Moulin Rouge! musical nominated for Best Picture in 10 years, following Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" (1991). In BBC's 2016 poll of the greatest films since 2000, "Moulin Rouge!" ranked 53rd. In the year 1900, a British writer named Christian (Ewan McGregor), suffering from depression, begins writing on his typewriter ("Nature Boy"). As Christian narrates, the film flashes back to one year earlier upon Christian's move to the Montmartre district of Paris to become a writer among members of the area's Bohemian movement. He soon discovers that his neighbours are a loose troupe of performers led by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (John Leguizamo).
Moulin Rouge! film uses so much popular music that it took Luhrmann almost two years to secure all the rights to the songs. Originally set for release on Christmas 2000 as a high-profile Oscar contender, 20th Century Fox eventually moved the release to the following spring so director Luhrmann would have more time during post-production. The film premiered at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival on 9 May – making it the festival's opening title. "Moulin Rouge!" received generally positive reviews from critics. The film holds a rating of 66/100 at Metacritic based on 35 reviews, and a 76% "Fresh" rating at Rotten