Dreamgirls: The emerging music business of Detroit through the eyes of one group

Looking back to when the popularity of recorded music was picking up steam in the 1950s and 1960s, there are many amazing stories that can be told based on the lives of the musicians who made it big as well as those who tried but failed for numerous reasons. In the strife of racial hate at the time, it was very difficult for African American (Black) musicians to establish themselves; yet, the ones that did were quite remarkably talented and paved the way for others besides giving the world amazing music and new ideals to live by. Hence, it only makes sense that the lives of one such set of musicians should be celebrated in a musical-drama film as was done in the 2006 movie Dreamgirls.

While struggling to get some form of recognition in the early 1960s through small talent shows, Effie White, Deena Jones and Lorell Robinson are signed by car salesman turned artist manager Curtis Taylor Jr. as a girl group called The Dreamettes to be the backing act of R&B singer James ‘Thunder’ Early. The Dreamettes gain fame and recognition and go on to be a successful act by themselves when James Early’s career fizzles out. Lead singer Effie falls in love with Curtis but both her personal and professional life take a hit when Curtis decides to appoint sexier looking Deena as the lead singer of the group. Effie quits the group and wallows in misery as The Dreamettes go on to make a bigger name for themselves completely unaware of the condition that their former best friend and partner is now living in.

The film, directed by Bill Condon, is an adaptation of a musical of the same name which ran on Broadway in the 1980s. The film uses fiction to chronicle the lives of various people in the music business in Detroit from 1950 until 1980. The story is a direct nod to the R&B group called The Supremes which was headed by Diana Ross. Certain record artworks which are shown in the film were similarly crafted to resemble those released by The Supremes. Other supporting characters in the film are also representational of real-life musicians who performed for the top R&B label Motown started by Berry Gordy Jr in 1959 which is directly represented by Rainbow records started by Curtis Taylor Jr. in the film.

Being a musical, it would be expected that the soundtrack of the film would be exceptional; and it is. Employing the voices of Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Hudson for most of the songs, the soundtrack of the film is a heavenly experience for anyone who enjoys R&B and soul music. Other personnel who have lent their talents to the making of the soundtrack have also done a fabulous job to tie up an excellent musical experience for the viewer.

The movie is a fictional account of true events that occurred in the music business in America’s 1950s, particularly for African American musicians who had a difficult life. The plot and music are the standout points for the film which is the best one can hope for from a drama-musical.

Burlesque: Small town girl dreams of the big city life

Musicals are always fun to watch. The infusion of song, and occasionally dance, in a film lends a different tone to what would otherwise be perceived as merely drama, romance, comedy or whatever other genre it falls under.  Many musical films of the past have been declared as classics and few of which have been created recently can be seen as tributes. But, one of the interesting styles which have been adopted in recent musical films is that of stage performances; particularly cabret and burlesque.

Ali is working as a waitress in a small town diner with dreams of making it large as a singer or dancer in a big city. She abruptly quits her job and leaves for Los Angeles with no plan for the future but no hint at looking back either. After scanning through classified advertisements and being turned down at very job, she finds herself standing outside the doors of a burlesque club. She is enticed to walk in and finds the atmosphere enthralling. She begs the owner, Tess, for a job as a performer but her only respite is a position as a waitress which is given to her by the bartender Jack. She tends to the customers, flirts with Jack - who is engaged - and learns the routines of the female performers until she finally gets her big break in the form of one of the performers getting pregnant. Her brilliant audition gets her the job and eventually lands her in the spotlight after her boss decides to model the entire show on her ability to sing. Ali begins to shine in the limelight but makes an enemy by taking the headliner spot away from Nikki. She also receives attention from Marcus who is trying to buy the club away from Tess as she risks foreclosure. Ali has to struggle between her love for Jack, her awe for Marcus, her loyalty to Tess and her rivalry with Nikki to come out on top at the end.

Burlesque is a 2010 musical film which was written and directed by Steve Antin. The film was the debut for lead actress Christina Aguilera while the rest of the cast had relevant experience in acting in Hollywood films, television shows and other entertainment platforms. The other actors include Cher, Stanley Tucci, Cam Gigandet, Eric Dane, Dianna Agron, Julianne Hough, Kristen bell and others. Aguilera as the star of the film does a decent job. Her acting skills are limited but she does put on a good show with her singing and her dance performances. While Aguilera has sung most of the songs in the film, the vocals of two songs were provided by the mature voice of Cher.

Unfortunately, the only element in the film that stood out was the music and performances. The story of the film is a terrible cliché. It features a small town girl who is trying to make it big in the city while struggling with her personal life and love triangle; a concept which is done to the death. The finale of the film can be guessed from the very first dialogue itself which leaves the entire experience of watching the film to be a bust.

If someone were to watch the film only for the songs and performances, it would still be a terrible disappointment and waste of time. This film does not rank anywhere in the realm of a tribute and doesn’t do much for the audience. Not one to be watched over and over again; or at all for that matter.

Dumbo: When you see an elephant fly

No matter what age you may reach, you are never truly too old to enjoy cartoons. One of the reasons for this is that most cartoons are made as family movies which appeal to people of all age groups. Another reason is that animation helps portray certain scenes and ideas which would otherwise be inconvenient to perform in a normal live-action format. This is also the case with the 1941 animated classic Dumbo from Walt Disney.

As storks fly high above a circus and deliver babies to animals in their cages, an elephant by the name of Mrs Jumbo is displeased to not receive her little bundle of joy. As the circus packs up to move to another location, Mrs Jumbo is despondent but goes along nevertheless. En route the train journey, a stork finally comes along and delivers a little baby elephant to the expectant mother. Mrs Jumbo decides to name her newborn Jumbo Jr and showers her affection upon him. But what she is slow to realise is that Jumbo Jr has exceptionally large ears which form the base of ridicule that is cast upon him by other animals in the circus. The glares and lewd mocks are not spared even from the visitors to the circus, the other performers or the ringmaster. This leads to him being nicknamed Dumbo as a degrading remark about his large flapping ears and his clumsy nature. Dumbo is demoted to working as an extra in the routine performed by the clowns as his mother is locked up in solitary confinement in her bid to protect him. He must now prove his worth with the aid of his one and only friend, a mouse.

Dumbo is one of the many Walt Disney feature films which go down as classics in the genre of animation. In hindsight, the film shows plenty of angles of society in the time frame which it was made. The film shows the negative aspects of stereotyping and prejudice which is witnessed by Dumbo during the course of the film. It also shows how members of an elite society try to separate themselves from people they wouldn’t consider to fit the bill of their standards and how they wash their hands off issues that do not concern them which can be seen in the scorn shown by the other elephants towards Dumbo.

One of the few negative aspects of the film can be seen in a racial stereotyping which can be witnessed in a scene where the two main characters meet the crows. There is also a scene involving intoxication and hallucinations which does not seem to fit into the film especially considering the startling style in which the scene has been made and the fact that the film is primarily meant for family audiences.

The animation, the dialogues and the song performances in the film are stellar. There is good reason the film can be hailed as a classic for the ages. It ranks well in the must-watch category.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: It’s all about the blonde temptress – Marilyn Monroe

Looking back to the pop culture references of the past 50 or so years, it would be easy to say that the most universally accepted and iconic of all sex symbols has to be Marilyn Monroe. She was always portrayed as the dumb blonde with the beautiful figure who was easy to please and was wanted by every man that had the pleasure of having her in their sights. This exact persona was used by Howard Hawks in his 1953 classic musical film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Lorelai Lee and Dorothy Shaw are best friends and co-stars of their very own cabaret show. Lorelai is a beautiful blonde who loves men based on their wealth while Dorothy is a brunette who falls for every good looking man she meets. Lorelai is set to marry Gus Esmond, the heir to a large fortune which sparks Lorelai’s interest. However, Gus’ father is against the marriage and sets a private detective to follow Lorelai and collect incriminating evidence as she and Dorothy take a cross-Atlantic cruise to France where she hopes to ultimately tie the knot with Gus. As Lorelai vies for other options of rich men, Dorothy slowly drifts into the arms of a handsome and charming young man who turns out to be the private detective. Lorelai lands in a fix as a married man on the ship falls for her charm leading to unfortunate circumstances.

The film is considered a classic musical film which was remade from a classic Broadway musical. The star cast of Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell carry the film with their femme fatale identities shining through their onscreen characters. The film truly accentuates the sex symbol that is Marilyn Monroe, from every detail of her lips and talking to her shaking hips during dance routines. It was a big break for her since it was one of her first starring roles in a big musical production.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a light-hearted musical which spins together elements of drama and few comedic dialogues. All-in-all, it is a fun movie to watch for its standout songs and style which reeks of a classic 1950s Hollywood film.