Dreamgirls

Starring Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Danny Glover, Anika Niki Rose

Rated PG-13

Bill Condon’s “Dreamgirls” is the kind of musical where, even if you aren’t familiar with the music, five minutes into the film you’ll be inevitably toe-tapping along with the rhythm. This story of the rise of a 1960’s girl triplet known as the Dreams (loosely based on The Supremes) is brought to firey life by Eddie Murphy, but is ultimately cemented as a dramatic masterpiece by newcomer Jennifer Hudson, whose screen presence lends “Dreamgirls” an immense amount of power.

The film opens as James Thunder Early (Murphy), a popular ‘60s singer, is looking for a last-minute girl group to sing back-up vocals for his concert. Along come the Dreams, featuring Effie (Hudson), Deena (Beyonce Knowles), and Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose), whom are desperate to get noticed in the high-profile world of music. After they perform alongside Mr. Early, the conniving manager Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx) takes notice of the Dreams and begins to represent them, against the best wishes of Early’s trustworthy manager Marty (Danny Glover).

            After a good time of success, Curtis, who has been dating Effie, decides that Deena should sing lead vocals instead of the more genuinely talented Effie. This infuriates Effie and eventually leads her to being exiled from the Dreams and replaced by another young singer. In time, Curtis marries Deena, and Deena is transformed into the “Diana Ross” of the Dreams, resulting in movie deals, extreme popularity, and even a name change to the girl’s trio – “Deena Jones and the Dreams.”

            But the audience is still empathizing with Effie, who is just struggling to survive, with a young daughter and nobody employing her magical singing power. Hudson’s performance is what keeps “Dreamgirls” from becoming a soulless musical, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the performance landed her a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award. “Dreamgirls” is currently the frontrunner for Best Picture, and while there may be better films contending in that category, nobody can deny the popularity that this film deserves, and this sensation that has musical buffs and even regular filmgoers buzzing.

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