Chicago

Chicago (2002) Best Picture Winner*
Directed by Rob Marshall
Starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta Jones, & Richard Gere





I suppose I've finally reached the point in my life where I'm comfortable enough with my masculinity to watch this film. Maybe I'm a late bloomer. In all seriousness, I've been avoiding this film for years. Alas, my quest to see every Best Picture winner finally prompted me to watch this film last night.

So....here it goes.

Acting: (9) There's no way around it: the cast is great. They look great. They sound great. Zeta Jones & Zellweger, though not two of my favorites, are captivating. Both give arguably their best career performances. Actually, you can strike the word "arguably" from the last sentence. This was easily their best. Nearly every member of the cast was showered with awards for their performances and each one was deserving.

Cinematography / Effects: (9)The film's sights and sounds are dazzling. The choreography combined with the cinematography create a near sensory overload. This is one of the rare films that manages to harmonize the costumes, lighting, and set design to near perfection. The scene in which Richard Gere plays the media like puppets would make Tim Burton envious.

Plot: (7.5) This one is tough to judge because a film like this isn't meant to be as much about the plot as it is the performers. Realizing that this is an adaptation of a stage play, the standards are somewhat different. I gave it relatively high marks however, based on all the subplots surrounding each character. Though Roxie's trial was center stage, it was the relationships with John C. Reilly's and Zeta Jones' characters that were intriguing.

Entertainment: (6.5) For the first 45 minutes I was thoroughly entertained. The bells and whistles alone amused me for quite some time. However, without an engaging story, I eventually lost interest. Once again, I can only be entertained so long by singing and dancing. Had the movie been only an hour, the score would have been much higher, but I found myself looking at the DVD clock several times during the second half.

The complete experience was far less painless than anticipated. This film was very valuable in the sense that it significantly altered my perception of Catherine Zeta Jones and Renee Zellweger's talents. They can obviously shine in the right situation.

Overall Score: (8) Very Good