Chicago Movie Review:


Chicago is a crude and glamorous film that is based off the famous Broadway musical, which first premiered in 1975. The musical numbers in the film are not presented as the actuality of what is going in the story, but are interwoven as a blended counterpoint. The story is about fame in the 1930s city of Chicago. Velma Kelly (Zeta-Jones) is an established musical star, who has just been sent to prison for killing her sister and husband for their adulterous acts with one another. Roxie Hart (Zellweger) is a kind woman who dreams of being on stage like Velma one day. Roxie has also been sent to prison for murdering the man she was having an affair with, because he backed out on his promise of making her a star. In steps lawyer Billy Flynn (Gere) to represent both women on their murder trial. Flynn is a hotshot lawyer that has never lost a case and lives for fame and money. He becomes more involved with Roxie's case due to the fact that she is a no-body and by using the media, he can make her into a celebrity (In a sense like Higgins from My Fair Lady (1964)). Velma becomes angered when Roxie deliberately begins stealing her fame. The characters all square off, but hardly care about their sinful ways and more about their publicity, success, and most of all fame.

Director Rob Marshall does a great job of directing this ensemble musical. The musical sequences themselves are reflections from the stage, and Marshall's merging of the story with songs works beautifully. Marshall himself is a veteran stage director making his film directorial debut with Chicago. His decisions throughout the film are innovative, but at times simple. Praise also has to be given to Marshall's team of choreographers and designers, because the visionary look of the film is very colorful, flashy, and upbeat.

Though I have never seen an on-stage version of Chicago, it seemed that the adaptation by screenwriter Bill Condon was solid. Like I said before, the musical numbers and the film's dialogue are brought together from different counterpoints. The placement of the numbers through the dialogue has to be the strongest aspect of this film. The characters are fresh and the dialogue has a lot of wit to it. The songs are great and crucial to the expression, development and tics of the characters. One example is the "When You're Good to Mama" number, in which the audience is introduced, familiarized, and acquainted with the character of Mama Morton (Queen Latifah). Material like a musical seems very hard to adapt to an extent, and Condon does a good job adapting Chicago.

The cast of the film is one that comes out of nowhere and for the most part delivers. Renee Zellweger serves up a vast performance as Roxie Hart and Catherine Zeta-Jones is sexy and striking as Velma. Both of these actresses dance and sing throughout and you won't be able to take your eyes off of them. Zeta-Jones was a dancer before she moved into acting, and she noticeably shows her first talent. Queen Latifah delivers a prime performance in a supporting role as the powerful one of the prison, Mama Morton. The two biggest surprises of the acting cast are the two males, Richard Gere and John C. Reilly. Reilly plays Roxie's quiet husband Amos, and steals nearly every scene that he is in. Richard Gere holds his own as well with his singing and expressionistic comedy as the lawyer Billy Flynn. Gere's tap-dance sequence is one of the best moments in the film. Mr. Gere is a actor that I always found limited with his range, but this year alone he has presented a range that audiences have never seen with his performances in Unfaithful (2002) and Chicago.

Due to last year's success of Moulin Rouge (2001), the film musical genre has been revitalized. Though Chicago is not a visualizing, artful, quick-cut piece of work like Moulin Rouge, it is a good film musical.

Rob Marshall and his crew do a stellar job of bringing the musical Chicago to the screen. There are a lot of songs in the film that are very long, but each song does have a purpose and defines characters or parts of the story.

Joseph C. Tucker

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