Bill Condon knows a thing or two about Oscar. The proud owner of an Academy Award for his Gods And Monsters screenplay, the New Yorker was also nominated for his Chicago script. And now it looks as if he might be in line for a directing gong, such is the decent job he’s done of bringing Dreamgirls to the big screen. A Broadway smash, the Henry Krieger-Tom Eyen musical tells the story of the Supremes, only with the names changed to protect innocent and guilty alike. In Condon’s picture the Diana Ross-esque role of Deena Jones falls to Beyonce Knowles who continues to suggest that her skills extend beyond booty-shaking. As for the other Motown movers and shakers, you don’t have to squint too hard to see who Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson are really meant to be. Since Condon knows his way around musical theater, Dreamgirls isn’t beset with the staginess that’s spoilt many a Hollywood adaptation. And while you can’t help feeling a real film about the rise and fall of The Supremes would have greater impact.
