MOULIN ROUGE

2001 ***** 127 mins.

Baz Luhrmann's film about a poor writer (Ewan McGregor) who falls in love with a courtesan (Nicole Kidman, looking her most beautiful) is one of the most remarkable films in recent years.

In this film, there is so much to see that one couldn't possibly see it all, no matter how many times he or she watched it. In the first fifteen minutes, the viewer is absorbed into the world that is presented, and the film does not let the viewer go until after the credits scroll. The film flies by at an exhilirating pace that only Mr. Luhrmann could do this well. The story flows with grace, though, through the vibrant, almost hectic, pacing of the film. That is what makes Moulin Rouge such a remarkable winner.

Being a musical, it is only fitting that I should comment on the music. As is the case with the film itself, one never knows what to expect. One moment you hear Ewan McGregor singing, majestically, Elton John's "Your Song". The next minute, you're hearing David Bowie's "'Heroes'" given a new twist. Even Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" makes an appearance. Leave it to Baz Luhrmann to put modern music in a film that takes place in 1899.
"Come What May" is number 85 on AFI's 100 Years . . . 100 Songs.
Rated PG-13 for sexual content.