I caught a little bit of the much-loved Moulin Rouge on TV not too long ago, and I've been meaning to ask: what the hell is wrong with you girls?

It's not that I dislike the actors, or the plotline, or watching celebrities die of tuberculosis. In fact, I even like musicals: I think the Buffy musical episode was great!

But what possible reason is there for the movie's bizarre timing? Or the odd sound effects that accompany the constantly-swooping camerawork? Or the outbursts of "ohmigodthisisSOfunny"-high-school-improv-workshop-style hamminess?

Well, I suppose I shouldn't hope to comprehend the work of an artist capable of creating that goddamn sunscreen song -- that ML director Baz Luhrmann could create an artifact of such bottomless banality makes me think his films ought to be viewed with the same sort of critical eye directed toward, say, the cinematic ouevre of a costume designer.

But really, I don't dislike Moulin Rouge -- I just find it astoundingly strange. Watching it makes me feel like I have a neurological disorder.