"Moulin Rouge!" (2001) - Movie Review

Most of the musicals I have seen till now have the actors having fun doing it. I can see it nakedly on their faces amongst the happy and sad scenes. But in the mean time, I am not having fun. It does not move me, inspire me nor does it simply make me like the songs. I cannot come to terms with a flashy glittering musical. I am still waiting for the arrival a musical of “Moulin Rouge!” type with richness and glamour to make a mark on me.

There are some reasons I was able to come up with one prominent enough to conclude for the dislike. Most of my life, the regional movies and Bollywood ventures have carried this concept of colourful and vibrant spectacle of overzealous emotions in a simple love story, specifically love at first sight. I have been bludgeoned with that right from my child hood. But wait, I loved “Once” a musical one of a kind which has no flagrant costumes or outfits with the same simple love story and mellow music to soothe its emotions and art. What is happening out here?

“Moulin Rouge!” cannot be richer in its costumes, acting and music and still I am trying to put my finger on something to say this is the reason it failed in me. I know it is not the story which enriches the musical but the ensemble of dances and innovative blends of tunes to suit the situation. I lay still and glared at the screen with apparently no liking or emotions attached to it at all. When the tragic scene comes down, I was looking for the time and I just could not make myself to like this film. Because it has only one thing going on and on and on with clichéd sequences to remind me of all the boring movies depicting the one line love story.

Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman have a great time as a blossoming couple of instant love. It breathes that concept and usual stereotypes, filthy rich lustful villain in the form of The Duke played by Richard Roxburgh. I did laugh for the songs and sequences involving Jim Broadbent as Harold Ziddler to coax The Duke. Broadbent’s comic timing and voice modulation are the facts which stood out of the otherwise routine work.

The costumes are gorgeous and have colours in abundance; it still does not dilute the eyes. It has a mix of every culture into it. The fashion of Paris, the cultural representation of India and the western clothing to make it a fashion show of its own. It has the dances in a funny format and serious one did not do its tricks of talent and presence. Thinking back, I now am beginning to slightly like the “Sweeney Todd”. At least it had the revenge seeking cold blooded character of Johnny Depp to have a subject for its dark content with a freaky killer. The only thing you know of Kidman’s Satine and McGregor’s Christian are that they are young, attractive and can sing to woo. In the midst they preach love.

May be rich overabundant caricatured characters of musical genre is not my cup of tea. The songs if not a catchy one or even if it is something to be listened multiple times to grow on you, it would fail the scene. The choreography can run along as far as it could but it melts into meaningless puppet show with sky rocketing over emotions. It either becomes irritating or gleefully bland in “Moulin Rouge!” Both are not healthy for a film.