Dreamgirls

David Rooney started his review by saying, “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. Driven by tremendously exciting musical performances, the Par/DreamWorks release should sing loud and strong through awards season and beyond.”

Rooney continued, “While it lost best musical in 1982 to “Nine,” the original Broadway production of “Dreamgirls” won six Tonys, ran for 1,521 perfs and returned director-choreographer Michael Bennett to the spotlight five years after “A Chorus Line.” Fittingly, Condon has dedicated the film to Bennett (who died of AIDS complications in 1987) and has echoed his original staging in savvy ways.”

As he did in his “Chicago” movie, Condon’s love of movie musical is supported by knowing how touch it is to make the genre work for audiences who don’t want to be familiar to characters just singing at any random moment.

In “Chicago,” the songs are all about the characters’ imaginations. Here, the first few songs are performances attached in narrative situation. Condon pulls the audience in before eventually bringing the tradition musical show – first with short, music video style put in during a montage and then with a complete song in dialogues as the emotions rise. Rooney said, “The mix not only blends seamlessly, it provides footing in the twin camps of movie musical and performance-based music biopic.”

From the amazing beginning, the film creates a huge energized, active visual style. The dark screen is broken by fast showing of color with heels, skirts, hair and gliding women at a 1962 Detroit talent show.

Backstage, the Dreamettes – Effie (Jennifer Hudson), Deena (Beyonce Knowles) and Lorell (Anika Noni Rose) – prepare their act. Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx), a rising wheeler-dealer sees the trio and gives them a job singing backup for famous singer James Thunder Early (Eddie Murphy). Condon skillfully works this much character introduction and story around the Dreamettes’ landmark performance of “Move.”

Extending the basic format of writer-lyricist Tom Eyen’s original book for the movie, the script puts the trouble of black singers against a familiarity of racism, difference and civil conflict. Rooney said, “Adopting conventions of the classic showbiz pic without cliche, it examines the casualties and compromises of fame.” However, the film’s main focus is family, showing bonds of shared experience that are made, broken and healed.

Cadillac salesman Curtis tires to keep his own reputation as a music producer by transcending R&B to take over the pop charts. Pushing Jimmy’s expert manager Marty, played by Danny Glover, away, Curtis sings the singer up in a high-profile Miami club. Rooney noted, “Flamboyant Jimmy’s sexualized style scares the ultra-white crooner crowd but Curtis perceives a marketable commodity in the Dreamettes.”

He makes them into headliners, renaming them the Dreams. Rooney said, “Going for a smoother look and sound, Curtis demotes zaftig Effie to backup, despite general acknowledgment she has the strongest pipes, and makes slimmer, more telegenic Deena the lead.” This puts the film’s main problem and its most powerful emotional moments.

Sidelined as lead singer and as Curtis’ girlfriend, Effie becomes really bitter and unreliable, making her replaced in the group. Sung by Curtis, the three original Dreams, Effie’s songwriter brother C.C. (Keith Robinson) and replacement Michelle (Sharon Leal), the song number argument, “It’s All Over,” is a powerful song. Rooney said, “Presented much as it was on stage, the complex number is cogent, dramatic and entirely unselfconscious in its pop-operatic language.”

The emotional peak is really brought up so high with Hudson’s innate, sad singing of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” The song of real begging is always connected to Jennifer Holliday’s amazing original singing but Hudson creates her own, singing it on an empty stage with mirrors in an open tribute to Bennett.

An “American Idol” finalist without any film experience, Hudson comes complete to film. Rooney noted, “It’s the kind of galvanizing perf that calls to mind debuts like Barbra Streisand in “Funny Girl” or Bette Midler in “The Rose,” with a voice like the young Aretha. More fully developed here than onstage, Effie is the fierce, wounded, pulsating heart of the movie.” Her large song and second amazing one “I Am Changing” both extract audience cheers and applause.

Eyen’s story of “Dreamgirls,” this adaptation released in 2006, was loosely based on the Supremes. Diana Ross became the leader from original singer Florence Ballard, who unlike Effie, died in poverty at 32. The Diana-Deena matching is really shown here, with Knowles’ clothing, hairstyles and even singing sound different moments of Ross’ career.

Rooney noted, “Despite the further parallel of Beyonce’s emergence as the superstar soloist of Destiny’s Child, Deena does not monopolize the film. Chief concession to spreading the spotlight is Deena’s new powerhouse ballad, “Listen.””

After some failure film roles, Beyonce has been really used here by Condon. As fitting a character described at one part as “a product,” Deena is more controlled than self-driven, but Knowles is balanced, quietly determined and beautiful awe-inspiring, growing from innocent teenager to self-confident singer.

Playing a nasty manager with sings of Berry Gordy Jr. and Ike Turner, Foxx looks like he’s holding back. His natural charm is lowered behind Curtis’ cool fluency and he doesn’t look right in the songs.

However, Murphy is the highlight. A combination of James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Somkey Robinson, Jackie Wilson and some of his own singing façade, his Jimmy jumps out of the screen both in his amazing songs (his rap is the best) and dialogue scenes. It’s his best work in movies.

The character has been given a really different look here, making Murphy start hilarious and beautiful and end mournful and broken. Jimmy gets another of the film’s best new songs in the social protest song “Patience.” Rooney credited, “Murphy’s dead-eyed stare and subsequent reaction after Curtis nixes the release is among the film’s most piercing moments.”

Rooney continued, “There’s fine supporting work from Glover, Robinson and especially Rose, a bewitching stage performer (“Caroline, or Change”) who shows equal assurance on film and terrific comic instincts.”

Despite her role being trimmed, the only real loss is Lorell’s livid “Ain’t No Party” shout, one of composer Henry Krieger’s better songs. Loretta Devine, the original Broadway Lorell, also makes an appearance singing “I Miss You Old Friend.”

Rooney said, “There are some narrative ellipses that were unclear in the stage show and remain so — Curtis’ mob connections and legal hot water are dealt with too perfunctorily — and Condon makes an odd choice in cutting mid-conversation to Deena and Effie’s reconciliation after years of bitter silence. Not sharing their encounter from the start undersells a key emotional moment.” However, the storytelling as a whole is nice and confident.

It was a smart choice to have Broadway pros Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer power the performance scenes, the amazing execution done by Tobias A. Schliessler’s great, moving camera. Rooney noted, “In the title number in particular, in which the trio members emerge as restyled stars, the widescreen camerawork is luscious, picking up an elbow-length glove, a fishtail skirt, an elegant choreographic move. And the trend toward machine-gun editing is refreshingly resisted by Virginia Katz, who creates a rhythm both kinetic and graceful.”

The film has amazing and different color thanks to Sharen Davis’ showy costumes and John Myhre’s detailed production design. Rooney ended his review by saying, “Matching Condon’s achievement in marrying naturalistic showbiz drama with old-fashioned musical, the retro stylings of both sets and costumes expertly brush period-specific reality with subtle touches of fantasy.”

Another musical that fits right with the month and also one that should not be missed at all. If you haven’t seen this adaptation, don’t miss your chance to watch it. I think everyone will enjoy it, regardless of whether or not they are familiar with the play. I became familiar with it when Will Smith lip-synced “And I’m Telling You” to Uncle Phil at the end of one episode, which was one of the funniest moments from “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Still, see this movie; you will fall in love with it.

Look out next week for not only the finale of this year’s “Black History Movie Month,” but also for my yearly “President’s Day Review.”