Hudson performance makes Dreamgirls a hit

Dreamgirls (Paramount, 24,99) is a thinly disguised retelling of the Supremes’ story.

Bill Condon’s direction is assured, helped in no small measure by the remarkable performance of Jennifer Hudson in an Oscar winning role.

Curtis Taylor (Jamie Foxx) is the manipulative manager who lands his Dreamettes a supporting gig with James Thunder Early (Eddie Murphy), but then decides to ditch the band’s lead singer, Effie (Hudson), in favour of the more glamourous Deena (Beyoncé Knowles).

A cracking soundtrack adds greatly to the overall drama, which sees Hudson easily outshine megastar Beyoncé.

A tale of skullduggery not unusual for the music industry, the single disc version comes with alternate and extended scenes, plus a Beyoncé music video.

The double disc set has a decent documentary and lots of featurettes.

Drama