The Leader

When does a dream become a nightmare? When do hopes and inspiration come crashing down into something cheap and tawdry, when love is something that can be passed around as easily as a bottle? When does art, with all its soul and beauty become just another product to be bought and sold like it was little more than a shiny, new Cadillac?

Once upon a time, three young women had their own dream. Effie White (Jennifer Hudson), Deena Jones (Beyoncé Knowles) and Lorrell Robinson (Anika Noni Rose) worked the clubs and contests night after night in 1960s Detroit, trying to find their big break as Detroit’s next R&B sensation, the Dreams. They are good. Really good. Their main problem is nobody sees it; that is, until they run into Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx) backstage at the Apollo. By day he deals in used Cadillacs, but by night works as the Dreams’ manager. Setting them up as backup singers for James “Thunder” Early (Eddie Murphy), the Dreams begin their rocky journey to the top.

While it seemed as though there was nowhere for the Dreams to go but up, “Dreamgirls” revealed the 1960s music scene’s darker side. White acquisition, perhaps one of the greatest sins in R&B and Rock history, took the Dreams’ music and softened it, smoothed it out and made it more palatable for white consumption. When the Dreams’ original sound couldn’t fairly make its way into radio, Taylor and Effie’s brother/songwriter C.C. (Keith Robinson) had to back their records up with payola. Perhaps things got their ugliest when the Dreams not only broke through into Pop, but took Effie out of the lead, replacing her with Deena as their lead singer.

“Dreamgirls” is the cinematic adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name, taking us through the early R&B movement, giving nods to Little Richard (in the form of Early), the Jackson 5, B.B. King and others, focusing specifically on the Dreams, a trio who take their inspiration from the Supremes. The songs in the movie all come from the musical and are absolutely incredible, each one expectedly dealing directly with the scene at hand (though, one still has to find it amusing that situational songs almost always have backup music, though no one else is around). The choreography was spot on throughout the movie, as was the acting.

The casting was the most impressive part of the film, aside from the music. Seeing Eddie Murphy in something serious and adult for once, instead of the kiddy crap and lame comedies he’s been in lately (look for Donkey in “Shrek the Third” in ‘07) and really stretching his talents. He really comes alive in this part as the flamboyant James Early. Danny Glover even throws his hat into the ring as Early’s manager, who quickly takes the Dreams under his wing as their group slowly disintegrates under Taylor’s controlling grasp.

The only thing that really seemed jarring about this cinematic work was the way the scenes just jumped, one to another; it was a major pain in the ass keeping track when and where everything was going on. But really, this matter is overshadowed by everything else- truly a stupendous film.

4.5 of 5

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