Welcome back to Season 3 of Cade & Kit, where each week we trade off picking movies based on a shared theme—and make the other person watch something they may not have chosen themselves. This week’s theme? Love Triangle. And Kit went full glam with her pick: Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge!, a 2001 jukebox musical that’s equal parts glitter, heartbreak, and high drama.
Kit’s love for this film runs deep. Not only did it make her personal Top 5 list (again), but she came ready to unpack the artistic references, the historical nods to fin-de-siècle Paris, and how the movie’s central triangle isn’t just romantic—it’s also existential. Cade, on the other hand, hadn’t seen it in years and was curious whether it would still “slap” in 2025. Spoiler: It did.
Moulin Rouge! follows Christian (Ewan McGregor), a wide-eyed writer who arrives in Paris to chase his dreams and winds up writing a play for a group of bohemians led by the eccentric Toulouse-Lautrec (yes, the real one—sort of). He’s introduced to Satine (Nicole Kidman), the sparkling courtesan and star of the Moulin Rouge, but through a classic mistaken identity, she thinks he’s the wealthy Duke who’s supposed to fund the club’s next big show.
One chaotic seduction scene later (think: Nicole Kidman writhing on rugs mid-monologue), Satine realizes she’s falling for the wrong man—and that the club’s survival depends on convincing the right man to bankroll their dreams. What unfolds is a musical love story wrapped inside a fictional play that mirrors their real lives, all set in a world bursting with song mashups, absinthe, and emotional whiplash.
From the jump, Kit highlights the spectacular spectacular tone—how the over-the-top musicality and color palette somehow manage to carry a deeply emotional core. She especially loves the meta-layer of the characters performing a fictional love triangle that mirrors the one they’re living in real life. And then there’s Toulouse, played with wild charm and an absinthe-soaked reverence for the arts. Kit pointed out how he’s more than comic relief—he’s the heart of the story’s artistic soul.
Cade appreciated how much the music does the heavy lifting. In a film with this much plot and backstory, the songs (like “Come What May” and “Roxanne”) become efficient emotional engines. “If they just talked through all of that,” he said, “this movie would be five hours long.” Instead, the musical numbers take you deep into character feelings without ever slowing the pace.
Cade admitted he almost forgets Moulin Rouge! is technically a musical. To him, it leans more drama than classic song-and-dance, and if you’re not ready for that much theatrical glitter, it can feel like a sensory overload. Kit agreed, noting that not everyone will be on board for the hyper-stylized, music-video-on-acid editing style. But for those who are? It’s magic.
The love triangle itself is also more thematic than emotionally balanced. Satine isn’t really in love with the Duke—it’s a power exchange, a survival tactic. So while the stakes feel real, the romance is a bit lopsided. That said, the movie knows this and leans into the question: What do we really choose when we choose love?
For Kit, Moulin Rouge! remains a near-perfect film. The aesthetics, the emotion, the historical layers—it hits every note. Cade came in with fresh eyes and was surprised by how well it held up. “I’ve watched it a few times,” he said, “and it still lands. Complete story. Emotional payoff.”
Kit gave it a 9.5/10, calling it one of her all-time favorites. Cade gave it a 8.5/10, impressed by how the film’s dramatic weight balances its musical chaos.
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