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Chicago
(15's)
Plot Summary
Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones)
has a big musical stage show act in 1920’s Chicago.
Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger) is looking for her break to become a
big stage show name and she won’t let anything get in her way.
Both Velma and Roxie end up in jail for murder!
Velma kills her husband and sister for cheating on her and Roxie
kills her lover when he dumps her. Worse
still, he lied about having contacts in the music clubs of Chicago!
The two girls meet in jail but each is looking out for themselves.
They try to keep the press interested in their cases as they try to
build up their defence…
Review
Based on the hit Broadway
musical, Chicago, this movie features all the songs and dance routines of
the show. Of course film
doesn’t have the restrictions that a stage show has and this freedom is
used to good effect. The
cameras can capture every scene and angle.
More interesting is the way that some of the dance and song
routines are intertwined with the “straight acting” as the camera
cleverly jumps from one scene to another and back again.
This movie is bright,
colourful, energetic and entertaining.
There are plenty of laughs and over the top acting that give a
flamboyant stage show feel to it. If
you liked Moulin Rouge
you should enjoy this movie. You
don’t really have to be a fan of the musical and I was surprised to find
that I recognized most of the songs.
Catherine Zeta–Jones plays
beautiful Velma Kelly and she has plenty of demanding dance routines in
the movie which she performances excellently.
She really shines in all of her scenes.
Renée Zellweger is also
excellent. She has a bigger part in the movie and in some ways she
steals the show. Roxie Hart
wants to see her name in lights, top of the bill, and this 1920’s
wannabe will use any means to get that big break.
She walks all over her, not-so-clever, husband on her way to the
top.
Richard Gere is also good as
the sleazy defence lawyer who has no morals.
He is quite funny as he hams it up in the courtroom giving that
theatrical feel to the movie.
The Bottom Line:
Whether you like musicals or not, this is a fun, colourful,
entertaining movie.
Lasting
thought: If you can’t
be famous be infamous!
Reviewed by Niall Quinn,
Premier
Movie Reviews 2003 |