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  Matt
  
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Moulin Rouge!
Australia, 2001
[Baz Luhrmann]
Nicole Kidman, Ewen McGregor, Jim Broadbent, John Leguizamo, Richard Roxburgh
Musical / Comedy / Drama
  
Easily one of the most peculiar and interesting films to have been released mainstream since Being John Malkovich this revival of the musical genre is utterly delightful and and charming, and one of the few films I have been able to see more than once at the cinema (3 and counting). When director Luhrmann signs on to direct something you know, like his earlier works Strictly Ballroom and Romeo and Juliet, that you are not going to be getting the usual fare. Apt at twisting conventional thinking and producing both the unexpected and the wonderful his latest is breathtakingly successful and a sure fire summer winner.

Pitched at the very end of the 19th century it focuses upon young British writer Christian, who upon entering the seedy underworld of the Paris revolutionary set finds himself immediately thrust into the limelight as his beautiful grasp of lyrics (actually from
The Sound of Music) gets him a job writing the new show to be shown at the notorious Moulin Rouge nightclub. This is a common theme as writers Luhrmann and Craig Pearce liberally take famous lines, and indeed even songs, from contemporary music. So Elton John is sung with as much vigour as U2 or David Bowie. Anyone who has ever written a famous line about love is almost certain to be included in fact, and one song is just a montage of lines cadged by Christian to woo his beloved Satine, a courtesan at the Moulin Rouge.

It is love which drives the engine of the film, or more precisely unrequited love. As someone who knows more than a little about such an event I can say with precision that, like
Meet Joe Black, it perfectly captures the spirit of two people who through no fault of their own are destined not to be together. The irony of Christian's belief that 'all you need is love' is cruelly cast aside within the opening minutes as the entire film is shown in flashback, a few days after the death of Satine. This is a welcome plot twist as it allows the viewer to immediately grasp the situation and appreciate more the brief but passionate love affair the two young stars embark upon.

Ewen McGregor as Christian, and Nicole Kidman as Satine, are well cast as the starstruck pair though both need a long length of time to get into the true spirit of the movie. McGregor starts far too puppyish and naive, which bored me more than anything, and Kidman is just annoying as Luhrmann starts with a bang and refuses to leave the viewer to ponder for more than a few seconds. Until Christian proclaims his love for Satine and the film hits us with it's first beautiful love song we are given neither the chance of a breather or reflection. Eventually however it settles down into a rhythm and it is Kidman especially who excels delivering the most important line I thought of the whole film, 'All these years you made me believe I was only worth what someone would pay for me'.

Naturally every film needs a bad guy and Richard Roxburgh is excellent as the well-rounded Duke of Monmouth. There to both court Satine and bankroll the show Christian and his 'children of the revolution' are writing, he is unsurprisingly in the dark as the young pair carry on their illicite romance right under his nose. Roxburgh is superb and surely a contender for Oscar nomination as he makes the Duke both snidy and innocent at the same time. His slow but sure catching on is brilliantly executed and instead of making us hate him completely made me at least care quite a bit about how rough a deal he was getting. As you watch the film you realise how much each character is both innocent and guilty of playing with others emotions and that is a considerable strength of the film, giving us heroes and villains with shades of grey not found in more mainstream romantic movies.

Jim Broadbent is also worthy of a mention as nightclub owner and father figure Harold Zidler. While you see his concern for Satine and her worsening condition, and his clear desire for her to settle down with the Duke, you can also see how selfish his actions could be interpreted. After being forced to hand over the deeds to his beloved club to the Duke, as payment for the renovations required, he drives Satine too hard and can be seen as partly responsible for her 'demise'. Broadbent never misses a chance to overact and his humourous accent always raised a chuckle as he struggled to keep both his club together and the romantic going's on secret.
Moulin Rouge! is not a film everyone will enjoy. I remember during my second visit in New York a few months back that 4 people got up and left during the showing. The first time, 3 of my viewing companions fell asleep after 10 minutes.

Clearly it's a 'love it or hate it' kind of film but it requires the viewer to be in a certain mood to truly enjoy. If you have ever felt the pang of loss or the wonder of true love then you cannot fail to appreciate this ode to the undefined beauty of it all. However, if you are not able to open yourself fully to such an event then you will miss out on this years 'must-see' movie.
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