Dreamgirls – Director’s Extended Edition: Blu-ray Review
The Movie:
Set in the 1960s, singers Effie (Jennifer Hudson), Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose), and Deena (Beyoncé Knowles) are discovered at a local talent show by ambitious manager Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx). The trio known as “the Dreamettes” is soon offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of opening for popular singer James “Thunder” Early (Eddie Murphy). Subsequently molded by Taylor and propelled into the spotlight as “the Dreams,” the girls find their bid for the big time taking priority over personal friendship, and begin to realize that the true cost of fame may be higher than any of them ever anticipated.
There’s not much more to say that hasn’t already been said about this film. What started out as a play became (after so many delays) such a phenomenal film with fantastic performances all around especially that of (at the time) newcomer Jennifer Hudson which gave her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. The film takes place during the famous Motown era of music history and from a production stand point it looks amazing. When watching the film it really does feel like I was transported directly to that time period and when a film can do something like that it’s proof of a fantastic team of production designers. The music is obviously so important to the film and the soundtrack is totally amazing. Every song has so much power to it that you can feel the emotions coming from each performer. With that said, if you haven’t seen this movie at all then I highly suggest picking this one up and experiencing it as soon as you can. 9/10
Special Features:
Audition: Can He Even Sing – Hudson performing a scene before she snagged the role.
Audition: What About Me – Hudson performs an important scene from the film.
Audition: And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going – Hudson performs another song from the film.
Screen Test: And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going – A more serious and professional performance of the song.
