Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Simply Marvelous
Think Hollywood actors can't be multi-talented? Think again. 'Chicago' is the product of countless hours spent with vocal coaches and choreographers to perfect the art of the movie musical and director Rob Marshall has hit the jackpot ' his whole cast can sing, dance and act as if they were indubitably part of a Broadway troupe. 'Chicago' starts off on a literal high note, the film's energy remaining vigorous to the closing credits. The call of 'five-six-seven-eight!' is sounded by a bandleader in a smoky nightclub as an unseen woman in stilettos struts through the rear entrance. Making a hasty costume change after killing her husband and her sister Veronica in a jealous rage, Velma Kelly (Zeta-Jones) has little qualms about performing their two-woman vignette on her own. She rushes the stage and in relishing the spotlight, the self-absorbed starlet doesn't even notice the Chicago police storming in to arrest her as she enthusiastically belts the opening number to what is, from the very start, a fantastic show. Watching enviously from the audience is Roxie Hart (Zellweger), an aspiring singer who longs for her own stage act that will one day make her a star. So hungry is she for glory that she'll step over ' or slaughter - anyone that stands in the way. In due time, Velma and Roxie both become jailbirds and once imprisoned for their misdeeds, the best musical numbers come into play. At the femme brig, Roxie meets some interesting prisoners and is formally introduced to 'Mama' Morton (Queen Latifah), a tough-talking prison matron with a soft spot for attractive dames. Roxie has scruples about her chances of surviving hard time and starts feeding Mama the ol' 'damsel in distress' routine, convincing her to make a phone call to a high-powered attorney named Billy Flynn (Gere). Knowing she'll receive a death sentence by hanging if she doesn't secure herself a trial, she charms Billy into taking her case. Unfortunately, every woman in the prison is vying for Flynn and Roxie and Velma start butting heads, the brash blonde even stealing the trial date that Velma had originally secured. While waiting for her first day in court, her imagination brings her comfort, her mind conjuring some pretty spectacular song n' dance sequences. The most entertaining sketch comes from 'Cell Block Tango', six inmates sharing their salacious murder stories (''and then he ran into my knife ' he ran into my knife ten times.'). Other sassy numbers include 'Razzle Dazzle', 'I Can't Do It Alone' and my personal favorite 'We Both Reached For The Gun'. Each song is seamlessly woven into the action, a musical number starting almost immediately after another has ended. 'Chicago' ends on a literal bang, the finale containing an original song written especially for the film that brings down the house. It's easy to identify the theater veterans. Zeta-Jones, in a tour-de-force performance that has earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, once belonged to a Catholic performance troupe in her childhood and starred in productions of 'Annie', 'Bugsy Malone', 'The Pajama Game' and '42nd Street'. Gere, an accomplished pianist and composer, polished his vocals and fancy footwork up from his last foray into theater some twenty years ago. Considering who else the producers and casting directors had in mind for the part of Billy Flynn (John Travolta, Kevin Spacey and Hugh Jackman were all considered), Gere is a pleasant surprise and my only disappointment is that the Academy failed to notice him. Christine Baranski, John C. Reilly, Deirdre Goodwin and Taye Diggs round out the theater veterans, the latter two of which made an appearance in the 1998 Broadway revival of 'Chicago'. Who really astonishes here is Renee Zellweger. Director Rob Marshall really took a chance on the 32-year-old Texan - she had absolutely no vocal or dance training whatsoever (though no one would know this watching her ' she's that good). She prepared for the role of Roxie Hart not only by watching well-bred co-star Zeta-Jones but endured a grueling schedule of vocal and dance instruction for 10 months to meet professional criterion. For someone who's never set foot on a stage, she has managed to gain her second nomination for Best Actress for doing just that ' it was a risk well-worth taking after all. Also astounding is Queen Latifah - she belts 'When You're Good To Mama' with such gusto that one would think she's been on Broadway all along. Even more of a shock is her very first appearance on a A-list of Academy Award nominees, not to mention being up against co-star Zeta-Jones in the very same category. Probably the most awe-inspiring aspect here is the man behind the iron curtain. Rob Marshall, who has been a dancer and choreographer for several years, has taken his first solo stab at directing ' and he's chosen a major motion picture to oversee, no less, a medium completely apart from musical theater. Having co-directed the wildly successful 1998 revival of 'Cabaret', Marshall worked with then unknown director Sam Mendes (who won an Academy Award two years later for 'American Beauty') and gained a good amount of knowledge as to what it took to helm a production. Not long after, he was called upon by Miramax producer Harvey Weinstein to discuss a film version of the Broadway musical 'Rent' but pitched his ideas for 'Chicago' instead. Weinstein and others gave Marshall the green light and four years later, his dream was realized. A virtually unknown member of the entertainment community, he now has a chance of winning an Oscar for Best Director (much like Sam Mendes' out-of-the-blue nomination and victory). A little golden man on his mantle will not only make him a household name but will also be the ticket to numerous offers to direct and/or produce over the next few years. Bottom line, I'd have to say it's an incredible case of beginner's luck for all involved. I think it goes without saying that not only will 'Chicago' be a hit on Oscar night but it will also make an impact with audiences when the DVD (no doubt loaded with special features) hits the shelves sometime this year.
Rating: - It Razzle Dazzled me away
I came to see this movie with some doubt, It had very good reviews and lots of nominations for the Golden Globe, I had seen the trailer and thought, well, it will be either very good or very dull. And since it was Rob Marshall's first movie, it was all a mystery, but then the film started and wow did it rocked, or should I say, it jazzed. I had seen very few musicals, only 3 if you skip Disney's musical/animated films, one good(The Sound of Music), the other also good but also the most depressing film ever(Dancer in the Dark) and one that it had it's moments but just wasn's enough(Moulin Rouge). But Chicago, it blew me away, everything in it was amazing.
First, the cast, all of them were magnificent, thank good they all got award-recognition in some award and in some capacity. I was shocked when Richard Gere was ignored completely by the Academy, it was one of the many, but many mistakes it made this year,and yeah sure, even though he would not have won, he should have at least gotten the nomination, I mean, he was great, and he was the one who had it the hardest, because he had 3 musical pieces that involved dancing and singing, and on top of that, a tap with virtually zero musical background, plus the acting in the rest of the film which was great.
Renée was the best, at least to me, and she deserved the Oscar, not Nicole, because both were great, but what made Renée better was that she carried out every possible human reaction in Chicago, she cried, she laughed, she sang, she danced, she was angry, she was lusty, she did everything and did it all very good, while Nicole did the same thing all the way through The Hours, she was sad and depressed, that's it, so here is mistake number 2 in the Oscars.
Catherine Zeta-Jones was also magnificent, and just as Renée, she looked both very sexy and acted wonderfully, thank God she did get the Oscar, I mean she even sang in the ceremony, pregnant and all, but she did it, and Queen Latifah, although she was surprisingly good, we all knew she had no chance, but anyway, in her case is really just an honor to be nominated, not because she was bad, but because she was against monsters(you know what I mean). And finaly, John C. Reilly, he was fantastic as Amos "Cellophane" Hart, and well, I can accept Chris Copper winning, but at least he got the nomination.
Then we have the director, in this category I also think the Academy made a huge mistake, not only did the failed to give the award to Scorsese, who was first in line, and before the name got read, I said, it will go either to him, or to Rob Marshall, the ones that really deserved it, but Polanski, come on, I mean, I love his work, Chinatown, Rosemary's Baby, all great, and The Pianist was magnificent also, but come on, The Pianist was quite similar to Schindler's List, and that doesn't make The Pianist bad, but Chicago and Gangs of New York were movies we have not seen before, and those were the directors that deserved the gold, not a director mixed up in sex offences, but a director who managed to create a wonderful and fantastic world with lots of flash, dash, magnificent performances, dance numbers, and last but not least, all that jazz.
Some have complained that Chicago is boring and dumb, well, for those people I can only say one thing, stick to dumb and mass pleasing films like Daredevil, Scream and Just Married, films made to bring joy to numb masses.
Chicago is great and I think both people who know a lot about films can love it just as casual movie viewers, and that's good, isn't grand , isn't great, isn't swell. Anyway, I recomend this film a lot, personaly, it's not only good, it's very relaxing, you just sit back and enjoy good filmaking that has humour, sexy women in sexy dance numbers, plus a story with lot's of content and that is very enjoyable. Ofcourse, see it first before buying it, that's something you must do before buying any film, at least in an original release, why? To see if it's worthy of spending give or take [few] bucks on it, I think Chicago is very worthy, and most likely, after you see it, you will feel the same. Good night folks.
Rating:  - Don't Walk Away, Renee
The journey of CHICAGO from stageboards to sound stage is probably worthy of A LOST IN LA MANCHA documentary. Over the years, I had heard rumors of Liza Minnelli and Goldie Hawn, Tracey Ullman, Madonna, all eyeing the chances to play either Roxie or Velma. Contracts and squabbling led to negotiations and renegotiations, and the project sat shelved and ignored for years.Now, the musical has made its way to the big screen and the wait was hardly worth it. Yes, the score is basically true to the original theater rendering (minus some numbers, abbreviating others)and the dance moments are reminiscent of Fosse's original steps. However, the film doesn't have the energy or the vison of a real musical. Cynical by nature, bleak in subject matter, this certainly isn't MY FAIR LADY or GIGI, but even so, the movie seems self-conscious about presenting its showstopper interludes. Every song in this play was tailored to present "Razzle Dazzle," for its original performers (Verdon, Rivera, Orbach) were legends of the Great White Way. Zellweger, Zeta-Jones, and Gere are not musical performers in the same caliber. Gere and Zeta-Jones have musical-comedy appearances on their resumes, but Zellweger was a true neophyte, an actual ingenue. It's Zellweger who anchors this movie. Despite Zeta-Jones's superior dancing skills and belting, full-blown voice, she doesn't really create a character for Velma Kelly. She's beautiful and can take a close-up; she doesn't invest her Velma with any personality. Gere, likewise, looks fabulous, but his Billy Flynn is devoid of the right sleaziness, the correct cockiness and bullishness. (Also, a huge fuss was made about his tap dancing lessons for this flick; yet he is shot in almost total darkness during his big routine. It could have been a dance double doing the two-step.) It's Renee Zelwegger, with her breathy voice, peculiar looks, gangly body, and exposed nerves that catapults this into a memorable flick. She sings her role, but it's so much more than that. She attacks her characterization. She lets us see how Roxie is dying for fame, so much so, that she kills for it. She invests her song-and-dance numbers with honest-to-goodness emotions, and she uses her choreography to make her character both vulnerable and steely, abused and abusive. She is the tour-de-force. Unlike MOULIN ROUGE, where director Baz Luhrmann allowed 95% of the numbers to be shot in entirety, permitting songs to flow from start to finish, CHICAGO's director Rob Marshall relies too much on MTV quick cuts and rapid-fire edits. It's as if he is distancing himself from the very medium he is honoring. It's a shame that the Kander-and-Ebb musical waited nearly 30 years to go on screen, and its arrival is at times disjointed and interrupted. For those who want to see a complete musical, a show that rejoices in its characters bursting into song and movement, rent MOULIN ROUGE or some of the great MGM masterpieces. If you want a sly, wry, cyncial "black" comedy that occasionally makes a melodious point, go to CHICAGO. It may be a hell of a town, but it's not a hell of a movie.
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