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Chicago (Widescreen Edition)

Chicago (Widescreen Edition)

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: All that jazz and then some
Review: CHICAGO tells the tale of Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger) who wants to become a star in the jazz clubs of Chicago. Unfortunately, she hits a snag on her path to stardom when she murders the man with whom she had been having an affair. As she is arrested, her idol, jazz chanteuse Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is also taken off to jail for murdering her unfaithful husband. Roxie watches as the press flock to Velma, thanks to the talents of hot-shot lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), and when she eventually gets Flynn to take on her case as well she suddenly finds herself a headliner -- in the newspapers, anyway.

Zeta-Jones has the opening number which sets the stage for the musical, and she does a terrific job. In fact, most of the vocal and dance performances of the cast are excellent. Gere turns in a solid performance as Billy Flynn, and supporting players Queen Latifah and John C. Reilly steal the spotlight with exceptionally strong numbers. The biggest disappointment in my mind was in Zellweger's performance -- Roxie is the star of the show and I didn't feel that she truly filled the role. I frequently found her presence distracting.

Director Rob Marshall, known previously for directing the television adaptions of the musicals ANNIE and CINDERELLA, helps the audience accept the fact that the characters spontaneously break into song and dance -- a problem in many musicals on screen and on stage -- by making these sequences spring from Roxie's imagination. The staging of "We Both Reached For the Gun" is fantastic.

I can't speak to how closely Marshall's CHICAGO resembles the current Broadway show or the original Broadway cast. But in its own light, CHICAGO is a very entertaining film that proves that the musical genre is far from dead.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An affordable trip to the big stage
Review: Chicago was a breath of fresh Broadway air! Costumes, glamour, and foot tapping tunes. While the plot wasn't rocket science, the stars delivered one heck of a performance. My first trip was with the girls on a night out, but my husband and I enjoyed it just as much the second time around. Great date movie - steamy with plenty left to the imagination. I'd add another 1/2 star to make it a 4.5. Enjoy!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Music good, story bad
Review: The music was pretty good. My favorite, by far, was "Cellophane Man". The story left me very dissatisfied. I strongly wanted
justice to prevail in the end, and it didn't. If you like a dark
ending where bad prevails over good, then this is your movie.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Rob Marshall should give some nods to Baz Luhrmann
Review: As you probably know, this musical is from a 70's stage production of the late and entirely great Bob Fosse ("All That Jazz" was a semi-biographical flick about Fosse starring Roy Scheider in the lead role). Basically, it is a story revolving around two women who literally get away with murder and profit from their publicity (the movie's tagline is "If you can't be famous, be infamous"). I'll bet they had a ball making this movie. Apparently, Gere actually learned to tap dance. Zellweger worked her butt off. It must have been a doddle for Zeta-Jones, as her roots are in the stage, singing and dancing. John C. Reilly gives a fabulous performance, and I was thrilled to see him nominated for an Oscar (he's done so many great films this past year that it'd be a shame to see this highly underrated actor get passed up yet again). A highly enjoyable film and a great soundtrack.

However, it goes without saying that "Chicago" owes a big fat "cheers" to Baz Luhrmann and the "Moulin Rouge!" crew. That musical really paved the way for the (undoubtedly) myraids of musicals yet to come.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Chicago rocks!
Review: The last great musical before this was "The Blues Brothers" in the Eighties! I just loved Chicago for the magnificent music,the electrifying rhythm, the dazzling female protagonists and the original theme! And the scenography, colors and lights, all is perfect! You've got to see this movie! But what I appreciated most were the shifts between fantasy and reality, between a jazz swing and another.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Some Razzle Dazzle, some Funny Honney, but All that Jazz.
Review: No doubt about it. Chicago delivers the Old Razzle Dazzle. A bit of Funny Honney's, but without a doubt it delivers All that Jazz. Murder Jazz and a spectacular cast, theirs only one movie that delivers it all. As Blly Flynn (Richard Geere) would say
"That's Chicago". You couldn't have chosen a beter cast. I can't think of anyone how would be a better Roxie then Renee Zellwiger. I can't think of anyone else who could do it alone other as Velma other then Cathran Zeta-Joness. And who could deliver the Razzle Dazzle then the one and only Richard Geere. And when your god to Mama Queen Latifa's good to you. And who else could be Mr. Cellophane then John C. Reily. And lets not forget Rob Marshell without him this film may not even exist, and surrprisingly his first film. It is not a surprise that this is an Oscar Winner. It has everything you could possibly want in a musical. It starts off with Roxie Heart, a woman who cheated on her husband, and shot the man she cheated with. She was sent to jail where she met Velma kelly who killed her husband and her sister. From their Billy Flynn is hired to get Velma and Roxie free from jail. And aong the way it is this terrific scramble to see who will be more famous then the other but in the end, Velma and Roxie got together to the stage. A fantastic movie for almost the whole family. A terrific movie. The one movie that delivers Roxie, Razzle Dazzle and All that Jazz, that's Chicago

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: YAY for Chicago
Review: without a doubt the best musical since Cabaret ignore the stupid false comments here this is the best movie of the year! Catherine is amazing!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Chicago has All That Jazz
Review: Movie Musicals are back again...and better than ever! Chicago has an all star cast that is absolutely amazing. Catherine Zeta Jones deliveres a strong performance as Velma Kelly. Her singing is great,her dancing is fabulous, and her body is even better! She especially shines in my favoite number "Cell Block Tango." Zellwegger is a faboulous Roxie Hart! Zellwegger shows off her amazing talents in numbers such as "Roxie" and the beautiful "Nowadays." Richard Gere is phenomenal as Billy Flynn. His Razzle Dazzle truly is Dazzling and his tap dance is incredible! After seeing Chicago it is easy to see why it won the coveted Best Picture Award. Movie Musicals are back and are hopefully back to stay!!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Music with a murderous beat...
Review: This Broadway-to-screen musical is one I could have lived without. Its winning the academy awards makes one wonder. Obviously, it is not my kind of music.

Roxie would have been a smash at the Roxy Theater. From the ads, I had expected her to be a copy of Marilyn Monroe; instead, she was Shirley MacLaine as Sweet Charity.

In my opinion, the best part of this strange combined crime story/musical was the bittersweet piece by Amos (John C. Reilly). There were actually only three big numbers all of which expended a great deal of energy and talent.

The actor who played the judge was perfect for that part --liked the portrait of the blindfolded Miss Justice behind the judge in courtroom.

Richard Gere has aged well, but can he really tap dance? This trial (reminiscent of the Scopes fiasco of times gone by) proved that all criminal attorneys must be showmen at times.

That was a sleazy time in America's musical history; it was a decandent era as shown so well in THE CAT'S MEOW, about the Hearst coverup of the mysterious death on his yacht, which has similar music but no big performances.

The premise of a crime story turned into a musical may not be new, but it was strange going.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: And All That Jazz!
Review: chiCago, what can i say this has to be one of the best movies of all time. Not only does it have an all-star cast it has great musical numbers but it was nominated for 13 Oscars!

Chicago is about a aspiring preformer (ROXIE-Zellwegger)living in chiCago in the 1920's. When she shoots someone she goes to jail where she meets some amazing people. Not only does she meet Mrs. Velma Kelly (Zeta-Jones)but meets Billie Flynn (Gere)the best murder case lawyer. When Roxie sits in jail she visions all these Razzle Dazzle musical numbers including ROXIE & WHEN YOUR GOOD TO MAMA. Will she be guilty or let off? Find out in chiCago and it will really Razzle Dazzle you.

All the actors are amazing and their singing skills are unbelievable who knew Rene Zellwegger or Richard Gere could belt out those tunes. I can't wait to see what the DVD offers (special features) and i bet you in the first week my DVD will be burned out and i'll have to buy a new one. LOL.


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