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Chicago (Widescreen Edition)

Chicago (Widescreen Edition)

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: You Might Leave Singing
Review: Having never seen the musical "Chicago", I entered the movie theater with no preconceived notions or expectations and was impressed with "Chicago" the film. I've heard it called the best movie of the year, and I don't agree, but I was greatly entertained; I found myself singing "All That Jazz" throughout the car ride home at the top of my lungs. Transitioning a theatrical piece from the stage to the screen can result in quite a mess, and I was impressed with director Rob Marshall's vision: the musical numbers as fantasy sequences worked much better than I would have thought. I enjoyed watching non-singers and -dancers plow through the material, and thought all involved pulled it off quite well, especially Catherine Zeta-Jones who really tore into the role of Velma Kelly. She had just the right tone as a seductive murderess obsessed with fame; Renee Zellweger's Roxie Hart seemed a little soft and sweet to be believable as a cold-hearted fame-seeker, but she showed great flair in her singing and dancing. Even Richard Gere, God bless him, pulled off a few numbers (and camped it up quite amusingly as sleek lawyer Billy Flynn). As for Queen Latifah, keep putting her in films; she has an enjoyable screen presence, and I loved her in this. All in all, I wouldn't call this the best film of the year, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I'd watch it again.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: great!
Review: This movie was really good. Grat acting, great songs, great cinematography. Pefect. I didn't see the play, but this was a great movi by itself. Everyone should see it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Chicago
Review: Wow. I never expected the movie to be as good as it was. I heard that it had amazing dancing (it does) and really good music (it has that too). This movie will blow you away with its artistic design. It has wonderful costumes and cinematograhpy. What I love most about the movie, however, is that the singing and dancing kept the original Bob Fosse style.
Even non-musical-lovers will enjoy this movie! This movie is still playing in sparce theaters, so go see it in the movies before it leaves the theater. Believe me; you will want to have seen this when it wins Best Picture this year.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brilliant , and it isnt TRYING to be Moulin Rouge
Review: Im sick of the couple of people here trying to say its not as good as moulin rouge , This is an adaptation of a stage musical that is 30 years old , Moulin Rouge is not , Chicago is a far superior film of the musical genre.

Best Film of the year HANDS DOWN.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: And all that jazz has never sounded so good! 8-D
Review: There aren't enough words that I can come up with to say how amazing that "Chicago" really is. This movie, actually a musical, is a stunning array of music, amazing dancing acts, great storylines, and a whole sense of fun woven into the dark and dramatic theme of this movie. There haven't been many musicals in recent years due to the lack of popularity during recent times and naturally, I'm not a big fan of musicals but I think that Chicago brings new life into this genre of movies and has paved the way to bringing musicals back into the front spotlight again for the new generations of movie-goers. DANGER: Possible spoilers ahead, hopefully not.

Set in the Jazz Age of the early 1920s, Al Capone was rising to become the notorious Prohibition Era gangster leader, and new fashion trends were causing an uproar. Outside the shadow of Capone's looming shadow, this movie is a tale of two well known dancers who are suspected of killing their husbands after an affair. Roxie Art, who faces possible execution for murdering her abusive boyfriend who constantly rejected her and her estranged husband Amos refused to take blame for it, seeks a money hungry, never-lost-a-case lawyer named William Flynn played by Richard Gere to win her freedom and also her road to stardom and to flee from her estranged husband Amos.

The songs that accompany the individual events are so much fun to listen to, combined with the dancing performances by the individual characters. Personally, I love the Big Band and ragtime music that accompanies the movie scenes and the performers and stage performances are amazing. All of the characters in "Chicago" are amazing but for me, it's a toss up between Queen Latifah as Matron "Mama" Morton, Catherine Zeta Jones as Velma Kelley, and Richard Gere as William Flynn. Except for Flynn who is their lawyer, they are all charged with the murders of their 'loved' ones who have been unfaithful to them and their desire for revenge drove them to madness. All of the songs that accompany each of the scenarios are innovative and absolute brilliance. The entire cast surpassed all of my expectations in this musical and gave them a whole new image of skill, intelligence, and depth to their characters. I love also seeing the movie flip between the dramatic scenes of Roxie in prison and then the stage performances.

Queen Latifah steals part of the spotlight as the elegant Matron "Mama" Morton. Morton offers Roxie Art a deal to get $3K to a lawyer by the name of William 'Billy' Flynn who has 'never lost a trial' to testify in her favor. Her ruthless 'drill sergeant' attitude is classic and sometimes even funny although its humor factor is basically from the big band music that plays along during the scenes. Latifah's vocals are astounding. There's a funny yet good message in her song too. The other half of the spotlight is stolen by Catherine Zeta Jones. Velma Kelley play by Jones is also jailed for murdering two people, though it took place before "Chicago" started. Her manipulative personality brings a large amount of conflict to the musical, not to mention a sense of mystery. I've heard a lot about that Catherine was a dancer for many years and Between Jones and Zellweger, it's obvious for many years and had all the skills needed whereas Zellweger definitely showed a bit of newbie performances but still both are great. Velma is an incredible character too and Zeta Jones is a wonderful singer in this film. As Roxie gains the fame that she has longed for though, Velma is forgotten by many and a bitter rivalry ensues between them. Yes, Roxie is a great dancer but isn't anywhere close to Velma's dancing skills in my opinion. Richard Gere though is another standout as the semi-sleazy lawyer Flynn who seems to get the women characters nuts over him. I must honestly say, I never thought that Richard Gere could sing but man, he can SING. I would even say that Richard Gere can sing even better than a lot of commercial pop singers in the radio I must add. ;) My favorite scene was William Flynn performing the puppet scene and also Amos singing his song about him being rejected by his wife and being overlooked by the general public called "Mr. Cellophane".

This movie was nominated for a whopping13 Academy Awards for every category except for Best Actor, and won 3 Golden Globes. "Chicago" got its justice with the numerous nominations as it's one of the best musicals to ever come to the big screen in modern times, considering how 'out-of-fashion' it seemed immediately before "Moulin Rouge" came along last year and brought musicals back to life for a new generation of musical fans for the new generation and for the generations of the 21st century. Maybe "Chicago" might have been somewhat overhyped but, it's rare that I say this but, it lived up to the hype that surrounded it and is destined to become a classic in the near future. For some extra trivia, I myself am native to Chicago and I guess for this reason this movie means so much more to me than it would've otherwise had I not been a Native Chicagoan. Go and see this movie before it's too late as it won't have anywhere near the punch on the small screen like it did the on the movie theatre.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Chicago
Review: "Chicago" is a good movie. It is dazzling and its a good musical. But why on earth did they choose Renee Zellweger to play in it! She was an actress who played on low budget movies. And come on! This movie has been nominated thirteen Acadamy Awards!? What kind of critics are out there! "Chicago" is a good movie that should have been nominated for maybe two or three Academy Awards, not thirteen! This movie is not that great! Its just good. "Chicago" did not amaze me that much anyway. I give it three stars. Its not a movie I highly recommend you see. But it is an O.K. movie if you are a young teen.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Incredibly Brilliant
Review: What Rob Marshall did in bringing to life what seemed whimsically ancient and dead (the flashy Broadway musical to film) was nothing less then sheer brilliance.

From the first few moments of Chicago, in a swanky, upper class booze soaked cabaret, one feels transported to the sexy times in beautiful technicolor: the roaring twenties.

What sets the mood for Chicago: All that Jazz. Arriving from the floor to belt out a thrilling number, Catherine Zeta-Jones is the best thing about the film, as a vampish, gorgeouss, voluptious murderess. Out of all the Velma Kelly's potrayed throughout Chicago's life on stage and screen Catherine Zeta-Jones takes the cake.

The meticulous, wonderful cheoreography in All that Jazz is what makes it my favorite number, but it's hard to pick. Maybe I'm just a sucker for the signature song.

Beautifully, Chicago tells the story of Roxie Hart, a floozy turned celebrity by murder.

Through an array of spectacular songs, Chicago makes it clear that it's the best film of 2003.

The corruption of the media, the public, the world is shown clear here, but in a very witty, sarcastic (if not synical way). In the last number, Roxie and Velma wittily take to the stage with fake guns, which can be the evidence to this point.

There is not one "star" of Chicago. There are infact countless. The costumes, sets, creativity, and lighting is enough to blow ones visual sences away. However, the sheer talent through the characters brings the movie to life.

Renee Zellweger is fantastic. There is no one else I can imagine in the role of Roxie. Richard Gere is very good, and who knew he could belt out a tune with style? Queen Latifah and John C. Reily shine as signature supporting roles, and there numbers are some of the best in the film. But they all dont add up to Catherine, who is sheer brilliance. Her three big numbers are my favortes (All that Jazz, Cell Block Tango, and I Can't do it Alone), and not to mention she is one of the most beautiful and talented women in Hollywood.

But the biggest star of Chicago is Rob Marshall, whose impeccable strength and creativity shined through in the thrilling direction and cheoreography of Chicago.

Even for the non-musical person, Chicago is something to see. It's dark, dirty, fantastic, and stunning. The best film of 2003.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Amazing Wonderful Spectacular Sexy
Review: I was blown away when I saw this movie. I had no idea that any of the three stars had that much musical talent in them. Catherine Zeta-Jones blew me away with her dancing ability (especially since she was pregnant during the filming!!!) and both she and Renee are very well cast. Richard Gere also was a surprise. He does a mean tap dance number. I will be in disbelief if anyone doesn't fall in love with this movie.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: BORING!
Review: if it weren't for the beautiful catherine zeta-jones
there would be no film! a big PASS.............wait for her new
films to come out. please............no more of the rene films.
sjw.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Chicago is a Triumph!
Review: Who knew Renee Zellweger and Richard Geer had this much talent?
After seeing the live stage show one year ago, I thought this musical translated remarkably well onto the silver screen.
Ms. Zellweger plays Roxie Hart, an ambitious, brighter-than-is-readily-apparent dancer, hoping to make it big in show business in 1920's Chicago. When she is swindled by her lover, she shoots him, convinces her gullible husband (John C. Reilly) to take the fall, then winds up in the women's prison anyway as he slowly realizes she has been two-timing him. There she meets, among assorted femme fatales, Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who is "in" because she killed both, her cheating husband, and her equally cheating sister(the other half of her on-stage act). Velma is being defended by shyster lawyer, Billy Flynn (Geer), and has an apparent ally in Matron "Mama" Morton (Queen Latifah). Learning the ways of the cell block quickly, Roxie manages to become Flynn's number one client, and at the same time, win over the cynical and self-serving Mama.
The lively singing, dancing, and general vivaciousness of this film leaves the viewer with the irristable desire to dance as they leave the theater. The cast is superb, and the ending, even though actual justice has most probably been eluded, delivers a sense of fairness with its outcome.
I would whole-heartedly recommend this film to anyone, even if "musicals" are not their favorite form of entertainment.


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