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astrosheil [ 8.0 ]
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Having seen this show on stage twice, I was pleasantly surprised by the dynamic and creative presentation on film. Rob Marshall is responsible for this new look and the unlikely casting that was so effective. Especially impressive was a tapdancing Richard Gere.
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jeff_v [ 7.0 ]
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This movie has a lot of razzle-dazzle and is likely to win several Oscars. It's entertaining but slight. As much fun as it was, I was always conscious that there wasn't much of a story being told, and the characters were hardly realistic or three-dimensional. There are so many songs the story never gets a chance to have any momentum, so it's like one cool set-piece/music video after another. The cast is terrific though, with Catherine Zeta-Jones being particularly delicious. But someone get Rene Zellweger a bearclaw, I mean jesus.
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Stitch [ 10.0 ]
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What a great movie. Definitely deserving of it's Oscar wins. I'm very excited about this resurgence of the musical (even though it may be a temporary "fad", I'll enjoy it while it lasts.) This film impressed in many ways. I was impressed by the musical talents of Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellwegger, John C. Reilly, and even (though to a lesser degree) Richard Gere. Who knew. I was impressed with the editing. It was sharp and kept the story flowing at a heady, yet comprehensible pace, never a down moment. The songs kept on going in my head, and we actually went out and bought the soundtrack the very next day. That's always a good sign. Sometimes going to the movies is about pure entertainment and Chicago truly delivers.
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Edwards [ 3.5 ]
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Wildly overrated. If the songs weren't so clunky (that Cellblock Tango was embarrassing when the ladies were whispering the key words to their stories) and our main star not so irritating (either Renee Zellweger hits all the wrong notes - in her dialogue, not her singing, which is adequate - or it's just a badly drawn character, because I was constantly wanting to punch her in the face), I could have at least enjoyed the energy. But even that seems out of key. This movie seems to have as many cuts as "Moulin Rouge" (that is, roughly 50 billion), but it doesn't suit the regularity of all the other elements (whereas in "Rouge" everything was supposed to be amplified to outrageous excess), so it gets tiresome after a short while. Furthermore, I saw nothing spectacular in the dancing. It was all by-the-numbers, no special choreography at work. I'm a huge fan of tap dancing, but when Richard Gere was doing it in court, I could hardly focus on it for more than 2 or 3 seconds, because the camera wouldn't just stop and show us his feet and legs kick up a storm. It kept bouncing all over the place, between the 2 realities (the trial and Roxie's illusion of the tap dance) and between all the characters in the scenes, and between all the little details Rob Marshall had to give us a shot of. Compared to "Singin' in the Rain", which I watched again recently, the tap dancing in "Chicago" is more of a concept than a dazzling presentation, mostly glimpsed in-between 10 other shots rather than simply enjoyed with our complete attention. Kind of like Stephen Daldry's work on "The Hours", Marshall spends too much time on setting up parallels, ironic segues, and other transitional gimmicks. I'm thankful that the success of "Chicago" may inspire a slew of new movie musicals, but it's an improperly handled bastardization of the musical form, and the fact that it's being touted as such a terrific movie, the Oscar's sure thing this year, is frustrating
*One exception, and an unlikely one, is Richard Gere. Though a limited vocalist, he fills the screen with charm. He's the only member of this ensemble to stand out, ironically (as, off-hand, I can't think of another good Richard Gere performance in all the 20+ years he's been in Hollywood), but much of his appeal may be due to the character itself, who is seemingly meant to be the scene-stealing centerpiece of it all. He's a slime ball like everyone else, but at least he's not pathetic like Roxie and Velma. He knows what he's doing, and commands respect for it. Yes, Richard Gere is the best thing about this movie. You will never hear that sentence again. For the record, it annoys me that his 4 cast mates scored nominations for undeserving work (John C. Reilly and Queen Latifah are good, but with what? About 5 and 15 minutes, respectively, of work these pros could have pulled off in their sleep?). Renee, as I said, was all wrong, and Catherine Zeta-Jones was okay, but nothing special. No one should have been nominated. Not even Richard Gere, really, but if they give awards to those who simply exceed expectation (and sadly they do), then he should get the Lifetime Achievement for this one role
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shanster [ 8.0 ]
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I miss seeing musicals like this; they are a real rarity today. The music itself was enjoyable, although I'm not fit to judge whether Richard Gere sang well or not. Queen Latifah was great as Mama. I was disappointed with the ending because the rest of the movie was clever and full of tongue in cheek humor, so I expected something witty, cheezy, wry or sly.
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jeminine [ 10.0 ]
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Possibly the best movie I have ever seen. I think Catherine was the best actress and had the best singing voice. Her hair was a little weird though. Renee had a nasal singing voice but great acting. I really liked the Cell Block Tango. I didn't really like all the talking but the song and acting was good. I really liked the part with Lucy Lui and I wish she was in the movie more. I hope Chicago wins Best Picture at the Oscars because it definetly is the Best Picture!
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Dancing_P [ 7.0 ]
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An MTV musical; it has very little plot but zips by quickly and remains entertaining throught. The plot follows two jailed murderesses; one is played by Renée Zellwegger and the other by Catherine Zeta-Jones (both are great, but Zellwegger is one of my favorite actresses, so I'm gonna lean towards her). Richard Gere shows up to defend both of them. The film is, as Roger Ebert says, is basically a bunch of music videos strung to minimal plot, but what music! The songs are catchy, the choreographies are entertaining and the acting is pretty good. It's nice to see Richard Gere actually move his facial muscles once in a while, although his role is rather trivial. John C. Reilly has a show-stopping moment singing 'Mr. Cellophane', which for some reason is deemed one of the worst songs in the film. The best musical number remains the Cell Block Tango. Not a masterpiece (it's somewhat overrated) but it's a fun movie.
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chapter11 [ 8.0 ]
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Though "Chicago" really is ready-made for ADD-afflicted twentysomethings weaned on MTV, it's an awfully entertaining picture. It could be the energetic performances, it could be all the flashy colors and song-and-dance numbers, it could be the glitz Rob Marshall spreads over every little thing, but... well... it's just so entertaining! A pleasant, short, fun experience, to be sure.
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JasonQ4 [ 9.5 ]
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A gem. The "Best Picture" of 2003 was not only an insanely huge success, but also a darn good movie.
In case you live under a rock, the plot is quite simple. As the Broadway version of the musical boasted: "Murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery, and treachery. All those things we hold near and dear to our hearts." Throw in some music and dancing and there you have it. When Roxie Hart (played by the adequate Renee Zellwiger) murders her lover, she seeks the help of Chicago's most successful defense attorney, Billy Flynn (the mildly disappointing Richard Gere). Meanwhile, Roxie's charm has overshadowed the attention of a cabaret singer turned double murderess, Velma Kelly (an enjoyably campy Catherine Zeta-Jones), and won the hearts of Matron Mama Morton (the winning Queen Latifah) and Miss Mary Sunshine (Christine Baranski).
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, sounds a bit too old 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 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.
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sumbich73 [ 7.0 ]
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Mildly entertaining... a musical which is really rare in today's movie world. Still, after seeing it I can't say I saw what all the hype was over. It was comical at times, and refreshing, but Richard Gere is just himself, which knocks a movie down a few notches right away. Catherine Zeta-Jones was nice, as was Zellwegger what's her face.
BUT NO WAY SHOULD THIS MOVIE HAVE BEATEN OUT THE TWO TOWERS FOR PICTURE OF THE YEAR!!!
The critics don't like to give cool movies that young guys in their middle to late 20's like me like any kind of recognition. TTT blows this artsy fartsy crap out of the water everytime, but because it's supposedly 'intellectual' and 'stellar' or whatever those guys that read to many books (and never score with chicks lol) say.
Don't get me wrong, this was a very good movie, but it didn't have the magic nor the impact and genre-changing effect of a movie like Two Towers.
Anything popular with the arts community will always win the Oscar's over something that just feels good and is cool.
But hey, whatever.
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jasonkrueger [ 0.0 ]
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Haven't seen it,don't wanna,don't understand why this movie has done so well and garnered so many awards!!!!I think it sucks and i think it is a waste of time!!!!Musicals have never done that well except Hairspray which i love and Grease which i also love!!! I don't know what the critics are thinking but i've seen the previews and it looks really stupid and boring!!!Why people would want to see it or buy it on dvd i'll never understand!!!If you want to own a piece of trash just go to to your trash bin,pick up some trash and write Chicago on it plain and simple!!!
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babyduck [ 8.5 ]
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I haven't watched or heard the musical before on stage so I was kept wondering throughout the film at how they adapted the stage production to a very well done film adaptation. Catherine Zeta Jones looks were downplayed to provide Renee Zellwegger a real chance to shine. And shine she did.
My biggest fave of the film - the tap dancing sequence that Richard Gere does in front of the jury.
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brian [ 8.0 ]
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Just a few comments, I thought the movie was wonderful, having seen the Musical a few years ago, it brought back memories of seeing it live in person, the music was dead on, remembering what I had seen at the Musical, it was very well done. Makes me wish that the musical would come back through town again. Catherine did an excellent job, as did Richard and Renee, and can't forget the Queen, she did a wonderful job as Momma. Definitly a must see movie of 2003.
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jim [ 9.0 ]
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As bold and glitzy and entertaining as the best Broadway musicals, for sure. But also lacking in the emotional depth department, as Broadway shows are wont to be. None of the performances is less than competent, and Catherine Zeta-Jones is particularly impressive. But if this was the best picture of 2002, it must have been an off-year.
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Mohawk [ 8.5 ]
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The best musical in recent years...I have seen this on stage and the movie does it alot justice. Biggest complaint is Richard Gere's acting and (oh my God) singing...came close to spoiling the show.
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| Weighted Rating | : 7.2 |
| No. Ratings | : 25 | |
| No. Reviews | : 18 | |
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