Moulin Rouge (2001)

It's Rachel's turn to pick the subject and she went with Baz Luhrmann's gaudy take on the big-budget musical. Moulin Rouge was a big favorite of Rachel's during her adolescence and it remains a solid "comfort movie" that she puts on whenever she's bored or tired or just wants to have something familiar playing in the background. Join Ryan and Rachel as they probe this film, a product that audiences seem to love and/or loathe. Discussion topics include Luhrmann's distinctly grandiose style, how the movie plays off its historical setting, the plot's adhesion to tropes prevalent in 19th century Italian theater, how an actor performs in a melodrama, Moulin Rouge's playful take on musical anachronism, and how the film's storytelling reflects societal impressions of sex work. You will also get to hear a kitten sneeze.