Rating: 
Summary: Musicals Are Back!!
Review: This movie blew me away. Not at first, maybe. I walked out of the theater and thought, "That was just a lit-tle weird." But now, after two days, I realize how much I loved it. The most surprising success of the film, in my opinion, was Richard Gere. What a voice! He sounds like a genuine vaudeville singer. It's great. Very nasal and some how very American (whatever that might mean). I was very surprised and very pleased, especially since one of his most recent films was "Dr. T and the Women." Thank God he's acquired/regained some taste.Besides Richard Gere's singing, the best part of the film was the fantastic court scene. That was some superb directing and editing. I loved how they kept cutting back and forth, not just with the tap dancing (which was really fantastic: way to go Richard Gere!) but with the "Razzle Dazzle" sequence as well. They were very smooth and breath taking transitions. As to Renée Zellweger, she seemed a little amateur next to Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere, but maybe this was just because her character had an amateur feel. A kind of frightened, naïve kid, really. Or maybe it's because she looks so young next to Zeta-Jones and Gere. Anyway, I still thought she was pretty good. Very Marilyn Monroe-ish at times. Eerily so at points. John C. Reilly's character was very pathetic and very loveable. I hope he dumped Roxie for good and found himself a loving wife. That's another thing that bothered me: Roxie's very self-obssessed behavior after the trial. "I can't believe they didn't even want my picture." That was kind of a turn off. I guess it fits in with her character, but I still didn't like it. In terms of music: "Razzle Dazzle," "We Both Reached For The Gun" and "Cell Block Tango" were by far the best. I also really liked the "Nowadays" (finale song). The choreography was superb, and the costumes were pretty impressive. I still have "He had it coming, he had it coming, he only had himself to blame. If you'd have been there, if you'd have seen it, I'm sure that you would have done the same" stuck in my head. I personally think I liked this film better than Moulin Rouge, although some disagree with me there. Anyway, I really liked this movie and I advise you all to see it before it leaves theaters. Hope it wins a few Oscars...
Rating:
Summary: Perfect Razzle Dazzle
Review: I gotta say it up front so you know what you're in for if you're reading this. I LOVED THIS MOVIE!! From the opening scene to the ending one, this was one heck of a lot of fun. Catherine Zeta-Jones WAS Velma. One reviewer said she was born to play this role. The reviewer was right. Who knew she could sing like that and move like that? She lit up the screen. I don't know anything about rap music, so all I knew of Queen Latifah was her name. She was the PERFECT Mama. John C. Reilly just broke my heart with his performance and his show stopper - Mr. Cellophane. He was outstanding. And who knew Richard Gere had that kind of performance in him? Sure he can play suave and cool and you can picture him slithering in under the door. But singing and tap dancing too? He looked like he was having fun, and I had fun watching him. I was prepared for Renee Zellweger to be good. After all, she pulled off Bridget Jones, right? There aren't enough superlatives to describe her performance as Roxie Hart. She not only twisted her husband around her little finger; she did a darn good job of doing the same thing to me. The story line of Chicago may be cynical, and the characters may all represent the shadier side of life. But those kinds of characters do exist. And in this day and age when the media makes a circus out of everything from a child falling down a well to war in a foreign country, it's no stretch to accept that atmosphere in a scenario where a woman kills her lover. There's a case on the front page of newspapers right now that parallels Chicago's story. Still, in spite of all the Razzle Dazzle and the fun, there was still the poignancy of women whose futures were all determined by one mad moment of passion. So, in case I haven't been clear, the cast of this movie was outstanding. So was the music. So were the costumes. I'm still humming "He Had It Coming". This movie did exactly what it promised to do. It entertained me, and when it was over, I wanted to sit right back down and watch it again. The only thing wrong with the 13 Oscar Nominations it got is that not all the nominees can win because some are competing against each other. If you want to see a movie during which you will catch yourself smiling and tapping your foot and losing all sense of time ---- go see Chicago. You won't be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: very entertaining! a real pleasure to see! A movie worth seeing and buying once available. the actin dancing singing is superb the actors and actresses are at there finest!
Rating:
Summary: CHICAGO is CHICAGO
Review: Chicago was first choreographed by Bob Fosse and he is obviously alive and well, though deceased, in this adaptation of his Broadway musical. Chicago revolves around Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger) and Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) a pair of foxy murderesses who end up in the Cook County Jail. Roxie is awaiting trial for the murder of her "using" lover and Velma is awaiting trial for putting the hit on family. While in jail they are under the watchful eye of a matron who can produce almost anything for a price. Be ready to be neatly transported from the jail to imagined Chicago club scenes. Billy Flynn (Richard Gere) the womanizing, sleeze ball lawyer, who was a purchase made possible through the jail house matron, is the perfect advocate for these desperate and star struck jail birds. Billy sells his services and the women sell their souls and the movie just sells itself. All three do their own singing and dancing and if you LIKE musicals you will LOVE CHICAGO! The camera work is both mind boggling and riveting. Speed up here, stop action there and Chicago comes to riviting life. From jail to stage the story flows reaching the heights only dreamed about by Roxie and Velma. Reality and hope wend throughout while Roxie and Velma make hope a reality. Casting is superb. Richard Gere is made for this role! The ladies classy in a garish sort of way. There is a trial and the courtroom scene is a tap dance fit for a lawyer. The finale is a great recap of all that transpired. This is a fine step back in time to when musicals were grand, glorious and available and certainly a more common fair. The sound track fits perfectly into all the nooks and crannies of which the movie shows a plenty! It is loud and naughty and in your face fancy. Hope springs eternal as any vistor to Wrigley Field or Soldier Field full well knows. This is CHICAGO!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Surprise!
Review: It's not often a musical floors me, but when it happens, it wins me for good. About the only musical genre I'm a complete sucker for consist of old Busby Berkeley flicks. I went into this film knowing absolutely nothing about the musical, and I'm glad I did. This is one great film, and the effect is even greater going in without expectations. The plot is a fine thread involving murderous self-centered folks (Zellweger & Zeta-Jones) in the entertainment industry, folks who we would normally loathe were they not surrounded by even scummier scam artists. Add some brisk Guajardian wit to the dialogue and lyrics, and this gritty piece winds up charming and amusing, without straying into syrupy! When I talk to other fans of this film, I find it interesting the variety of characters that steal the show for them. Some were blown away by Richard Gere's sly lawyer sans morals, some by Rene Zellweger's [up an rising] star, and a few dug Lucy Liu's too brief performance. It was Queen Latifah who absolutely stole the show for me. She was awesome portraying Prison Matron Mama, a performance that was excellent with dialogue alone. But it was her song and dance number "When You're Good To Mama" introducing Mama early in the film that won me over as a Queen Latifah fan for good! OH MAN! She's got a rich beauty in her singing voice, does a sexy & sassy dance number, and she has charisma with an aura all its own! Strongest dance number overall was "Cell Block Tango" in which the other women prisoners each have a song & dance telling us how and why they killed their men. John C. Reilly's "Mr. Cellophane" is heartbreaking albeit fabulous, and the final number with Zellweger and Zeta-Jones is a solid finisher. If you have not already heard too much buzz about "Chicago," it's worth seeing, preferably before you're plastered with frequent clips on TV around Oscar time.
Rating:
Summary: Another West Side
Review: Modern Day West Side Story with a equal impact.
The best I've seen in many Years. Mike Cassidy
Brentwood, Md
Rating: 
Summary: Deep Dish
Review: If you like "show tunes" and like 'dressing up' for your special someone, you will love Chicago. Ladies--if you have run out of ways to torture your husband, take him to this grueller of a chick flick--This will get even with him for that last "golf outing" he went on and came home with lipstick on his pants. This one makes 'Cats' look like a Schwarzeneger movie.... Fred
Rating:
Summary: Incredible!
Review: After seeing the film, a few things come to mind. Having been lucky enough to see the original cast of "Chicago" (Chita Rivera/Gwen Verdon/Jerry Orbach/Mary McCarty in Chicago at the old Congress Theatre back in the mid 70s, I'll bet Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon are looking down and smiling along with Chita Rivera (who had a very brief cameo in the film). The film proves that the movie musical is not dead and hopefully is making a resurgence. The five leads are terrific and deserve any award/recognition that they receive. The ensemble cast was excellent. Everyone involved in the film should be very proud. Go see it .......and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific ... Don't miss it!
Review: There's a reason this show has gone on so long, on and off Broadway . . . this is great film adaptation of a big, blowsy, bluesy stage show . . . the music is terrific and the performances uniformly excellent (something I never thought I'd say about Richard Gere, in a musical yet) with Zellweger (way too thin, however) a standout in the part of a singer and dancer, and Zeta-Jones too gorgeous to believe as a singer and dancer who doesn't have to act it. Taye Diggs has a tiny, but telling part . . . he's a comer. If you're old enough to have loved the golden days of Hollywood musicals, this is a nostalgic trip . . . but even if you're a relative kid, there's a reason everyone loved the big, singing, dancing, Saturday afternoon show.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie, terrible music
Review: Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah and Mya. Shall I go on, great cast, top notch music, very funny and by the way, a strong plot. Makes for one of the best movies ever made. Thumbs way up and recommended for the whole family. I loved it!!
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