Dreamgirls

Dreamgirls is based on the Broadway Musical of the same name, which itself was said to be loosely based on the growth of Motown records and The Supremes. It tells the story of three young girls from Detroit who dream of being stars and one man who will recognise a good opportunity when he sees one.

The film starts with the three girls, Effie, Deena and Lorrell entering a talent show as The Deamettes, where it is quickly obvious that they have a lot of talent and along with the music writing and choreography skills of Effie's brother C.C make the perfect target for Curtis. Curtis seems to be snooping around backstage ready to pounce on any talent he thinks he can help to stardom - and in turn make himself rich.

Through a lot of manipulation, scheming and illegal affairs Curtis delivers everything he promised to the girls. Even though he starts a relationship with plus size Effie, it doesn't take long for him realise he can not sell what she has to offer, and soon alienates her from the rest of the group, eventually forcing her to settle for backup and have her replaced as the main singer by Deena. Curtis also convinces the group that The Dreamettes is a childish name and that they should move forward in the industry with the name The Dreams. After a small amount of success, Effie is forced out of the group completely and replaced.

We then cut to a number of years later, Effie is collecting social, back living in Detroit raising her eight year old daughter Magic by herself. The Dreams have become huge stars and are now known as Deena and the Dreams, Curtis' record company, Rainbow records, is a massive success and now based in LA. Despite marring Curtis - the man of her dreams - Deena is not happy, she wants to grow as an artist branching out into acting and start a family, something Curtis is dead set against.

Curtis is still as manipulative as ever, but his disguise of this seems to be wearing thin. After an argument C.C, still writing for Curtis quits and returns home to Detroit. Here he meets back up with his sister promising to write her a hit record to release. Effie does record the song and manages to get distribution to local radio stations, at this point, word of the song reaches Curtis who is insistent that Effie must be stopped. As the song was written by C.C, Curtis believes it is owned by Rainbow records. The song gets re-recorded by Deena and the dreams in a vamped up disco version and quickly overshadows Effie's slower passionate version.

Deena does a little snooping in Curtis' office and finds the copy of Effie's version of the song, after an emotional phone call realising that Curtis has gone too far she helps provide the evidence of Curtis' early days in the business which C.C and Effie use to blackmail Curtis.

Effie finally gets her chance at stardom, Deena leaves Curtis and the Dreams decide to call it a day, the final part of the film showing a farewell concert by The Dreams - all four of them.

Now - the music is amazing, most of the songs are as a performance to an audience, which would not make it a musical by the rules of Musical Mondays - but, thankfully there are a few belters performed just for the sake of being able to sing their hearts out, so, it is a Musical!

All in all, I love this film, the cast are amazing. Beyonce as Deena and Jennifer Hudson as Effie are just awe inspiring - man can they sing! I wouldn't change any of the cast at all, although Mum is really not a fan of Jamie Foxx (Curtis) I think he works in the part.

After seeing this film at the cinema I did purchase the soundtrack, and it actually take quite a lot for me to buy music, so I think that speaks for itself. Despite the fact that I am possibly the most atrocious singer in the world, I do like a good song to warble to at the top of your lungs every now and then, both Effie's song 'And I am telling you I'm not going' and Deena's 'Listen' provide just that!

Mum and I have seen this film a good number of times now and it still managed to make mum cry.

The scores are...

Mum

• Rewatchability 6
• Sing-a-long 5
• Story/Plot 7
• Overall 7

Me

• Rewatchability 8
• Sing-a-long 8
• Story/Plot 8
• Overall 8

Which gives a grand total of 57.