Dreamgirls (2006)

Directed by: Bill Condon

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Anika Noni Rose, and Danny Glover

Effie (Jennifer Hudson), Deena (Beyonce Knowles), and Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose) are the Dreamettes.  They perform at a local talent show in Detroit where car salesman Curtis Taylor (Jamie Foxx) discovers the young singers.  Curtis finagles a deal for the girls to perform with Jimmy Early (Eddie Murphy) to the dismay of his manager Marty (Danny Glover).  After touring with Jimmy for a while, the girls' careers take off.  In the process, Curtis founds a record a label.  Meanwhile, Effie falls for Curtis, and Lorrell and Jimmy have an affair.  Bill Condon weaves all of this into a joyous story full of love, laughs, and great music.

Dreamgirls is an adaptation of the 1981 musical production of the same name.  In this flick, Bill Condon brings all the magic of this Broadway production to life on the big screen.  Dreamgirls is a dazzling, soulful film that combines old school music with today's talent.  Beyoncé gives an impressive performance as Deena Jones.  To date, this is her defining role as an actress.  Jamie Foxx, fresh from winning an Academy Award for Ray, gives a dark performance as record label exec Curtis Taylor.  The standouts of this film, however, are Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson.  Murphy adds an impressive dramatic turn to his long list of laudable onscreen roles, while Hudson gives a powerhouse performance that established her as a force in both the music and acting communities.  If you've never had the chance to see a musical production on Broadway, watch this movie.  Dreamgirls is about as close as you can get to the sensation of a live production in 2D.