Dreamgirls film review |

Year: 2006

Ok, I just saw Dreamgirls…or what I like to call Behind The Music: Destiny’s Child (Just ki’in! LOL). Since the “remake” theme is the new norm for Hollywood, I can say I’ve never seen the play (Damn shame, ain’t it?), so it was a good thing and a bad thing: Good that I didn’t have anything to compare it to and bad that I couldn’t compare it to the play.

I actually liked Beyonce in the beginning of the flick, before divahood. Her innocence played a lot better than her maturation after that. She seemed flat later on in the film but no one can deny she was tailor-made for the role considering her own former group and their controversies.

Eddie Murphy seemed to be playing a caricature of himself. I’ve seen that character before many times on. It was like a bad rendition of his own Saturday Night Live James Brown and I never knew if he was serious or joking but he did have his funny moments as Eddie always does. He did have that one moving scene toward the end that pretty powerful as he spoke no words.

Jamie Foxx was typical Jamie – Solid. He just wasn’t overly impressive in the role.

Anika Noni Rose did a very nice job. I wasn’t familiar with her work and this was my first time seeing her, but I would like to see her again.

Keith Robinson impressed me as well. I remember him from Fat Albert but I thoroughly enjoyed his soft-spoken delivery in Dreamgirls and a very decent voice.

And then there was Jennifer Hudson…Good lawd! Now if Beyonce was tailor-made for the role of Deena, then Hudson was BORN to play Effie! This sista OWNED that role and I was taken aback by her voice. I’m not an “Idoler” so I never saw her on the show. She was so good that I hope it doesn’t pigeon-hole her into similar roles because I think she has the chops to do other roles.

Oh, and let me say this right now: Even though I never saw the original Dreamgirls, I’m very much aware of the Jennifer Holiday version of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”…but it NOW belongs to the OTHER Jennifer (Yeah! I said it! And?!)! That girl has some pipes, y’all. She just blew me away throughout the whole film and I thought I was near-tears a couple of times but I realized it was just the AC that was up too high (Y’all ain’t buyin’ that? Me neither LOL).

Go see it JUST to see her take over the film! Jennifer Oh Jenny!