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It’s the early 60s in Detroit where civil rights are still just a whisper in the streets. Curtis Taylor (Jamie Foxx) is a car salesman raring to make his mark as a music producer. All he needs is the right product. Enter the Dreamettes -- Deena (Beyonce Knowles), Lorell (Anika Noni Rose) and Effie (Jennifer Hudson), the childhood friends and singing trio, who come in for an audition looking very ordinary but overflowing with talent. They are just what Curtis needs. He signs them up, as back-up singers, despite lead singer Effie’s protests, for a gig with Jimmy Early, (Eddie Murphy), Detroit’s rising star. From then on, their careers skyrocket until Curtis launches the girls as a solo act, christening them as The Dreams. Only one small glitch in the equation – sultry Deena is to take center stage as lead vocalist while the more talented yet overweight and plain-looking Effie becomes back-up. Everyone’s dreams slowly takes place but at a steep price that may be too heavy for their hearts to bear.
The movie shines with its extravagant musical performances and production numbers, soulful songs and talented performances from the cast -- both as actors and singers. There is a fairly smooth transformation of the presentation from a stage play into a movie. Although there is some awkwardness on how the screen adaptation requires the characters to suddenly burst into a song in the middle of a conversation, argument or reflection, like an afterthought instead of a nicely interwoven number, spoiling or trivializing what would have contributed to good character-development. Dream Girls is an engrossing story and an entertaining show with a great packaging of energetic songs and haunting ballads presented with crisp camerawork and tight editing.
“Ego” -- that three -letter words often gets in the way of relationships and growth -- wrecking careers and breaking hearts. The movie illustrates what happens when a person is too full of himself to look at and care about how his actions and decisions affect the people around. To preserve one’s self is a natural instinct and success is everyone’s innate desire. But human beings need to transcend the instinct and desire and become noble and productive. To be noble means to let go of one ’s self and look more at what others need, while to be productive is to respond to the others’ needs by giving up one’s self. Only then does success become meaningful and admirable. Young audiences will enjoy the film but some sensitive issues such as extramarital affair, substance abuse and betrayals need explanation and guidance from parents.
(Date Reviewed: 16 March 2007)
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