Moulin Rouge! (2001)

The critic praises Baz Luhrmann for successfully resurrecting the musical genre with outrageously styled visuals, songs spanning pop music history, and a classic impossible-love story set in 1899 Paris. The result is described as a magnificent confection.

The critic calls it an opulent, no-holds-barred musical drama and a singular achievement, wrapped in an audacious mix of songs and near-insane visual ambition that viewers will either love or find exhausting.

The critic finds the film visually dazzling with its bold use of color and anachronistic pop songs but notes that the narrative feels simultaneously stirring and dispiriting. It praises the emotional excess and heart that explodes in every scene.

The film is seen as a flashy, artificial celebration of pop culture mashups that lacks emotional depth or heart. Its energetic set pieces and musical numbers are praised as exhilarating but ultimately soulless.

The critic finds the film an overwhelming sensory overload that fails to connect emotionally. The spectacle is criticized as spasmodic and drowning in its own excess.

The critic argues that Moulin Rouge fails to revive the musical genre, as Luhrmann does not trust the material enough to deliver proper song-and-dance numbers that advance the story. The reviewer singles out the jittery direction and over-reliance on pop song remixes as major flaws.

The review praises the film as a quirky, intoxicating arthouse musical that successfully builds on Luhrmann's previous work with a gaudy, opulent spectacle full of energy and romance. It singles out the real chemistry between Kidman and McGregor and the clever use of revamped pop songs as highlights.

The critic hails Luhrmann as a visionary who reinvents genres with audacious innovation and expressionism, praising the splendid cast led by a dazzling Kidman and McGregor who excel in both acting and singing.

The critic finds the film a stretched trailer that overwhelms with cleverness and postmodern pastiche, turning a simple melodrama into something wearisome despite its visual beauty and ambitious references.

The critic describes the film as a wildly over-the-top fantasy Paris that is gorgeously and intricately conceived but ultimately too fast and furious, with constant gimmicks, crash zooms, and an excess of anachronistic pop songs that prevent the audience from drawing breath or appreciating the design.

The critic praises the hyperkinetic, luridly stunning post-modern mix of myth, musical and pastiche with enormous gusto and visual ambition, though noting it lacks emotional punch and can drag.

The critic celebrates the film's transportive visual spectacle and operatic emotional intensity in Baz Luhrmann's reimagining of the Moulin Rouge story. They particularly praise the vibrant choreography and the charismatic performances of Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.