I have to say, I avoided this movie for quite a long time. I think it was the previews that turned me off. Then a friend appeared who happen to own the DVD and I decided, what the hell?

I was so surprised. This is a very high-energy movie. It's visual design is flamboyant, and the music... well the music is a bit of a surprise.

Ewan McGregor (Christian) a young British man gone to Paris to make his name as a writer. He completely by accident runs into Toulouse-Lautrec (John Leguizamo) and his troupe of playwrights and actors. They are trying to come up with a play called "Spectacular! Spectacular!" They work and work their musical ideas when Christian starts belting out, "The Hills Are Alive, With The Sound of Music!" Then, it gets silly.

The film is full of modern songs playing against a 1900 backdrop. The most over the top is one man singing to another man about a woman. The song? Like a Virgin.

What really kicks this film is the constant fantasy world of the Moulin Rouge juxtaposed against the reality that almost every principle character is really miserable or dying. The more over-the-top it goes, the lower it sinks in a moment or two. It's quite a roller coaster.

I ended up liking this film. I thought the production design and film making craft really shine. Whoever decided to use the modern music was a genius. It's worth a rent.