I waited a while to see this one. Among the incessant TV teasers, multiple Oscar nods, and the fervor, I needed to delay viewing until the hype died down. Is it as good as everyone makes it out to be? Yes. Chicago is quite worthy of the many accolades lavished upon it. Markedly better than the bland Evita, and equally dazzling but less ostentatious as Moulin Rouge, Chicago distinguishes itself because its underlying point isn't biographical or love story. It's about media sensationalized criminal trials and how the public just can't get enough of them. The movie's tag line, "If you can't be famous, be infamous", sums up the driving force behind the two main characters; Valma Kelly and Roxie Hart, two jailed murderesses determined to get off by using a slick lawyer, the abuse excuse, and the press.
Sunday 30 December 2012
Friday 28 December 2012
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Thursday 27 December 2012
Chicago movie cast and crew
Directed by
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Rob Marshall
Taye Diggs
Cliff Saunders
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Renée Zellweger
Dominic West
Jayne Eastwood
Bruce Beaton
Roman Podhora
John C. Reilly
Colm Feore
Robert Smith
Sean Wayne Doyle
Steve Behal
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Taye Diggs
Cliff Saunders
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Renée Zellweger
Dominic West
Jayne Eastwood
Bruce Beaton
Roman Podhora
John C. Reilly
Colm Feore
Robert Smith
Sean Wayne Doyle
Steve Behal
Chicago movie overview
Richard Gere tap-dances, Catherine Zeta-Jones struts, and Renee Zellweger sings - and miraculously it all works. Even the normally sedate John C. Reilly shows off his set of pipes in this lavish extravaganza. "Chicago" is a rousing, sultry, scintillating spectacle that mixes adultery and murder with comedy, drama and dance.
It's 1929 and all the world's a stage - at least that's how it feels to vaudeville star, Velma Kelley (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Velma and her sister are partners in a song and dance act managed by Velma's husband. When Velma finds her two-timing husband in the arms of her sister, the act comes to an abrupt end with the two lovers shot to death and Velma behind bars for their murders.
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Meanwhile wannabe singer/dancer Roxie Hart cheats on her simple husband, Amos (John C. Reilly) with a man she believes can make her famous. Once she discovers the man is just a furniture salesman with zero connections to show biz, Roxie pulls a gun on him and winds up in jail alongside her idol, Velma. In jail, the star and the starlet fight for freedom and headlines, and vie for the attention of legal eagle Billy Flynn (Richard Gere). Flynn's never lost a case and more importantly, he has the Chicago media feeding from the palm of his hand.
This stylishly sexy movie is based on the award-winning play "Chicago," adapted by Bob Fosse, John Kander and Fred Ebb from the original play by Maurine Watkins. Unlike the stage play, most of the movie's song and dance numbers spring from the imagination of Renee Zellweger's character, Roxie Hart. Zellweger is perfect as the sweet, innocent-looking blonde ingénue with a fiery imagination and a lust for the stage. She belts out songs and dances with a grace of a lifelong Broadway performer.
Catherine Zeta-Jones' experience in musicals onstage serves her well in her role as Velma Kelley. A fan of the old Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movie musicals, Zeta-Jones' smoldering sensuality heats up the screen. Her solo dance numbers are mesmerizing and she pumps the energy level of the film to a fevered pitch.
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Richard Gere is perhaps the most surprisingly delightful member of the cast. His performance as Billy Flynn could very well be one of his best in dozens of years. He displays a sly sense of humor, delivering lines that provoke genuine belly-laughs from the audience.
Thank you Baz Luhrmann for bringing back the movie musical, and thank you Rob Marshall for picking up the gauntlet and delivering a wildly entertaining musical. From the casting to the choreography to the song lyrics, "Chicago" has all the right moves and hits all the right notes.
It's 1929 and all the world's a stage - at least that's how it feels to vaudeville star, Velma Kelley (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Velma and her sister are partners in a song and dance act managed by Velma's husband. When Velma finds her two-timing husband in the arms of her sister, the act comes to an abrupt end with the two lovers shot to death and Velma behind bars for their murders.
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Meanwhile wannabe singer/dancer Roxie Hart cheats on her simple husband, Amos (John C. Reilly) with a man she believes can make her famous. Once she discovers the man is just a furniture salesman with zero connections to show biz, Roxie pulls a gun on him and winds up in jail alongside her idol, Velma. In jail, the star and the starlet fight for freedom and headlines, and vie for the attention of legal eagle Billy Flynn (Richard Gere). Flynn's never lost a case and more importantly, he has the Chicago media feeding from the palm of his hand.
This stylishly sexy movie is based on the award-winning play "Chicago," adapted by Bob Fosse, John Kander and Fred Ebb from the original play by Maurine Watkins. Unlike the stage play, most of the movie's song and dance numbers spring from the imagination of Renee Zellweger's character, Roxie Hart. Zellweger is perfect as the sweet, innocent-looking blonde ingénue with a fiery imagination and a lust for the stage. She belts out songs and dances with a grace of a lifelong Broadway performer.
Catherine Zeta-Jones' experience in musicals onstage serves her well in her role as Velma Kelley. A fan of the old Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movie musicals, Zeta-Jones' smoldering sensuality heats up the screen. Her solo dance numbers are mesmerizing and she pumps the energy level of the film to a fevered pitch.
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Richard Gere is perhaps the most surprisingly delightful member of the cast. His performance as Billy Flynn could very well be one of his best in dozens of years. He displays a sly sense of humor, delivering lines that provoke genuine belly-laughs from the audience.
Thank you Baz Luhrmann for bringing back the movie musical, and thank you Rob Marshall for picking up the gauntlet and delivering a wildly entertaining musical. From the casting to the choreography to the song lyrics, "Chicago" has all the right moves and hits all the right notes.
Chicago movie review
I waited a while to see this one. Among the incessant TV teasers, multiple Oscar nods, and the fervor, I needed to delay viewing until the hype died down. Is it as good as everyone makes it out to be? Yes. Chicago is quite worthy of the many accolades lavished upon it. Markedly better than the bland Evita, and equally dazzling but less ostentatious as Moulin Rouge, Chicago distinguishes itself because its underlying point isn't biographical or love story. It's about media sensationalized criminal trials and how the public just can't get enough of them. The movie's tag line, "If you can't be famous, be infamous", sums up the driving force behind the two main characters; Valma Kelly and Roxie Hart, two jailed murderesses determined to get off by using a slick lawyer, the abuse excuse, and the press.
The movie opens in a jazz club where a starry-eyed Roxie (Renee Zellweger) watches headliner Valma (Catherine Zeta Jones) fabulously perform the musical number "All That Jazz" and wishes herself in the spotlight. Roxie soon gets her chance, when her arrest for murdering her boyfriend hits the tabloids. Now in the Cook County Jail, she is face-to-face with Valma, who is also on 'murderess row' for shooting her husband and sister, who were practicing performance acrobatics, in bed. The two are now rivals for publicity, and Roxie quickly eclipses Valma as the media darling, and she also hires Kelly's sly criminal lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), which only adds to the competition. Flynn skillfully manipulates the media and is the quintessential spin-doctor. This is deftly depicted in the number "They Both Reached for the Gun", where Gere becomes the literal mouthpiece for Zellweger's character and a puppeteer of the media. It is a fantastic performance by Gere, Zellweger, and Christine Baranski, and brings to mind the spectacles of O.J. Simpson Dream Team. - - If the glove doesn't fit…
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As impressive as it is however, it is only one of the many splendid musical scores in the film, among my favorite is the "Cell Block Tango" performed by Jones, R&B singer Mya, and other actresses from the stage production of the musical. It has the look of an 80's rock video, with scantily clad vixens writhing behind bars, however these sirens tell of how they lured their men to their demise in this number. Another standout is Queen Latifah's piece "When You're Good to Mama" -- although a rapper by trade, Latifah belts it as adeptly as she would had it been a hip-hop set. Cast as prison Matron "Mama" Morton, Queen Latifah, neé Dana Owens, establishes early on that she is more than capable of handling a serious role, and the earlier success in Bringing Down the House was no fluke. Her screen presence was that of a confident and competent actress, and not the latest music world crossover.
While I am not a big fan of Zellweger, I have to give her credit for her performance as the young, naïve, star-struck Roxie. She was a good pick for the part despite her not being as an experienced singer and dancer, but that actually works to her advantage. Roxie, the character, has no stage experience either, so a veteran stage performer wouldn't have come off as well as an ingénue would. Zellweger's singing voice is remarkably sweet and those puffy cheeks of hers only add to her tenability as the illusory amateur.
The true star of the show is undoubtedly Catherine Zeta Jones. If you think that she's just Mrs. Douglas, think again. Her performance in Chicago shows that she is a true actor in her own right. Jones was natural as Kelly, partly because of her own recent media relations, but mainly because of her theater background and genuine talent. She is stunning as the story's bold protagonist and gives it her all in her number "I Can't Do It Alone"; she was born for this role. Why she's doing ads for T-Mobile, I don't know.
Richard Gere was fine at his part of the crafty advocate, although his singing voice left much to be desired. I was not too impressed with his tap-dance routine, but the symbolism was effectively communicated by being interspliced with a courtroom scene. In fact, all of the musical numbers in Chicago serve the storyline well. It is not simply a collection of songs chained together with spoken lines, nor do the characters spontaneously break into song in the middle a line. Each stage number is introduced by the production's band leader (Taye Diggs: How Stella Got Her Grove Back, Ally McBeal).
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Let me also mention that Lucy Liu has a bit part, mostly in her skivvies, and there are a couple other well-known faces who dot the cast, but Jones, Zellweger, Gere, and Latifah, all prove that they are worthy of their Oscar nominations. But what Chicago does best is exhibit how trials of the famous or infamous are more about entertainment and ratings and less about justice. The struggle between Valma and Roxy for flavor of the month is demonstrative of how far some celebrity defendants, and their lawyers are willing to go. The film also makes the point of how there seems to be a "Crime of the Century" every few years, and how quickly defendants are forgotten when the next trial comes around. You won't be able to view it without the OJ, DC Sniper, William Kennedy Smith or Scott Peterson cases coming to mind.
Whether you see Chicago for the outstanding performances or the dateless social commentary, you should see it. Those who didn't appreciate Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge may find Chicago a bit more palatable. It is intelligent, sexy, fun, exciting, and amazing and that's Chicago.
The movie opens in a jazz club where a starry-eyed Roxie (Renee Zellweger) watches headliner Valma (Catherine Zeta Jones) fabulously perform the musical number "All That Jazz" and wishes herself in the spotlight. Roxie soon gets her chance, when her arrest for murdering her boyfriend hits the tabloids. Now in the Cook County Jail, she is face-to-face with Valma, who is also on 'murderess row' for shooting her husband and sister, who were practicing performance acrobatics, in bed. The two are now rivals for publicity, and Roxie quickly eclipses Valma as the media darling, and she also hires Kelly's sly criminal lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), which only adds to the competition. Flynn skillfully manipulates the media and is the quintessential spin-doctor. This is deftly depicted in the number "They Both Reached for the Gun", where Gere becomes the literal mouthpiece for Zellweger's character and a puppeteer of the media. It is a fantastic performance by Gere, Zellweger, and Christine Baranski, and brings to mind the spectacles of O.J. Simpson Dream Team. - - If the glove doesn't fit…
.jpg)
As impressive as it is however, it is only one of the many splendid musical scores in the film, among my favorite is the "Cell Block Tango" performed by Jones, R&B singer Mya, and other actresses from the stage production of the musical. It has the look of an 80's rock video, with scantily clad vixens writhing behind bars, however these sirens tell of how they lured their men to their demise in this number. Another standout is Queen Latifah's piece "When You're Good to Mama" -- although a rapper by trade, Latifah belts it as adeptly as she would had it been a hip-hop set. Cast as prison Matron "Mama" Morton, Queen Latifah, neé Dana Owens, establishes early on that she is more than capable of handling a serious role, and the earlier success in Bringing Down the House was no fluke. Her screen presence was that of a confident and competent actress, and not the latest music world crossover.
While I am not a big fan of Zellweger, I have to give her credit for her performance as the young, naïve, star-struck Roxie. She was a good pick for the part despite her not being as an experienced singer and dancer, but that actually works to her advantage. Roxie, the character, has no stage experience either, so a veteran stage performer wouldn't have come off as well as an ingénue would. Zellweger's singing voice is remarkably sweet and those puffy cheeks of hers only add to her tenability as the illusory amateur.
The true star of the show is undoubtedly Catherine Zeta Jones. If you think that she's just Mrs. Douglas, think again. Her performance in Chicago shows that she is a true actor in her own right. Jones was natural as Kelly, partly because of her own recent media relations, but mainly because of her theater background and genuine talent. She is stunning as the story's bold protagonist and gives it her all in her number "I Can't Do It Alone"; she was born for this role. Why she's doing ads for T-Mobile, I don't know.
Richard Gere was fine at his part of the crafty advocate, although his singing voice left much to be desired. I was not too impressed with his tap-dance routine, but the symbolism was effectively communicated by being interspliced with a courtroom scene. In fact, all of the musical numbers in Chicago serve the storyline well. It is not simply a collection of songs chained together with spoken lines, nor do the characters spontaneously break into song in the middle a line. Each stage number is introduced by the production's band leader (Taye Diggs: How Stella Got Her Grove Back, Ally McBeal).
.jpg)
Let me also mention that Lucy Liu has a bit part, mostly in her skivvies, and there are a couple other well-known faces who dot the cast, but Jones, Zellweger, Gere, and Latifah, all prove that they are worthy of their Oscar nominations. But what Chicago does best is exhibit how trials of the famous or infamous are more about entertainment and ratings and less about justice. The struggle between Valma and Roxy for flavor of the month is demonstrative of how far some celebrity defendants, and their lawyers are willing to go. The film also makes the point of how there seems to be a "Crime of the Century" every few years, and how quickly defendants are forgotten when the next trial comes around. You won't be able to view it without the OJ, DC Sniper, William Kennedy Smith or Scott Peterson cases coming to mind.
Whether you see Chicago for the outstanding performances or the dateless social commentary, you should see it. Those who didn't appreciate Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge may find Chicago a bit more palatable. It is intelligent, sexy, fun, exciting, and amazing and that's Chicago.
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