...as with The Color Purple, none of these weaknesses will stop black moviegoers from loving Dreamgirls to pieces.

I was going to write a proper review of the film but despite my lack of love for Beyonce's performance, I think Steven Boone wrote the right one.

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At around 3:40, Hudson screams, "I'm staying, I'm staying, and you, and you, and you, you're gonna love me!" and the band bursts into full power right here with the song's main musical motif - a simple but incredibly effective melodic passage that manages to accentuate Hudson's singing beyond where her voice alone could take it...yet never detracts or attempts to compete with her performance. She holds that note - "meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" before taking it back again into, "you're gonna love me" and the band makes sure that the longer you listen, the deeper you get pulled in with the gravity of it all.

- Jennifer Holiday/Hudson: You're Gonna Love This by Oliver Wang, soul sides, 12.26.06

For me, I pretty much lose it at 2:06 into the song. There's a particular "no way" right there, right before the bridge, that hits me in my core. I've seen this damn movie twice this week and both times at that point, I just want to run out of the theatre. As one of the commentators said on NPR's African-American Roundtable earlier this week, she just takes us there.

Anyway, O-Dub has downloads available of both versions.

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Dreamgirls - Trailer

Just go see it. Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy are enough. Beyonce is kinda wack, as expected, but not distracting enough to detract from the experience of Eddie Murphy in his finest performance maybe ever (Oscar Worthy) and Jennifer Hudson's electricity every moment she is on the screen. Every moment. When she sings "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" it is, perhaps, the best vocal performance ever on film. I shit you not. And she shines in every other emotional moment in the picture. Just, you know, wow.

Wow.

Best Actress. Don't Sleep.

I took the fam to see the Road Show early engagement at The Arclight this afternoon. Here's the shwag we got:

Dreamgirls Road Show

Fancy.

It was a lovely way to spend Christmas Eve.

I'm thinking about picking up the damn soundtrack, I enjoyed it so much.

Dear Jennifer Hudson, I'm so sorry I thought you were a googly eyed hot mess when you were on American Idol. You've set me straight.

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