Moulin Rouge (2001, DVD)

It has been a long time since I have been so wonderfully surprised by a movie. Of course, I had to go see it since it took place in my favorite city in the world!! While recently in Paris, we stopped to take a photo opportunity in front of the famous Red Windmill . There we were, in the midst of scores of tourists, taking pictures in front of the night club on the sleazy street, surrounded by peep shows and strip clubs in Montmarte. But since we had been inundated by early press releases about the upcoming movie, we thought it would be fun to get a photo in front of the landmark.

When we finally went to see the film, I had the unnerving feeling that it would not live up to all of the hype. But was I wrong! I absolutely loved this Boz Ludrmann film. It had all of the elements that make for an entertaining film. A great story, lots of romance, plenty of fantasy,wonderful music,even some light comedic moments. I can t remember when I have enjoyed a movie more.

But you must go to see this movie with the idea that this is not your run-of-the-mill, typical story. The music, as you might have heard by now, is music from the last forty or so years, although the story takes place in Paris in 1900. But to me, it demonstrates how timeless music can be. When the star-crossed lovers are above the Paris rooftops, with the Eiffel Tower in the background, singing Elton John s Your Song , with fireworks gently exploding in the beautiful Parisian sky, I had to control myself to keep from shouting bravo .
And when later in the film, one of the featured entertainers is explaining the sheer frivolity of falling in love with a prostitute, delicately referred to in the film as a courtesan, the modern rendition of Police s Roxanne really brings the point home! Even Madonna s Like a Virgin fits the mood of the movie as if it were written especially for this production.

I am not one of those people who generally run out and buy a soundtrack from a film, but in this case, I am going to make an exception. I have been walking around my house all morning singing songs from this movie, and since I really can t sing, I am going to buy the CD today!

Musicals are generally not one of favorite types of entertainment, so I was even more surprised at how much I enjoyed this film. In some respects, it almost reminded me of a modern version of those wonderful old nineteen thirties fantasy musicals about Broadway that were so popular when our country was in the depths of the Depression true escapism .

The performances of the actors and actresses also pleasantly surprised me. Nicole Kidman, as Satine, the gorgeous courtesan-star of the Moulin Rouge, does an excellent job in her role, and sang quite nicely. I had heard that she has been taking singing lessons for quite a while in preparation for this role, and it paid off. I had never heard of Ewan McGregor (Christian) before this film, but I won t soon forget him. A combination of good looks, charisma, a very good voice, and an excellent performance should guarantee that we will be seeing a lot more of him. Richard Roxburgh as the Duke of Worcester did an outstanding job, playing the evil villain, yet at times, playing such a fool, as the lead characters are constantly making him victim to their deceptions. My personal favorite supporting role was that of the pathetic dwarf Toulouse Lautrec, who was the observer as the entire story unfolds. He can only watch and try to help the young lovers, but love has always sidestepped him.

I don t want to give away the story, so let me just suggest this movie to anyone who enjoys fantasy, great music, spectacular costumes, and most of all romance. And, if you like me, love anything to do with Paris, you will enjoy it even more!! I ve got to go now to the store to buy the CD!