Amongst all this decadence, it’s all credit to Luhrmann - and especially his two leads - that Satine and Christian’s affair remains so convincing. Kidman and McGregor have that rare thing, real chemistry, and each gives a superb, profoundly moving performance
Empire Issue 148 October 2001

Ewan's Acceptance Speech
Thank you to the Empire readers. It's always lovely because the people that go to the films give you this, so that's nice. I'd like to thank Fox because they backed the movie. Baz first made a film about ballroom dancing and they went with him on that, and then he went back and wanted to make a film about a Shakespeare play and they wished that he was making a film about ballroom dancing, and then after that he wanted to reinvent the musical and they wished he was doing both of the initial ones, so thanks to Fox. Thanks to Baz, because when I dreamed as a kid of the movies it usually involved a lot of scantily clad ladies dancing, music and romance. And he gave me an opportunity to be a part of all of that for quite a long time. And thanks to Nicole Kidman because I wouldn't have liked to do the film with anyone but herself.'