NedNickerson
JUB Addict
http://www.nypost.com/seven/12062006/gossip/liz/you_heard_it_here_liz_liz_smith.htm
American-generated opera at its height... Movie may blow Oscars out of its socks...
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"WHAT A DAY I had on Monday. At 4 p.m. I went with three critical and "with it" kind of guys to see a preview of "Dreamgirls" in the Walter Reade Theater of Lincoln Center. I am speechless.
"I thought "Chicago" was one of the best shows ever put on Broadway. But when I watched it win the Oscar as Best Picture back in 2003, I realized I liked it even better on-screen than I did onstage. I thought this was a once in a lifetime feeling. Then I saw "Mary Poppins" recently. It reversed the process. I liked it onstage a million times more than I liked the movie, which I always found kind of lame.
"Now I've gone the other way again. I wasn't ever a big fan of "Dreamgirls" when it slayed Broadway in 1981. And this, in spite of adoring the director Michael Bennett as a genuine genius and personal friend. But now I am its biggest fan for the film version, which is set to be unleashed on a waiting world any minute. Paramount has outdone itself. The production values are astonishing and beautiful, simply spectacular. Bill Condon's direction must have been inspired from on high. Almost every single speaking-singing role could be an Academy Award nominee. Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy - all perfect beyond perfect. And if you lived, as I did, through the spectacular rise of Diana Ross and the Supremes, if you had known her as I did, during and after her tempestuous relationship with Berry Gordy, her stunning success in "Lady Sings the Blues" and the iconic presence of African-American talent stunning the world in the '60s and '70s, you will love this movie.
"If you are too young and you didn't live through that - well, you are going to be blown away anyway. You will have the choice surprise of learning that black singing, dancing and musically cultural ethnic American talent doesn't just have to do with the current craze of break dancing, tattoos, hip-hop, rap and loading yourself down with bling before you go to jail to be great!
" "Dreamgirls" has incredible direction, and acting and singing and dancing. Eddie Murphy as you've never imagined him before, Jamie Foxx fixating us again with his masculine magnitude, Danny Glover the tower of strength, and these incredible women! Unbelievable. This is total American-generated opera at its height. The music of Henry Krieger and everyone else who contributed is great. This movie may blow the Oscars out of their socks. Its many nominations will mitigate and water down its winning everything in sight. Many of the talents may cancel one another out.
"I don't believe in evaluating movies as "the best" but this is definitely the best musical! I'm just glad I'm not an Oscar voter; I'd go totally crazy if I had to make those difficult choices. "
American-generated opera at its height... Movie may blow Oscars out of its socks...
==================================================
"WHAT A DAY I had on Monday. At 4 p.m. I went with three critical and "with it" kind of guys to see a preview of "Dreamgirls" in the Walter Reade Theater of Lincoln Center. I am speechless.
"I thought "Chicago" was one of the best shows ever put on Broadway. But when I watched it win the Oscar as Best Picture back in 2003, I realized I liked it even better on-screen than I did onstage. I thought this was a once in a lifetime feeling. Then I saw "Mary Poppins" recently. It reversed the process. I liked it onstage a million times more than I liked the movie, which I always found kind of lame.
"Now I've gone the other way again. I wasn't ever a big fan of "Dreamgirls" when it slayed Broadway in 1981. And this, in spite of adoring the director Michael Bennett as a genuine genius and personal friend. But now I am its biggest fan for the film version, which is set to be unleashed on a waiting world any minute. Paramount has outdone itself. The production values are astonishing and beautiful, simply spectacular. Bill Condon's direction must have been inspired from on high. Almost every single speaking-singing role could be an Academy Award nominee. Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy - all perfect beyond perfect. And if you lived, as I did, through the spectacular rise of Diana Ross and the Supremes, if you had known her as I did, during and after her tempestuous relationship with Berry Gordy, her stunning success in "Lady Sings the Blues" and the iconic presence of African-American talent stunning the world in the '60s and '70s, you will love this movie.
"If you are too young and you didn't live through that - well, you are going to be blown away anyway. You will have the choice surprise of learning that black singing, dancing and musically cultural ethnic American talent doesn't just have to do with the current craze of break dancing, tattoos, hip-hop, rap and loading yourself down with bling before you go to jail to be great!
" "Dreamgirls" has incredible direction, and acting and singing and dancing. Eddie Murphy as you've never imagined him before, Jamie Foxx fixating us again with his masculine magnitude, Danny Glover the tower of strength, and these incredible women! Unbelievable. This is total American-generated opera at its height. The music of Henry Krieger and everyone else who contributed is great. This movie may blow the Oscars out of their socks. Its many nominations will mitigate and water down its winning everything in sight. Many of the talents may cancel one another out.
"I don't believe in evaluating movies as "the best" but this is definitely the best musical! I'm just glad I'm not an Oscar voter; I'd go totally crazy if I had to make those difficult choices. "
...i kinda lost it there.
