You've probably heard about the show-stopping number in "Dreamgirls," the one called "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going,"
the one in which "American Idol" non-winner Jennifer Hudson assures herself a place in the pantheon of legendary vocalists. Since I dislike movie-related hyperbole, I would love to tell you that Hudson's talent has been overstated and that her performance of the song is nothing special. But in this case, the hype is accurate. Hudson's rendition of the song -- an angry, desperate, pitiful declaration of resolve -- is astonishingly powerful. It's one of the most breathtaking tours de force in the history of movie musicals. The rest of the movie? Eh, it's fine. Director Bill Condon, who wrote the screen version of "Chicago" a few years back, has adapted this 1982 Tony winner with vigor, and the costumes and production design are every bit as fabulous as the show demands. Condon, also the consummate director of "Kinsey" and "Gods and Monsters," knows his way around biopics, musicals, and show business behind-the-scenes stories, all of which apply to "Dreamgirls." Yet for all its glitter and razzle-dazzle, this film version rarely connects on an emotional level. It feels superficial -- though I admit it's a pretty rousing and toe-tapping kind of superficiality. Originally written by composer Henry Krieger (who has penned a few new tunes for the film) and the late lyricist Tom Eyen, "Dreamgirls" is a thinly veiled retelling of Diana Ross and the Supremes' career. In the fictional version, the Dreamettes are a Detroit trio -- uptight Deena (Beyonce Knowles), shy Lorell (Anika Noni Rose), and diva-in-training Effie (Jennifer Hudson) -- who catch their first break in the mid-1960s when an enterprising talent manager and part-time car salesman named Curtis Taylor (Jamie Foxx) books them as backup singers for womanizing R&B sensation James Early (Eddie Murphy).
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