| CHICAGO Rating:  Director: Rob Marshall Producer: Martin Richards Writers: Bill Condon Director of Photography: Dion Beebe, ACS Cast: Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly, Lucy Liu Visit the IMDB page for full cast and crew |
 Click the photo to buy merchandise from Chicago |
Review by: Warren
Curry
01/06/03
One could accuse me of not being the biggest fan (or even all that familiar with) the genre of the musical, and I would stand guilty as charged. Therefore, I'll admit right off the bat that I feel slightly out of my element reviewing Chicago, Hollywood's latest foray into modern musical cinema, based on the stage production by John Kander, Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. Sure, the song and dance numbers are flashy, well done and entertaining as individual performance pieces, but Chicago feels too much like a bunch of collected moments that doesn't add up to the sum of its parts. I would like to think that the musical, at its most effective, would use song and dance as a method to tell a story, but in Chicago the filmmakers seem content to let the narrative take a back seat. Don't get me wrong, this approach doesn't make for an unpleasant time at the cinema, but for all its strengths, the film feels noticeably thin.
Set in the Windy City circa 1929, Chicago tells the story of a star stage performer, Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones), and the young woman, Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger), who fantasizes about living in her shoes. Roxie's impossible dream takes a sudden turn for the possible, when after killing her lover in a fit of jealous rage, she finds herself on death row, caged in the same prison that is housing Velma, who has been incarcerated for a similar offense. Roxie convinces her dimwitted husband (John C. Reilly) to scrounge up enough money to pay for the services of hotshot attorney Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), who commands a substantial fee, but also boasts an unparalleled record of success.
With the famous lawyer on her side, Roxie's once non-existent career blasts off, as the Chicago media paints a portrait of the woman as a victimized starlet. Coinciding with Roxie's ascension in popularity, which even turns the stern, crooked prison warden, Matron Morton (Queen Latifah), into a fan, is the rapid decline of Velma's stardom. But even with the newfound fame, will Flynn be able to clear Roxie of any wrongdoing?
Catherine Zeta-Jones is electric as Velma Kelly, playing the role with the cockiness and swagger that a star of her magnitude would exude with every move. It's a perfect casting choice, and the film's biggest attribute. Renee Zellweger has grown into one of Hollywood's most dependable actresses, and she doesn't disappoint as the deceptively shrewd Roxie. The give and take between the two stars, as their roles suddenly reverse, is a joy to watch. Richard Gere's dancing left a bit (or a lot) to be desired, but his natural charisma meshes well with his character. As for John C. Reilly -- never did I think I'd witness the man perform a song in a musical, and now I have. My life is more complete for it.
Chicago is fun for the first 45 minutes or so, but the narrowness of the story betrays the film in the second half. There plainly just came a point when I needed more in the way of development (whether it be story or characters) to sustain my enthusiasm. Instead, writer Bill Condon and director Rob Marshall decide to inundate us with more songs, which don't flesh out much of anything, and I got the sense that they were trying to divert my attention with their flamboyant exercise. Well, they did for a good portion of the film, as the musical sequences are expertly staged (Marshall's background is in theater) and captivating, but the moments in between start to fall further and further short as the film winds into its third act.
Still, there are enough good elements
in Chicago to recommend it, and those with more of an affinity
for musicals will likely derive a greater level of enjoyment from
the film than I did. And, for what it's worth, it certainly beat
the heck out of the 10 minutes of Moulin Rouge I once sat
through.
(A Miramax Films release. Opened in limited release on December
25. Expands to a wider release at later dates.)
|
|
|
|
|