Drama

Romance

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Moulin Rouge!

20th Century Fox

Bazmark

Australia

United States of America

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English

Ewan McGregor

Nicole Kidman

John Leguizamo

Jim Broadbent

Richard Roxburgh

Garry McDonald

Jacek Koman

Matthew Whittet

Kerry Walker

Caroline O'Connor

Christine Anu

Natalie Mendoza

Lara Mulcahy

David Wenham

Kylie Minogue

Ozzy Osbourne

Deobia Oparei

Linal Haft

Keith Robinson

Peter Whitford

Norman Kaye

Arthur Dignam

Carole Skinner

Jonathan Hardy

Plácido Domingo

Kiruna Stamell

Anthony Young

Johnny Lockwood

Dee Donavan

Don Reid

Tara Morice

Daniel Scott

Veronica Beattie

Lisa Callingham

Rosetta Cook

Fleur Denny

Kelly Grauer

Jaclyn Hanson

Michelle Hopper

Fallon King

Wendy McMahon

Tracie Morley

Sue-Ellen Shook

Jenny Wilson

Luke Alleva

Andrew Aroustian

Stephen Colyer

Steve Grace

Mark Hodge

Cameron Mitchell

Deon Nuku

Shaun Parker

Troy Phillips

Rodney Syaranamual

Ashley Wallen

Nathan M. Wright

Susan Black

Nicole Brooks

Danielle Brown

Anastacia Flewin

Fiona Gage

Alex Harrington

Camilla Jakimowicz

Rochelle Jones

Caroline Kaspar

Mandy Liddell

Melanie Mackay

Elise Mann

Charmaine Martin

Michelle Wriggles

Michael Boyd

Lorry D'Ercole

Michael Edge

Glyn Gray

Craig Haines

Stephen Holford

Jamie Jewell

Jason King

Ryan Males

Harlin Martin

Andrew Micallef

Jonathan Schmölzer

Bradley Spargo

Joseph 'Pepe' Ashton

Jordan Ashton

Marcos Falagan

Mitchel Falagan

Chris Mayhew

Hamish McCann

Adrien Janssen

Shaun Holloway

Darren Dowlut

Dennis Dowlut

Pina Conti

Nandy McClean

Maya McClean

Patrick Harding-Irmer

Albin Pahernik

Aurel Verne

Kip Gamblin

Baz Luhrmann

Craig Pearce

Fred Baron

Martin Brown

Craig Armstrong

Donald McAlpine

Jill Bilcock

Christine King

Ronna Kress

Catherine Martin

Annie Beauchamp

Brigitte Broch

Angus Strathie

Beth Pickworth

Silvana Azzi Heras

Darrin Keough

Calum McFarlane

Brad Shield

Marc Spicer

Jason Binnie

Frank Hruby

Patrick McArdle

Luke Nixon

Matt Toll

Damian Wyvill

Steve E. Andrews

Deborah Antoniou

Naomi Enfield

Jennifer Leacey

Paul Sullivan

Steve Dobson

Guy Norris

Nash Edgerton

Damian Bradford

Deborah Boyce-Brennan

Ashley Fairfield

Scotty Gregory

Ian Lind

Tony Lynch

Brett Praed

Greg Robinson

Glenn Ruehland

Sotiri Sotiropoulos

Glenn Suter

John Walton

Gavin Wild

Dana Hee

Jo Weeks

Alexandra Bolton

Victoria Mielewska

John O'Connell

Catherine Knapman

Marius de Vries

Anton Monsted

Ian Gracie

Maurizio Silvi

Lesley Vanderwalt

Eliza Godman

Paul Thompson

Roger Savage

Simon Leadley

Chris Godfrey

Holly Radcliffe

David Pearson

Libby Sharpe

Christine Moran

Simon Whiteley

Andy Nelson

Anna Behlmer

Guntis Sics

Aldo Signoretti

Michael Wilkinson

David Russell

Moulin Rouge has many things to like about it, but comes off as inconsistent at times.

All of the actors were top notch. I believe it was Nicole Kidman's best performance of her career. Ewan
McGregor usually doesn't add a lot of depth to his characters, but in this movie it was ample. Jim Broadbent was charismatic and Richard Roxburgh was a very convincing pervert, right down to his posture. I liked how well they developed each of these characters. The rest of the actors were also excellent, but the story didn't lend much depth to their character, and they simply came off as a backdrop or environment for the main four, often becoming a writers convenience or becoming a set of eyes we could see through from the outside looking in.

There were so many parts I enjoyed about this movie, more particularly the segments where Kidman and McGregor's relationship was explored. This made for a great second act of the movie. The first and third act I felt suffered from Baz Luhrmann's rapid, almost epileptic, editing style. His style is not not for everyone, but particularly in this movie, it didn't allow for much depth of the movie in the first and third act and came off as flashy and showy. This created pacing issues that I felt if he had slowed down and focused more on the characters instead of fitting as many shots into the move that he could, the story would have flowed a lot better.

The other major inconsistency of the movie was the theme it was building towards, and the theme it ultimately landed on. Throughout the entire movie, they are building a theme of faith in love no matter what the outcome, but the last minute and a half of the movie turns it into a tragedy that I felt was unwarranted and unearned. This would have been a palpable ending if the movie showed the characters doubting that maybe love wasn't enough, and then a tragedy strikes that proves the point.  But instead we have the ending segment that shows us that all this guy's belief in love was absolutely for not, and that we are left to assume he must have been faking his belief the entire time, because it sure didn't seem like enough for him. This isn't about always getting a happy ending, it's about not getting an ending that was a cheap and quick way to evoke a particular emotion in the audience without really building into. It felt rushed, and again, unearned. (And I'm not talking about the actual event, but more about how the event affected the character.)

Otherwise, I really wanted to enjoy this movie more than I did. An excellent second act with outstanding performances and likable characters, but with the pacing issues and inconsistencies in building a movie that naturally flowed from one idea to the next keeps me from rating it higher. All in all, though, a fairly enjoyable and rewatch able film nonetheless.

I could go on why I enjoyed this film - heck, I reviewed this 3 times on Letterbox!
But the one simple word I can best describe Moulin Rouge, is poignant. This film give a poignant feeling whenever I get the chance to see this it. The glits, the glamour, the music & the story. This is the perfect love story.
Ewan McGreggor and Nicole Kidman were terrific.

I recommend this film as a Valentine's treat!

CinemaSerf

"Christian" (Ewan McGregor) is a struggling writer living a stone's throw from the legendary Moulin Rouge in Paris. He cuts quite a solitary figure until he is befriended by "Toulouse-Lautrec" (the scene stealing John Leguizamo) and introduced to the hedonism of the club run by "Zidler" (Jim Broadbent) that features it's superstar turn "Satine" (Nicole Kidman). He is besotted, he must meet her in her blue elephant apartment and love must follow, surely? Well, maybe, but "Zidler" has other plans on behalf of the seedy "Duke" (Richard Roxburgh) who has determined to make her his. "Christian" now finds himself inspired, and sets about writing his "Spectacular Spectacular" piece of musical theatre that thinly disguises the burgeoning romance between the pair whilst hopefully throwing the "Duke" off the scent. These things are expensive, though, so the venal "Zidler" ends up having to do a deal with the devil to pay the bill - and that leaves everyone exposed to the lasciviousness of the amorous aristocrat. We also learn that, not unusual for the late 19th century, "Satine" isn't so well and so time might not be much of an ally for them, either. Can they thwart the lecherous "Duke" and save their love? Though I didn't really love McGregor's rather flat singing so much, the rest of this is an highly entertaining romp through a tawdry Parisian society riddled with sexiness, vibrancy and just a little hint of evil. Broadbent is in his element as the master of ceremonies who'd have looked just as impressive hosting a circus - and indeed it's a circus that his boozed up and horny guests want every night as the original sex-club comes alive with colour, dancing and champagne. The soundtrack works really well using just about everyone from Rufus Wainwright to Elton John via Broadway and T-Rex - even Kylie manages a tinker-bell of a cameo. The film looks great, with huge attention to the detail of the look; the costumes and the set - with the perilously poised pachyderm overhead. There's heaps of chemistry between McGregor and a very natural looking Kidman and two hours just flies by. It's one of those films that positively wallows on the big screen and each time I see it, I seem to get just a little bit more from the humour and the pathos in the writing. Original, quirky, zany and good fun.

Finding the language of the musical | A Life in Pictures | BAFTA

Trailer

Moulin Rouge Wins Art Direction: 2002 Oscars

Moulin Rouge Wins Costume Design: 2002 Oscars

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Moulin Rouge!

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Cast

Ewan McGregor

Nicole Kidman

John Leguizamo

Jim Broadbent

Richard Roxburgh

Garry McDonald

Jacek Koman

Matthew Whittet

Kerry Walker

Caroline O'Connor

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