Oscar's Dreamgirl

There has been a lot of buzz lately, but particularly after the Golden Globes, about ex-Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson and her Oscar chances for "Dreamgirls". I had been promising Lexie for weeks that we'd go and see the movie and, this morning, I finally made good on that promise.

Mark my words people, if Jennifer Hudson misses out on her Oscar, there is a conspiracy in Hollywood. She has more talent than the rest of the cast combined and absolutely steals the show. Mind you, the role is also perfect for her and basically she's just playing herself: a newcomer to the entertainment industry, with all the raw talent in the world, disillusioned by how cut-throat and manufactured it can be.

I hadn't realised that the movie was the screen version of a Broadway production but now that I've seen the film, I can see how in places it translated well to a movie, and other places it didn't work so well.

Beyonce was actually pretty good and she sings one great song that gave me goosebumps. Don't ask me to remember what that song was of course, but I remember really enjoying it at the time. Eddie Murphy hams it up and has a great time with his role. Very "Little Richard" and all glitz, glamour, and glitter.

But the Oscar, and the movie itself, simply must go to Jennifer Hudson. The question does remain however, where will she go from here? More music or more movies? Or will life imitate art, and will she be a one-time Flavor of the Month that the industry forgets about? One thing is for sure, she will not fade quietly; her voice is just way too powerful and memorable for that.