MOULIN ROUGE!

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A friend of my family who has known me since I was 10 years old raved about this movie and dropped off the DVD last year in my mailbox to borrow. For reasons even I can't explain, it stayed atop my television and DVD player for a month, if not longer. Then one rainy night, I decided to give it a view, convinced that I would be bored by pure cabaret. I was really mistaken! And this film is our "Friday Movie Suggestion Night" pick: MOULIN ROUGE.

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The year is 1899 in Paris. A young English poet named Christian (Ewan McGregor) , arrives penniless and defying his father, he leaves home for the dark, forbidden world of late night cabaret where a group of Bohemians convince him to write a musical show for them to be performed at the Moulin Rouge, Paris' most famous underworld night club. The first night of his arrival, he meets Satine (Nicole Kidman), the club's star and a beautiful courtesan. He falls head-over-heels in love with her and after a gargantuan effort to court her, she ultimately falls for him as well. Meanwhile, the club's owner, Harold Zidler, enlists a wealthy Duke to help pay for the failing club's expenses. The Duke agrees to the funding on the condition that Satine becomes his lover--bordering actually on slavery. A wild triangle ensues. Eventually, Satine discovers that she has a deadly secret that could end everything she and Christian have created in their dreams about their lives together. Director Baz Luhrmann (who also directed Romeo + Juliet) manages to pull off the use of modern day contemporary pop music--a very gutzy move---that works well! The teaming of Kidman and McGregor is passionate and convincing as their voices meld into one another in scene after scene of over-the top performances that truly pushes the envelope of camera and theatre to leaves you breathless and yearning for more. As with all excellent productions, this one will "stay with you" for days after you view it. Here's The Cast: Nicole Kidman as Satine; Ewan McGregor as Christian; John Leguizamo as Toulouse-Lautrec; Jim Broadbent as Harold Zidler; Richard Roxburgh as The Duke and Garry McDonald as The Doctor. Academy Awards 2002: Oscar for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration: Catherine Martin (Art Director) and Brigitte Broch (Set Decorator) and Best Costume Design: Catherine Martin and Angus Strathie. Oscar Nominations: Best Actress in a Leading Role: Nicole Kidman; Best Cinematography: Donald McAlpine; Best Editing: Jill Bilcock; Best Makeup: Maurizio Silvi and Aldo Signoretti; Best Picture: Fred Baron, Martin Brown and Baz Luhrmann; Best Sound: Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Roger Savage and Guntis Sics.

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ENJOY!