Umizaru: Dreamgirls

Dreamgirls rocked my world, both the movie and it's soundtrack. Although it suffered a lag on its release date here in Malaysia, where it only hit the big screens at the end of February, the movie delivered excitement, entertainment and enormous performances endlessly from the very beginning until the closure after 2 hours. It was an easy fulfillment of orgasmic pleasure, satisfaction and happiness.

Jennifer Hudson did an extraordinary job, portraying the supporting character (which I think could have been the lead with all the focus and potential) Effie. Jamie Foxx (Curtis Taylor, Jr) and Beyonce (Deena Jones) did great too! Yes, Beyonce can act, and she has improved since we last seen her on The Fighting Temptations, or the worldwide blockbuster, Austin Powers in Goldmember. Eddie Murphy thrilled the stage with the character of James Thunder Early, while Anika Noni Rose (weird name?) did well too with the role of Lorrell Robinson! She can sing, can't she? Last but not least, did anyone even know who played the role of Michelle Morris, the girl who replaced Effie in the group of Dreamettes which turned into The Dreams later on? The name of the actress is Sharon Leal, yeap, credit her now, y'all!

Other than the musical scores, you should certainly watch out for the drama and the depiction of both sides of the music entertainment show business in the movie, which most probably will blow your mind away in seconds. Love it, love it, love it! Truly a magnificent adaptation of broadway. Truly deserves a full rating, 5/5. Watch this if you have loved Chicago and Walk the Line!

Some professional reviews:

"The movie belongs to Hudson as the proud, self-destructive Effie. When she's center stage, Dreamgirls transports you to movie musical heaven." Newsweek~

"Finally. After "The Phantom of the Opera," "Rent" and "The Producers" botched the transfer from stage to screen, Dreamgirls gets it right. Bill Condon's adaptation of the 1981 show about a Motown trio's climb to crossover stardom pulls off the fundamental double-act those three musical pics all missed: It stays true to the source material while standing on its own as a fully reimagined movie." Variety~

"Murphy is a revelation as James, and what American Idol castoff Hudson lacks in technical acting craft she makes up for in raw energy and a voice that could melt the rhinestones off a beauty queen. To complain that Beyonce pales by comparison is to fault her for nailing the essence of the infinitely malleable Deena." TV Guide~

Soundtrack wise, I was very fortunate to hold a copy of the Deluxe Edition days before the ordinary one was released to stores nationally. All thanks to Adrien, who gave me this wonderful gift for Christmas! I love the soundtrack really much, and it's a joy to listen to each song that has soul, R&B, life and fun. A few tracks that really got me spinning endlessly are Love You I Do, Listen, Move, And I'm Telling You, just to name a few outstanding ones. Here's the full track listing for the Deluxe Edition CD:

Disc one