Dreamgirls

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Danny Glover

Written by: Bill Condon and Tom Eyen

Directed by: Bill Condon

Distributor: Dreamworks Pictures

Rated: Rated PG

The original Broadway production of Krieger and Eyen’s Dreamgirls ran for almost half a decade with minor critical and financial success until it closed in 1985. Having lived and left so modestly, it seems an odd choice to turn into a big budget, major release film musical.

The story follows three black female vocalists from their first stage appearance to superstardom, from the emotionally brutal 1960s to the 1970s. Jamie Foxx stars as Curtis Taylor, Jr., a car salesman who dreams of succeeding in show business. Taylor gets his break into the when he spots The Dreamettes -- Effie (Jennifer Hudson), Deena (Beyonce Knowles) and Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose) -- during their first performance. The Dreamettes quickly begin touring professionally as backup singers for legendary R&B singer Jimmy Early (a reasonably high-octane Eddie Murphy). Thus begins a long and winding journey that edges into an exploration of the dark side of success.

The film starts out flashy, irrepressibly barreling through the early era of R&B. The record company that Taylor starts is a clear analogue for Motown, and the songs pumping through the early scenes recall some of the greatest hits of the era. Sadly, this energy doesn’t last beyond the first half hour, and when the film slows down it loses almost all its momentum. Dreamgirls isn’t excessively long for a modern film, but Broadway musicals are specifically written to be performed with an intermission. Two hours of uninterrupted musical is inevitably going to drag, as song leads into song leads into song without rest.

All problems with length and pacing aside, Dreamgirls features some really great performances. Eddie Murphy steals a few moments with sheer charisma, and we get to see his under-utilized musical side in a couple of impressively sharp songs. Danny Glover makes for an exceedingly likable early R&B talent agent. Jamie Foxx plays to his strengths as a cool, ambitious opposite to Glover’s nice guy. The problem is that Foxx is too unlikable in the second half. When he turns into a major villain, scenes with him become palpably uncomfortable. It’s pretty bleak.

But the inevitable leveling off of success isn’t nearly as interesting to watch as it should be. Time passes quickly as disco overtakes soul and Deena becomes a Diana Ross-type diva, unwittingly eclipsing the success of a more meaningful, soulful record by Effie. This sets up the inevitable ending that everyone knows is coming. But with Dreamgirls clocking in at two hours, that ending is a long way off. VS