Rating: 
Summary: Razzle Dazzle
Review: As a film, I found CHICAGO entertaining, but, as a musical, which of course, it definitely is, I was very underwhelmed.While a lot of people think of CHICAGO as pure fiction, it's actually based on the 1924 murder trials of two Chicago women. And, while many people think of CHICAGO as a "Bob Fosse original," it definitely is not. Fosse didn't even acquire the rights to the story until the 70s and CHICAGO was first produced in the 20s as a nonmusical. Given the performances of its principals in this DVD, perhaps it should have stayed that way. CHICAGO tells the story of housewife, Roxie Hart (Renee Zellwegger) whose biggest dream in life is to be a vaudeville star. It's also the story of Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) a vaudeville star who performs with her husband and sister and dreams of becoming a bigger vaudeville star. Both women end up on "Murderers Row" in the Cook County Jail when Roxie kills her lover and Thelma shoots both her husband and her sister. Enter Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), a charming-but-slick lawyer who has never lost a case. Flynn's approach is to use so much "razzle dazzle" with the public that they are so distracted from the facts of the case (because, clearly, both women are guilty), that no one would ever convict his clients. Of course, Flynn becomes both Roxie's and Velma's lawyer, and, as part of his strategy, he pits the two women against each other in an attempt to win the attention of the media and the public. It's a play that definitely yields results. The four principals, Zellwegger, Zeta-Jones, Gere and Queen Latifah, all turn in good acting jobs. Gere is charming as the smooth-talking Billy Flynn. Zeta-Jones played Velma Kelly to perfection. She definitely captured Velma's snooty, arrogant attitude and she looked beautiful. Zellwegger, although good, seemed too much of a waif for her housewife role. I thought she really needed to put on about thirty pounds, but her acting was good. Queen Latifah, of course, was flawless. Given the above, why did I award CHICAGO only three stars? Because it's a MUSICAL and Zellwegger, Zeta-Jones and Gere are neither singers nor dancers. (Yes, I know Zeta-Jones began her career on the musical stage, but CHICAGO shows there's a very good reason she didn't remain there.) Zeta-Jones did the best with her singing, but that's only because her alto voice is deeper and richer than Zellwegger's soprano. Gere was so bad, he was downright embarrassing. And yes, I heard Zeta-Jones talk and talk and talk about how hard she worked on her dancing for the production numbers and how difficult they were for her to do. I have no reason to believe she didn't work on them, but the trouble is, when I watched the DVD, her dancing still seemed like it was very, very difficult for her. And it shouldn't have. It should have looked effortless instead of like so much hard work. If one thinks of Cyd Charisse, Gwen Verdon, Ann Miller and the incomparable Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, they all looked like dancing came as easily to them as breathing. None of them made it look like work, as Zeta-Jones did. Bottomline: I think CHICAGO is mildly entertaining, but as a rental only. The acting is good, but CHICAGO, as a musical, definitely lacks one essential ingredient..."razzle dazzle."
Rating: 
Summary: A gem.
Review: The "Best Picture" of 2003 was not only an insanely huge success, but also a darn good movie. Performances are exceptional for the most part. The pseudo-heroine Roxie Hart is portrayed sufficiently by Zellwiger, although her voice is obviously unexperienced and her dialogue is a bit too stilted at times. Gere is witty and charming as the sly attorney, though his voice is weak and, to musical theatre purists, may sound a bit too geriatric for his character. Zeta-Jones is absolutely stunning as the jaded Velma Kelly, and she radiates with the grand femininity that makes up every great leading lady of musical theatre. While her portrayal of Velma Kelly is much darker than how the character is portrayed on Broadway (by the talents of performers such as Chita Rivera and Bebe Neuwirth), it fits the mood of the film much more appropriately. Queen Latifah is delightful and provides the needed comedic relief, while also displaying a strong vocal performance. Baranski provides more subtle humor, and is not forgotten despite her brevity. The film's most out of place character, its "moral epicenter," as Marshall later called him, is Roxie's neglected husband, Amos Hart, played by the surprisingly vocally talented John C. Reilly. All performers have both strengths and weaknesses but the material is still delivered in a winning manner. The cinematography is stunning, particularly in the "Cell Block Tango" scene, in which the film's intricate choreography (by director Rob Marshall, a la Bob Fosse) is best displayed. The tunes are catchy, and the set designs and costumes have all the shiny, glittery, mesmorizing razzle-dazzle that this entire film screams. The film flows nicely between real-life and fantasy, and the simple plot is reasonably stretched into a two-hour picture while never losing the audience's attention. One disappointment, perhaps, is the ending, which seems a bit rushed. Director Rob Marshall hasn't quite created a great cinematic masterpiece, but he sure has, as Steve Martin said while hosting the 2003 Oscars, "made a really good movie that everyone likes." All the elements are here, and they melt together into a film that audiences of all ages and interests will enjoy. Avid theatre fans, look for a cameo by Broadway veteran Chita Rivera, who originated the role of Velma Kelly on Broadway in the original 1975 production.
Rating:
Summary: Tops!
Review: Catherine Zeta-Jones looks superb and gives a sterling performance in her role as one half of a vaudeville act with her deceased sister (whom she killed because she caught her sleeping with her husband). Renee Zellweger is captivating as the young wannabe who aspires to be something like what Zeta-Jones is in the movie. They both meet up in jail however, because Zellweger kills the man whom she ends up hating, and Zeta-Jones is in jail for killing her sister. They both employ the assistance Richard Gere, the expensive fast-talking successful lawyer, to get out of jail. In the process, they each try to win the favours of the media and grab the headlines of the papers. First, the score, the singing, the dancing are so good that I can watch each scene over and over and still feel the magic in it! Secondly, the acting of course, by each of the actors featured in the movie, is superb. Thirdly, the set production and the costumes were dazzling and so well-coordinated. The director evidently put in a lot of hard work into this and it pays. This is no Moulin Rouge. In this film, the director has done to me what I think Baz Luhrmann couldn't do in Moulin Rouge - which is to successfully blend aspects of film with aspects of musicals seamlessly. The acting is dramatic but each actor fits the role so perfectly that you hardly suspect they're acting... you'd think they are really like that in person! And the music is so well-composed and played, that anyone who watches this will want to dance to it. My daughter is barely 2 years old, and she loves this film like she loves the other film about dancing : Strictly Ballroom. Great entertainment! (unless you're not into musicals...)
Rating: 
Summary: bad band worse movie
Review: this movie is called chicago but doesent play any chicago songs,it only plays original songs from like the 80's
and hey it has the chick from texas chainsaw massacre the next generation(renee zelwedgie)and the hottie whos married to that 90 year old dude you know the one on the cell phone adds
Rating:
Summary: movie 'bout band..no songs by band
Review: wow a movie called chicago but they dont play a single song by chicago what a rip
Rating:
Summary: High Energy and Big Talent
Review: I thought this movie was great! I think the actors were well suited to their roles. The musical numbers are terrific and they get stuck in your mind for days. All the actors showed their talents in areas beyond just acting. Of course, all the women commit a "sure I did it, but can you blame me" type crime. It's just a fun movie to watch. Get it, you won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Just Ok
Review: Chicago was just ok. I rented this movie last week and thought that I would be blowed away due to all the hype about this movie. Well, there were a few cute numbers with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger, that's about it. The characters were not developed and the story was so simple that it was almost boring. Rent or buy Moulin Rouge if you want to see a great, moving musical.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: Wow, what a FUN movie! Those who will criticize this movie because it shows too much skin have an idealistic view of what an entertainment is. I've enjoyed numerous musicals from the classics by Lerner&Lowe and Rodgers&Hammerstein to the more recent musicals such as Moulin Rouge and I think Chicago ranks up there with the best of them. So who cares if it shows a bit of skin here and there. The question is, do you enjoy it? I certainly did. In particular, Richard Gere was quite impressive. I always thought him to be a no-talent actor, but he proved me wrong in this film. Just sit down, relax and enjoy the film! Make sure the kids are elsewhere, though.
Rating:
Summary: Imagine if the gender roles had been reversed...
Review: Imagine a musical that glorifies men who kill their wives. That has scenes of men in prison talking about how they shot, stabbed, or poisoned their wives and how the wives deserved it! That glorifies slimebag attorneys who defend these men and who have "never lost a case". Such a musical wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell of being produced today, if ever. Everything associated with such a production would be subjected to massive boycotts and PR campaigns by womens' groups, and would be stopped dead in its tracks. In fact, pre-censorship would prevail and the project would never seriously be considered. Coincidentally, I borrowed this DVD from my local library while I was reading the chapter in Warren Farrell's terrific book, "The Myth of Male Power - Why Men are the Disposable Sex" that discusses how women receive much more lenient sentences for committing the same crimes as men. The media is literally saturated with anti-male propaganda that women would never tolerate. This film is just one example. Most men are where women were in the 1950s, in terms of their consciousness of their own oppression and of how in so many ways they literally are "the disposable sex". I've been radicalized, and I'm not staying silent any longer.
Rating:
Summary: Same-o, same-o
Review: Honestly now... with the exception of ALL THAT JAZZ, I think if you've seen one Bob Fosse movie musical...you've just about seen them all. They're all simply reduced to a form of soft porn. That's it. And its worse now -- there's no more real dancers. Performers yes. Standing in the middle of the screen and shaking their booty and spreading their legs, well...you can see that at your local topless bar. Where are the new Ann Reinkings or Tommy Tunes? It would have been great if this movie was made 10 years ago and a younger Christopher Walken was allowed to play the lawyer part. Now he's a dancer. A dancer that could have lit a fire to that tap dancing number; as opposed to Richard Gere "simulating" a few tap dance steps. (I think the use of a gerbil could have helped him in that number). And can you remember any knock-out tune from this musical? I doubt it. Yeah, I'm rough on this flick. It's a dance musical -- with celebrities "moving around" as if they're a bunch of kids playing make-believe to a recording; though as adults, they're able to spice it up some by showing a bit of T&A. No thanks. They're lowering the bar again. Lets get some real talent back up there, eh? We already lost story-line and drama flicks to FX; now we've lost dance musicals to celebrities. It's sad. Really sad, and I'm very disappointed.
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