Rating: 
Summary: Who Says That Murder's Not An Art?
Review: Coming from a man who has seen the recent revival of "Chicago" twice. I can without a shred of hesitation say that the new film version is not only one of the best movies of the year, but it's also one of the best movie musicals of all time!!! Rob Marshall skillfully handles the material with gusto and flare, and Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters) adapts the play in an almost effortless fashion. Together they were able to retain the satirical value of the Kander/Ebb/Fosse musical, and as a matter of fact utilize it to their advantage.
After seeing the play, I was wondering in my head how could they adapt many of these numbers to the screen. (ie the 'Cell Block Tango,' 'Razzle Dazzle' and 'Funny Honey') Mainly because the numbers in many ways are like monologues in song, that and the fact that this is not a musical that was ever made to be "by-the-book" because lord knows these are characters aren't exactly "by-the-book." So in the midst of this revelation you couldn't make this into a standard "break into song in the middle of the dialogue" movie musical. It needed to be something that fits with the context of the story. But hallelujah! They figured it out! how they did it? I don't feel inclined to tell you, it would spoil the surprise. As for the numbers themselves? All of them are brilliantly staged, and though they'll be compared to Fosse's style you won't stone the filmmaker's to death if it doesn't match. Because Marshall is able to breathe a different kind of life into the dance in the same fashion that he did for Sam Mendes' revival of "Cabaret" (Ironically another Kander & Ebb musical that Fosse choreographed and directed). Each number is also filmed and edited with striking precision and never misses a beat.But now for the most pivotal component...The actors! The casting for this movie has been kicked around continuously (Names such as Madonna, Goldie Hawn, Charlize Theron, Hugh Jackman...The list goes on)until finally settling with Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Renee Zellweger playing the two merry murderesses Velma and Roxie. Many people looked surprised to hear they these two were to be starring in a musical, but frankly I wasn't. I knew Zellweger could sing since "Empire Records" and I was also aware that Zeta-Jones was a chorus girl in London before she took up acting. So I knew they could handle it. As Roxie, Zellweger has that look of apparent innocence which is perfectly in character considering she uses it to her advantage to cover up her true intentions. Catherine Zeta-Jones? all I can say about her is that she is sin on legs! I definitely wouldn't want her to catch me with her sister doing "Number 17: The Spread Eagle," And as a plus when she has the screen she holds it especially with her opening number "All That Jazz" which she sings with a power that rivals that of Chita Rivera, and Bebe Neuwirth. For me the shaky casting choice was of The Male lead Billy Flynn. I had no idea if Richard Gere was capable of handling the part. Sure he could definitely play a lecherous lawyer (See "Primal Fear") but could he sing? ultimately the answer proves to be a big YES! He fills the screen with, dare-I-say Razzle Dazzle and his singing matches that of the 1920's vaudeville style. plus he can TAP!!!It's ironic, last year we were surprised when Nicole Kidman belted out a tune. Now Richard Gere is shooting to stand next to Fred Astaire. It makes you wonder who will surprise us next year? Now when I saw the play the part of Matron 'Mama' Morton was played by an Aretha Franklin-esque woman which to me was perfect cause that's the only way I could ever have pictured the character to be portrayed. So when I heard that they cast Queen Latifah to play "The Mistress of Murderers Row," I didn't have to worry about it one bit. And surely enough my prediction has proven to be correct. Same also goes for John C. Reilly and his meekly sympathetic portrayal of cuckolded husband Amos Hart. His rendition of 'Mr. Cellophane' is definitely a milestone in this film and invokes pleasant memories of Charlie Chaplin and the Marx Brothers. Oh, and on a sidenote Lucy Liu was delicious in her cameo as Go-To-Hell Kitty. All in all Chicago is a close to perfect stage-to-screen adaptation. That never lets up, keeps you invigorated with showstopping numbers and performances that are bursting with sin. sure it's not the stage show, but it's still the closest thing to it.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent movie musical -- a real WOW!
Review: Chicago, a film version of the incredibly popular stage musical, stars Catherine Zeta Jones as nightclub singer Velma Kelly, Renee Zellwegger as star wannabe Roxie Hart, and Richard Gere as sleazy lawyer Billy Flynn. As the film opens, Velma has just killed her cheating husband and Roxie, who dreams of stardom, sleeps with a furniture salesman with supposed showbiz connections. When the salesman doesn't come through with his promise to get Roxie on stage, she shoots him. Both ladies end up in the Cook County Jail on murderess row, under the strong hand of Matron "Mama" Morton (Queen Latifah). Both are represented by notorious lawyer Flynn, who will do just about anything to win a case. John C. Reilly appears as Roxie's dullard husband, Taye Diggs as the nightclub band leader, and Christine Baranski as one of the newspaper reporters covering Roxie's murder trial. If you like musical theatre, you're going to love this. First off, I have to say how impressed I was with Catherine Zeta Jones. I have never found her very impressive as an actress, but she knocked my socks off here. Her singing and dancing are excellent, and her performance is charismatic (she steals the show). Zellwegger holds her own in the singing and dancing department but has neither the intensity nor the charisma of Jones. It is fun to watch Richard Gere sing and dance and he does a nice job of it. Taye Diggs was hugely under-used--I would have loved to see him in the action more. The song-and-dance numbers are fantastic--sexy, dramatic, and well-choreographed (Cell Block Tango especially). If, like me, you know the songs by heart, it was a faithful enough reproduction that I could sing along in my head. There were a few things that bugged me. Some of the camera work is extremely fast and jerky, to the point of making me physically uncomfortable and, as much as I like Queen Latifah, I just didn't buy her in this role. She was okay as the prison matron but, when she does her "When You're Good to Mama" stage number, she just seems so out of place and uncomfortable in the gold gown with her bosoms flowing out everywhere. All in all, a WOW of a movie and a good time to boot.
Rating:
Summary: Theatre Cynic Wowed!
Review: Plain and simple, I was floored by this movie. "Chicago" is one of my favorite stage shows; I know the show backwards and forwards. Therefore, I was very cynical about everything from the concept to the casting. When I heard the opening notes of the overture come from that big screen, and realized that they didn't really edit it, I had a glimmer of hope. The opening number, "All That Jazz", then blew all of my cynicism out of the water. Most people don't know that Catherine Zeta-Jones (Velma Kelly) and Richard Gere (Billy Flynn) both started on the stage. All of the stars did highly admirable jobs with their characters, especially John C. Reilly as Amos Hart. The energy and emotion is carried seamlessly from scene to scene, weaving the story (dare I say) almost spellbindingly. As a theatre person, and Broadway groupie, I have to mention that the ensemble dancers are largely culled from the ranks of Broadway 'gypsies'.....I recognized several names from shows that I've seen on Broadway. This only helps add to the "stage feeling" of the movie. It's also the reason that the musical numbers are really what make this movie fly. The above mentioned "All That Jazz" sets the tone for the entire movie by "out-Fosseing" the original. "We Both Reached For the Gun" took the original stage concept of the number one step further, resulting in not only an incredible musical highlight, (I'm not going to ruin it for you) but also an extremely accurate take on society today. "Razzle Dazzle" was jaw-dropping and "Cell Block Tango" actually moved me to tears. The biggest disappointment was the omission of "Class" (with Momma Morton and Velma)...Queen Latifah and Zeta-Jones would have really nailed it. Maybe on the DVD release........ It's time Hollywood realizes that in order to make something work, you need to have people at the helm who know what they're doing. Rob Marshall ("Cabaret" Revival) directed and choreographed "Chicago"...his concept for inserting musical numbers is flawless. His Broadway background and knowledge certainly saved this movie from the fate of "Evita" and "A Chorus Line". I wanted to applaud after every number. What an awesome movie experience.
Rating:
Summary: Review of Chicago
Review: The Movie "Chicago" was very much better than the stage play. This was because the movies can produce such marvelous special effects. Catherine Zeta Jones, Renee Zetweiler, and Richard Geer did their own dancing and singing. They are beautiful, talented actors and held me spellbound throught the film. The music was also wonderful. The three people I went to see it with were equally impressed. It was a sellout audience. Maybe this movie will encourage Hollywood to produce more musical, feel-good movies. I certainly hope so.
Rating:
Summary: Sin. Gin. Jazz. Chicago!
Review: After numerous false starts and endless speculation as to casting, director, screenwriter, ad nauseum, Bob Fosse's legendary CHICACO finally hits the big screen. Interest is high on whether or not Rob Marshall's dazzling take on the popular musical actually translates into the true revival of a moribund genre. The end result? This is not a hot house flower like Baz Luhurmann's groundbreaking "Moulin Rouge." CHICAGO channels Fosse's "Cabaret" by offering a more organic means of including songs in a narrative without distancing its audience. While it may not have the MTV sheen of "Moulin Rouge," CHICAGO is no less invigorating or exciting. If anything, it is another riveting example of how a new generation of filmmakers is giving the screen musical a powerful breath of life. Featuring an ensemble of stage veterans with faces you never expected to belt out a showtune, CHICAGO wins on every level. From Bill Condon's wonderfully acerbic adaptation to Marshall's sexy musical numbers and Colleen Atwood's drop dead gorgeous gowns, CHICAGO is pure fun. However, the real power comes from the "killer diller" pairing of Catherize Zeta-Jones (as Velma Kelly) and Renee Zellweger's surprising star turn as Roxie Hart. Both deliver unforgettable performances that will surprise the hell out of a lot of people. Both women look like their having the time of their lives and that gives the film plenty of lift. The supporting cast, especially John C. Reilly and Queen Latifah are clearly up to the challenge and deliver terrific performances. Even Richard Gere, who at times seems like he's going through the motions in recent projects, has a glint of fun in his eyes. Full of sizzle and sexy appeal, CHICAGO proves a more enjoyable evening than the long running revival that is a global phenomenon. How the film affects the revival will be interesting. While a live performance is always an enriching experience, CHICAGO the film proves an equally - and more cost effective -- way of enjoying this immensely winning piece of entertainment. What I appreciated the most about Miramax's vision of the project was leaving the show alone and not to create a youthquake. After a mediocre film year with few bright spots, the end of 2002 is truly saving the best for last and it goes without questions that CHICAGO is among the must sees.
Rating:
Summary: Divas to Die For
Review: It is the 1920s in Chicago and we enter this musical film through a saucy nightclub to see Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) performing a duo act of All that Jazz on her own. Only later is it revealed what happened to her sister who was supposed to be the second half of the act. Next we meet Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger) who is a naive girl with big dreams of stardom who goes to the slammer for killing her lover. From the moment she enters and we see a brief flash of her imagining herself on stage, we are aware that this film is half reality and half Roxie's dream. Ambitious Roxie has to find a way to get herself out of prison and onto the stage. To do this she creates an innocent persona that is designed by her smooth talking lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere) for the media to bring the public to her support. With his help and the sassy matron of the women's prison 'Mama' Morton (Queen Larifah) Roxie eclipses Velma Kelly's prison girl fame. Her matronly values and repentant attitude have the public enthralled and the jury in tears. But with her newfound celebrity Roxie's head is sent spinning again with plans of musical fame. However, it becomes increasingly obvious that her popularity will be dreadfully short lived if she doesn't craft a way to remain in the spotlight. Teetering on the brink of superstar celebrity and death row, Roxie will have to give the performance of her life if she wants to save her neck. Filled with beautifully choreographed catchy musical numbers and a pleasing sweep of fast dramatic action, there is never a dull moment in this film. It's a triumphantly enjoyable thing to watch. The greatest reason for this film's success is due to the stunning ensemble of actors many of whom (with the exception of Queen Larifah) we aren't familiar with hearing sing. The cast all excel in both in their musical numbers and acting performances. Catherine Zeta-Jones looks stunning and is fun in her catty diva role. Renée Zellweger is perfect for her part of the innocent, but still determined and quietly vicious, Roxie who will stop at nothing to become a star. Like in the striking film Nurse Betty, Zellweger's character again confuses reality with her dreams and her subtle facial shifts and movement meaningfully represent her psychological conflict. Most surprisingly, Richard Gere delivers a fantastic performance as the slimy lawyer proving that this actor can really do comedy well. Then there are notable performances in minor roles that leave an impact such as Queen Latifah's sultry money-hungry matron, Christine Baranski as the hilarious news reporter Mary Sunshine, John C Reilly as Roxie's neglected but still loving husband Amos Hart and Lucy Liu as the vicious ball-busting heiress Kitty. Those familiar with the famous stage show of Chicago will not be disappointed because this film maintains its focus on the musical and dance numbers as the centerpiece. In fact, the meaning of Roxie's psychological confusion between reality and fantasy is wonderfully accentuated by the film's ability to quickly cut between the drab, harsh reality and the glamorous, jazzy corners of Roxie's imagination. The director Rob Marshall excellently filmed all the dance numbers to focus on particular moves as well as capture the full action of the performances for the fullest effect. This movie is a fine example of how a musical film can succeed where its pertinent counterpart (as both films focus on a female on death row) Dancer in the Dark failed. The musical numbers all take a vital role in both accentuating plot detail and enjoyably moving the film along. Likewise, the story does not take itself too seriously preferring to revel in the fantastic music and thrilling story rather than focus on any specific moral meaning. That isn't to say that this film isn't emotionally engaging. It excels in its ability to entertain you as well as draw you into an exciting story of fame, glamour and death.
Rating:
Summary: And Hollywood Comes Back With a Vengance
Review: The new sure fire hit musical "Chicago," will prove that the 2002-2003 movie season will be the best one in a long time.
With a movie musical, a 50's melodrama (Far From Heaven) an acid writing comedy (Adaptation) a deep drama (The Hours), 2003 is already shelling out great Oscar contenders.
Yes, the season will have its hit floozies: 8 Mile, Friday After Next, but I am happy to say that films like Friday After Next are no panning well at the box office.
Sure enough, films like "Chicago" will start Hollywood's great quest back to stylish and brilliant movies.
Rating: 
Summary: Could Have Been A Classic
Review: Back in the 1970's, Liza Minnelli rescued this work from becomming a Broadway flop and turned the box-office around as soon as she stepped into the lead role. Liza recorded great versions of "All That Jazz" and "My Own Best Friend" and was at one point rumored to be signed for the lead in the motion picture "Chicago" with Goldie Hawn as the co-lead!! Now that would have been a classic and it is sad that for some strange reason this classic pairing did not happen except in an extraordinary TV Special "Goldie And Liza" which should be released on DVD! What we have here is a movie with no Superstar musical talents and it shows!! The movie plays like so many videos today and doesn't have the depth and substance of the musicals from the classic period that is gone. For a major motion picture musical you simply need a major musical star (or two!) to really make it a great classic!! This "Chicago" is a lightly entertaining movie that could have been a all-time great classic. When will Hollywood learn or does it even care anymore...
Rating:
Summary: the dance phenomonom.
Review: an absolutely genius film starring Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta Jones, and Richard Gere. The story is based on a woman who shoots the person she is having an affair with, and is sent to prison, leaving behind her heartbroken and pathetic husband, who despite her adultery still loves her and tries to pay her out of jail. But Renee has eyes on only one thing: fame; and becoming a criminal will make her famous. She enlists the help of Billy, her only root to escape. Seeing the attention Roxie Hart is getting, becomes an outbreak of war between the ex-famous dancer/singer and Veronica (I think that's her name). I'll leave the rest of the plot for you to work out. Buy it now!
Rating:
Summary: SUPERB!! Absolute best musical-play put on film EVER!
Review: This movie is an EXCEPTIONAL piece of art; it maintains original storyline of the Broadway musical yet gives it a modern feel with these fresh, overly-talented actors & if you can catch it, some sarcastic humor & artistic vision & metaphor!! I hardly ever agree with "the Academy", so I didn't see this until my mom rented it, (before this my favorite musical was RockyHorror, so I'm not really what you'd call 'mainstream'). I was BLOWN AWAY! So, ok, great movie-making, but then to realize that the actors do all of their own singing & dancing? It's amazing! The storyline is: We open on prima-donna starlett Velma Kelly, (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who gives a whole new meaning to "All That Jazz", she is supposed to be a sister act with Veronica who's missing at this point...in the audience is fresh-faced young Roxie Hart(Renee Zellweger), a girl with so many stars in her eyes she can't see reality and will do just about ANYTHING to ensure her place in Vaudeville. From this point its a fast-paced, intelligent, wryly humorous & on-key ride as everyone attempts their proverbial 15 minutes (and hopefully more) of fame, no matter who gets shot in the process. Velma is accustomed to being famous & worshipped & therefore getting her way, so she's a bit of a wench, whereas Roxie tries to catch the flies with honey & is fairly naive, but as the story progresses, you see her learn quickly & surpass others at getting AND KEEPING the attention. Billy Flynn,(Richard Gere),is the sly, sarcastic, silver-tongued lawyer hired to help the 2 girls... Catherine Zeta-Jones has a musical & theater background and it is very obvious as she showcases her many talents: she can sing, dance, act, acrobat, whatever. She's beautifully lethal, charming, and full of class, charisma & hard work. Renee Zellweger, on the other hand had never sung or danced before, yet she plays with the best and DEFINITELY holds her own. She is VERY talented & its almost more endearing that this was her 1st venture into a musical-theatre-type of arena. No one can just be trained to sing that well, they merely work with what's already there....Richard Gere has never been one of my favorites but I now really respect and admire him, he is also full of talent and surprises. Queen Latifah hits the screen and you know she's serious, seriously funny & talented! Also a surprise cameo by Lucy Liu, it also has John C.Reilly, Christine Baranski, Taye Diggs & popstar Mya. One last point is this: These 3 stars, Catherine, Renee, & Richard were big stars already and in their own right, this was not needed to push them in better, they did it because they rose to the challenge & were perfectly cast. No one could have done better! This is not just the movie of the year, but of the last few decades, not since Cabaret have I seen a musical put on film & done right & this one's better!! It deserved every acclaim it got--these people worked HARD...(I've seen it 100 times & can't find 1 mistake). CHEERS!! Here's to Nowadays...enjoy it while it lasts cuz in 50 years or so it'll change, you know... :)
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