And all that jazz... (Chicago (DVD))

Name: glitter_princess

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Product:	Chicago (DVD)
Date:	25/01/03 (709 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great cast, Fantastic songs, Stylish and sexy

Disadvantages: Quite violent in places

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you a story of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery. All those things we hold near and dear to our hearts…

---Plot---

Chicago in the early 1930s. A city where killing is a form of entertainment and where, if you’re lucky, you can get away with murder. Chicago tells the story of Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger), a woman who killed her lover and is sent to prison facing the death penalty. But Roxie’s biggest ambition is to be famous and have her own vaudeville act, and she soon discovers that, with a little bending of the truth and a little media manipulation, her dreams could become reality. Cue hotshot lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), a flash kind of guy who, by turning every trial into a media circus, has never lost a case and claims that “If Jesus Christ was alive today, living in Chicago and had $5000 things might have turned out a little differently”. In prison Roxie meets Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a vaudeville star who shot her husband and sister after catching them in bed together. Cue intense rivalry between Roxie and Velma as they each battle for their place in the spotlight.

---Background information---

Chicago was written by John Kander and Fred Ebb (the same people who brought you Cabaret) in the 1970s and has experienced a fantastic revival in recent years. And so, in true jump-on-the-bandwagon style, the movie industry bosses and the director, Rob Marshall, decided that a film version of Chicago would be a big money spinner and injected $30 million into it. Like the meek, compliant film-goer that I am I was incredibly excited about seeing this film and dragged all my friends along with me!

---What did I think of it?---

From the minute this film starts you know you’re in for a treat. Catherine Zeta-Jones’s rendition of ‘All that Jazz’ is fantastic- sultry and sexy, capt
uring the feel of the jazz scene perfectly. The darkness and bleakness of the story is contrasted fabulously in its incredibly fun and glitzy sequinned and feathered fantasy sequences. The burst into song does not jar as it is nearly always a fantasy, providing a deeper view into the minds of the characters and giving relief from the tension of Roxie’s fast approaching trial. One thing that particularly stood out for me (and this will sound pretty wierd!) was the lighting- really stylish and dramatic, often just lighting one character against a black screen, which looks stunning and highlights the strong cabaret feel which the film creates. Although quite a few songs have been cut out of the film version, the story works perfectly well without them and unless you knew the stage version pretty well, you'd never notice they were missing. One of the best scenes in the film is the Cell Block Tango, where each murderess tells the story of how she ended up in prison, singing of how "he had it coming". The Bob Fosse style choreography is simply stunning here- violent and sexy- with the women looking stunning in black corsets, stockings and suspenders etc. (although my friend did point out that using red handkerchiefs to represent blood was very GCSE drama!) Another great scene was Roxie's press conference where Billy Flynn uses her as a ventriloquist's dummy, with the tabloid reporters as puppets on strings controlled bgy Billy- a scene which must have taken ages to shoot but looks fantastic! One of the main problems with the stage show for me, was the fact that it is quite difficult to have much sympathy for Roxie- after all, she is completely guilty!- but the film cleverly does a bit more in terms of motivation and characterisation, making Roxie such a tragic character but one that you can’t help loving! And the bitchy rivalry between Roxie and Velma is fantastic!

So, the question you’re all wondering… Can these acto
rs actually sing? Well… in a word- yes! Catherine Zeta-Jones is sensational but then she began her career in musical theatre so its not too surprising that she is a good singer and a stunning dancer. Richard Gere is perfectly cast as Billy Flynn and does an adequate job with his songs (though the sight of him in boxer shorts and a vest I felt was quite unnecessary- a man of his age should know better!), but in every scene, it is Renee Zellweger that your eye is drawn to. Her voice isn’t that amazing and her dancing doesn’t stand out next to Zeta-Jones, but somehow, she has something about her that makes you really want to watch her on screen. I don’t know whether this is due to the fact that her character has undergone a more in-depth characterisation or simply the fact that she’s blonde, but she has this amazing sparkle. One thing I would say though Renee- put on a bit of weight for god’s sake! Protruding ribs are so last year! In a direct contrast to Renee’s skinniness, the other star of the show for me was Matron Mama Morton (Queen Latifah), the corrupt prison warden who ‘looks after’ the girls as long as they ‘look after’ her, if you know what I mean. With her tremendous cleavage (seriously, it’s amazing- I’ve never seen anything like it!) and strong jazz style voice, she puts in a fantastic performance, as does John C. Reilly who plays Roxie’s doormat-type husband, Amos (a role my mum informs me was played for ages by Les Dennis- oh how life imitates art!). Other minor roles include Christine Baranski (from tv show Cybil) as Mary Sunshine, the reporter who follows Roxie's story, and Lucy Lui as an scantily clad heiress who murders her husband after finding him in bed with two other women. Another thing to note is the cameo role from Chita Rivera, who played the original Roxie Hart on Broadway in the 70s (she’s the Lesley Joseph look-alike Roxie meets when she arrives a
t the prison)

---Cast List---
Roxie Hart- Renee Zellweger
Velma Kelly- Catherine Zeta-Jones
Billy Flynn- Richard Gere
Amos Hart- John C. Reilly
Mama Morton- Queen Latifah
Mary Sunshine- Christine Baranski
Jazz band leader- Taye Diggs
Rich heiress murderer- Lucy Lui

Directed by Rob Marshall, rated 12A and lasts 1 hour 40 minutes.

If your boyfriend doesn't quite come up to scratch, just take him to see this and he'll be too scared to step out of line! So, reach for your eyeliner, whip out that sexy underwear, slip on some high heels and get yourself down to that cinema now!

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