Dreamgirls

Perfunctory. There's something I thought I'd never type about a musical. But, chances are, if Beyonce is your lead actress, you should know that you're in trouble. On a technical level, everything is top notch. The director is fine, the musical numbers are appealing, the score is decent (only one truly memorable song, but decent none-the-less), costumes are flashy, production design looks accurate enough. Perhaps it is the uneven nature of the film that keeps it from being greatness. Jamie Foxx looks like he's sleepwalking throughout, Beyonce is wooden and has no ability to emote when not singing, Anika Noni Rose and Sharon Leal are both good but underused, and Eddie Murphy is overrated as he recycles his James Brown impression from his days on SNL. Yes, it truly is Jennifer Hudson's show, and, yes, she deserved every accolade and piece of hype she got. When she is on-screen, there is a fire, pep and energy that is sorely lacking from the rest of the film. However, her placement as a supporting character is an obvious result of studio politics. Her role is more of a lead. Which leads me back to Beyonce (and her inability to form a facial expression) in the musical sequences. When she has to sing, she soars. The back-and-forth with Hudson, when sung, is wonderful. When they have to go back-and-forth doing just dialogue, Hudson chews her up, spits her out, and walks away with all of the praise that Beyonce was obviously aiming for. Face it, it's Hudson's show, and when she's not around, it sinks. Which is a little like the musical numbers -- either set them in real life (like most musicals), or set them in the recording studios/stages (like Cabaret or A Star Is Born!), but don't do both. You can't have it both ways. Never before has a movie seemed so eager to please yet failed. Perfunctory.