Dreams

Gerald/Dreamgirls Review

*Be sure to check out my interview coming up soon on Queerkidofcolor.com!*

What does Gerald think of me? I wonder. I barely spoke to him, I just let him rattle on and on. I knew almost everything about him and still he knew almost nothing about me. I like it that way. Telling someone all your business is an emotional investment and I'm playing things close to the chest these days. Formerly addicted to heroine, habitually unemployed, musically talented, socially incapacitated, Hurricane Katrina victim, beyond pothead.

We live together every day. He cleans a lot. Takes out the trash compulsively. Washes the dishes obsessively. Cleans the floors and cleans the toilet. Takes several showers.

I listen to him talk every day. He cooks a lot. Brings me food. Buys groceries for everyone with his food stamps. Seeks companionship.

I ignore him every day. As I type this post, he is talking about something and I am not listening. He is talking and talking and I am concentrating on this post.

Drugs are his whole world. Malcolm is another of my room mates. Uptight beyond uptight. Today, he was fed up with Gerald once again. Gerald did not wish to smoke marijuana outside nor did he wish to turn the television off in the living room. Malcolm left in a huff and five minutes later police were at my residence investigating an alleged fight. Malcolm had called the police and told them that Gerald and I were fighting outside and screaming.

I don't know how sitting in my room reading a book translated into fighting outside. The police had nothing so they left. I sat in my newly designed living room hugging a pillow that coincidentally matched the designs and colors of the wall perfectly.I looked at Gerald as he continued to express his fantasies about fucking Malcolm in the eye socket among other things. I wondered what he thought of me, because I really know what I think of him.

Dreamgirls

Either you're with it or you're not. You're all caught up in the Dreamgirls hype or you couldn't care less. As a well versed Dreamgirls fan, I was immediately captivated when I heard the news that a film version was being made. When I heard rumor of Fantasia Barrino playing the role, I got a little worried. When I heard Jennifer Hudson's name, I got excited. I was rooting for her ever since her first episode on American Idol, since she got voted off the first time, since Randy brought her back as a wild card, and when she finally got voted off I WAS MAD!

I'd been waiting all year for this movie to be released and I finally got the opportunity to at an advance screening here in Austin. I arrived an hour early and already a whole line of queens were all giddy about the impending viewing. When the lights finally went down and the music started, you couldn't have beat the smile off of my face with Jennifer Holliday's thigh. [OK, maybe you could have, but you get my point.]

From the moment the movie starts, you realize that this is going to be something special. The music stuns with its electricity. Jennifer Hudson's voice is to be taken seriously. It was a fitting image to see Miss Knowles dancing and singing backup to this great voice and you all know why!

The music itself is one of the best parts of the movie. I have no complaints whatsoever about the music. Everyone's singing was beautiful including ole Eddie Murphy. He really pulled off the James Brown persona. Beyonce's suppressed voice was such a relief to here. I am so glad that she was singing softly like a Diana Ross diva. What a relief from the normal vocal hystrionics we are used to. And before y'all start calling me Clay Cane and accusing me of hating Beyonce, I do not. I like her well enough, but I am just real about her! Jennifer Hudson delivered with every note, riff, and inflection. OK, Jamie Foxx could have done a little bit more for me, but he is all diva now.

Beyonce Knowles' acting was just as expected: bad. She is not a good actress and the fact that she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Lead Actress is ludicrous and a ploy for ratings. She should win an award for Lead Singer-Who-Can-Look-Really-Good-Copying-Diana-Ross. In the performance scenes, Beyonce does completely transform into Diana. She took us there! But in the actual scenes containing dialogue...no. They could have got someone better for this role and I am not sorry!

Jennifer Hudson's acting was considerably better than Knowles. Sometimes things felt a little forced and you could just tell that she was inexperienced. However, no tiny flaws can detract from the audience's desire to root for both the actress and the character of Effie White.

I think something was missing from this movie. They really needed to invest more in character development, because I felt like several characters were left as caricatures and never fully fleshed out in the manner they could have been. I will post all the things I would have done differently after the movie is released publically and everyone has seen it.

And, of course, everyone wants to hear about the BIG SCENE...And I Am Telling You. You know what, though. I'm going even going to say anything about it until after the movie comes out!

Overall, I give the movie four out of five, because of its stunning musicality and cinematography, despite its lack of reaching its full potential.