Rated: NR
Starring: Gene Kelly, et al.
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Review
I've seen this musical at the cinema now three times, once
by myself and twice with friends. Clearly, as you can understand, I love
it. It's fun, vibrant, well-acted. The singing and dancing are great, and
the awards it's sure to win are deserved.
The reason I'm reviewing it, though, is to tell you that
one friend I brought with me, who usually hates traditional musicals but
did like MOULIN ROUGE, loved this movie and wants me to take her to see it
again.
She explained it well when I asked her how CHICAGO, with
its cast of the amazing Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard
Gere, John C. Reilly and Queen Latifah, won her over.
She attributed most of it to the genius plot twist of
having all the stage musical numbers occur within Roxie Hart's
showbiz-crazed, fame-hungry mind.
"This time, they only sing because she sees them singing,"
my friend said. "And they sing when it's appropriate. It's not just like
some guy's walking down the street and bursts into song, and everyone else
around him somehow knows the dance steps. It rocks."
The energy level of the film is high, and everyone looks
like they're having a great time.
That mood is contagious. The film wins you over.
-------------
Bob Fosse's sexy cynicism still shines in Chicago, a
faithful movie adaptation of the choreographer-director's 1975 Broadway
musical. Of course the story, all about merry murderesses and tabloid
fame, is set in the Roaring '20s, but Chicago reeks of '70s
disenchantment--this isn't just Fosse's material, it's his attitude, too.
That's probably why the movie's breathless observations on fleeting fame
and fickle public taste already seem dated. However, Renée Zellweger and
Catherine Zeta-Jones are beautifully matched as Jazz Age vixens, and
Richard Gere gleefully sheds his customary cool to belt out a showstopper.
(Yes, they all do their own singing and dancing.) Whatever qualms musical
purists may have about director Rob Marshall's cut-cut-cut style, the
film's sheer exuberance is intoxicating. Given the scarcity of big-screen
musicals in the last 25 years, that's a cause for singing, dancing,
cheering. And all that jazz. --Robert Horton
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