.
I have no real interest in the whole era
or really the story line.

But i'm sure some one in my family
will drag me to see the film which is fine...
as long as i don't pay.

Duct tape is like the force....

There's a lightside, a darkside

and it holds everything together


There are too many people in the world...We need another plague -Dwight K. Shrute [The Office]
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#7 User is offline   johnnycancer Icon

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Posted 02 January 2007 - 04:30 AM

QUOTE (TruJade @ Dec 31 2006, 12:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Anyhow i think you are very brave

(or something to that effect)
to drive an hour out of your way to see a movie.


Well, I actually did want to see the movie. And I wouldn't have had to drive an hour if the movie actually was in wide release like it's supposed to be.

johnnycancer
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#8 User is offline   Lord Aquaman Icon

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Posted 20 January 2007 - 12:20 PM

Just saw it last night. Liked it. Good movie. Liked Jennifer Hudson; very adorable girl.

Johnnycancer, you made a very good point with the character of Curtis Taylor, arguably the most complex/complicated character of the film. I applaud you.
I am the Fisher King.

I'd like a qui-gon jinn please with an obi-wan to go.
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