Chicago [M]

Roxie Hart dreams of being famous and it seems that her shot at stardom lies with an acquaintance of hers whom she begins an affair with, Fred. But things take a downward turn when Roxie discovers that Fred has lied to her just to get into bed with her and she kills him out of rage. Whilst in the slammer, Roxie engages in a cat’s war with former jazz star and murderess Velma Kelly, and the two find themselves sharing the silver-tongued lawyer, Billy Flynn, who turns defendants into legends. But in Chicago, there is only room in the papers for one legend. 

Come on babe, why don’t we paint the town. And all that jazz. I’m gonna rouge my knees and roll my stockings down. And all that jazz. Start the car, I know a whoopee spot where the gin is cold and the piano’s hot. It’s just a noisy all where there’s a nightly brawl and all that jazz. 

Winner of six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Chicago is a visually stunning and seductive musical that’s filled with amazing outfits, glamour, amazing dance sequences, and an amazing soundtrack. Practically all the major characters in this film were nominated for Academy Awards, with Catherine Zeta-Jones winning the Award for Best Supporting Actress. 

Roxie Hart dreams of being famous and it seems that her shot at stardom lies with an acquaintance of hers whom she begins an affair with, Fred. But things take a downward turn when Roxie discovers that Fred has lied to her just to get her into bed and she kills him out of rage. Whilst in the slammer, Roxie finds herself engaged in a cat’s war with former jazz star and murderess Velma Kelly and both divas find themselves begrudgingly sharing the silver-tongued lawyer, Billy Flynn, who turns his defendants into legends. But in Chicago, there is only room in the papers for one legend. 

Aside from its story, which is engaging from the start, what makes Chicago so dazzling is the glamorous and visually stunning musical sequences that run parallel with the dramas of the characters. The use of the jazz music, vaudeville style, and general wild vibe of the Roaring 20s or Jazz Age, was not only effective in setting the general atmosphere of the film, but in bringing a much needed lightness and somewhat sense of relief to alleviate some of the grimness that a few scenes harbour, e.g. the execution of one of Roxie’s jail mates. 

The editing in this film was brilliant because the musical sequences and segments of cabaret were seamlessly interspersed through the more dramatic scenes as well as some introductory ones and it keeps the audience in their seats from start to finish. Seriously, the Cell Block Tango sequence for example, AMAZING! 

Starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, Lucy Liu, John C. Riley, Taye Diggs, and Christine Baranski, Chicago is an amazing and visually stunning film that’s packed with jazz, liquor, sex, drama, murder, comedy, and razzle dazzle. I love this film, it’s ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! 

And all that jazz.