(rated PG 13)
A cross between “Phantom Of The Opera” and “West Side Story’, full of puns, poetry and irony this wild spanking-naughty ride transforms like a Broadway/burlesque show on the big screen. A feisty temptress of a can-can girl, Satine (Nicole Kidman) strives to become a famous actress, when opportunity one day knocks in the form of a Duke (Richard Roxburgh). Enter Christian (Ewan McGregor) a passionate scribe who writes the play that the Duke will invest in. The play, by the way, is a story within the story paralleling what’s really going on in the movie. Torn between the two and encouraged by Zidler (Jim Broadbent) who portrays Satine’s teacher/mentor, the show must go on, so Satine goes into full rocket mode. Devilishly delightful as her role in “To Die For” but this time with so much energy you’ll need a nap just from keeping up with her sexual and playful antics. Despite the sometimes amusing sometimes over-dramatic scenes; the Bohemian ideals of truth, beauty and freedom told through song and dance will certainly entertain. Each actor stops at nothing short of a marathon pace in suffocating her with the knowledge that the greatest thing you’ll ever learn is to love and be loved. For any die-hard romantic fool or drama queen, this is your movie.
A cross between “Phantom Of The Opera” and “West Side Story’, full of puns, poetry and irony this wild spanking-naughty ride transforms like a Broadway/burlesque show on the big screen. A feisty temptress of a can-can girl, Satine (Nicole Kidman) strives to become a famous actress, when opportunity one day knocks in the form of a Duke (Richard Roxburgh). Enter Christian (Ewan McGregor) a passionate scribe who writes the play that the Duke will invest in. The play, by the way, is a story within the story paralleling what’s really going on in the movie. Torn between the two and encouraged by Zidler (Jim Broadbent) who portrays Satine’s teacher/mentor, the show must go on, so Satine goes into full rocket mode. Devilishly delightful as her role in “To Die For” but this time with so much energy you’ll need a nap just from keeping up with her sexual and playful antics. Despite the sometimes amusing sometimes over-dramatic scenes; the Bohemian ideals of truth, beauty and freedom told through song and dance will certainly entertain. Each actor stops at nothing short of a marathon pace in suffocating her with the knowledge that the greatest thing you’ll ever learn is to love and be loved. For any die-hard romantic fool or drama queen, this is your movie.