Moulin Rouge, 2001

By 20th Century Fox and Bazmark Films
Starring Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
Rated PG-13 for sexual content
Running Time: 126 minutes
Internet Movie DataBase page
Official Site from 20th Century Fox

Remember back in the day, walking over to the theater on Main Street, plopping down your 75 cents (or perhaps $2.50 in more contemporary terms) and settling in to watch those fantastic feature films of yesterday? The ones that lifted you up on gossamer wings, and took you on a wondrous trip to a place far, far away?

Well, get ready to go again.

This movie caught me entirely off guard. Most of my curiosity came from the sound bites on TV that proclaimed it as "indescribable". Within 90 seconds of the opening, I was enveloped in the moody use of colors and camera wizardry that allows you to zoom in from far above nighttime Paris in 1900, sweep among the dark streets of Montmartre, and burst through the doors of the night spot, Moulin Rouge. With an explosion of visual and aural artistry, you are there!

The story: not unlike other stories you've known... boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, girl becomes unattainable, boy fights for her honorably... well, you know the rest, or you might. So yes, it's predictable, yet it doesn't matter. You'll still find your adrenaline pumping in the nightclub, that rush as they kiss for the first time, adam's apple bobbing when he gets the bad news, and tearing up at the end ....

The actors: I first saw Nicole Kidman in an 80's movie, Dead Calm, and while I've always thought she did a very credible job in that and movies since, I wasn't a big fan. I was very curious though to see how whe would pull off this role, the singing included. I was pleasantly surprised; she handles it deftly, playing a delightful, and yet somehow innocent, courtesan of the club. While Barbra Streisand need not worry about any competition soon, Kidman comfortably handles the part.

I was less familiar with Ewan MacGregor (having not yet seen Phantom Menace, ugh), but was overwhelmed with his presence, and what a great voice! He is, in fact, the central character in this drama, and carries the film from start to finish. I expect to see much more of him the future ... a definite leading man contender as a box-office draw.

Other notables include the versatile John Leguizamo as Toulouse Lautrec, and Jim Broadbent as the over-the-top nighclub manager, Zidler.

The production: This is where words fail. You may have seen one of the trailers, or even the remake/video of "Lady Marmelade" by Christina, et al, but none of these can speak fully to the wonderful direction, choreography, and visual design put into this film. I predict there will be a few attempts in the coming years to match this style of movie, and they'll probably fall short. Some mp3s from the eclectic (songs taken from the 60's-90's) score:

Come What May - Ewan MacGregor and cast
One Day I'll Fly Away - Nicole Kidman
Because We Can - Fatboy Slim

So no, I can't describe what Moulin Rouge is. Countless others have tried and failed. What I will say is: go see it!! This is unlike anything you've experienced in front of a movie screen, acrobatic sexual acts excluded. A piece of advice: this is not the kind of movie where you sit there and try to figure things out. Walk into the theater with no expectations, and just let it wash over you and carry you away. And if you're on the fence, don't wait for it to hit cable or DVD ... you'd be missing that all-encompassing trip of sight, sound and sensation only a big screen can offer.

I give it at least eight hoisted skirts:

Or on a more traditional scale: four out of five.