Crime, Love, and Bullets
Chicago Has 'All That Jazz'

Let me share a little secret with you. I love musicals. Growing up, my sister and I nearly wore out my parents' soundtrack of Oklahoma. As I grew older, I fell in love with Guys and Dolls, South Pacific, and all those other musicals that end up as high school productions. I've seen Seven Brides for Seven Brothers more than seven times, and I will watch Fiddler on the Roof at the drop of a hat.

When Moulin Rouge hit the screen last year, I was blown away by the return of the big Hollywood musical. The singing and dancing was hardly traditional, however, and it quickly became one of those "love it or hate it" kind of movies. So it surprised me when Chicago jumped from Broadway to the Big Screen this year. I wondered if this was a knee-jerk reaction to Moulin Rouge's success and wondered if the American audiences might avoid another musical so soon. However, whereas Moulin Rouge was very experimental, Chicago is a return to the basics of Broadway.

The storytelling is clear and simple. Set in 1920s, the story centers on Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger), a woman who dreams of being a big singer and dancer. When the man who has been promising her an audition shows his true colors, however, she kills him and finds herself on murderers' row. As fate would have it this is the beginning, not the end, of Roxie's story.

In prison, Roxie meets her idol, the notorious performer Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta Jones). Velma is in jail for shooting her husband and sister after catching them in bed together. She also meets her matron "Mama" Morton, played by singer Queen Latifah. Mama has a habit of helping certain women when she can benefit from the arrangement.

Mama introduces Roxie to the man who is her best hope for freedom, a silver-tongued lawyer named Billy Flynn. Richard Gere portrays the defense attorney with a slick charm usually reserved for used car salesmen. All the women want Billy to take their case because he has never allowed a woman to hang yet. But Billy is also handling Velma's case, and it soon becomes apparent that he is only willing to back a single horse.

The film is filled with memorable songs and production numbers. For the most part, however, the film never quite takes advantage of the medium. In many instances, the screen is virtually dark except for a single person singing. When the screen does light up, however, it's like no production ever before. Numbers like "Razzle Dazzle," "We Both Reached for the Gun," and the show stopping "Cell Block Tango" make the movie soar. In addition to the songs, Danny Elfman's score for the film is perfectly fitting for the time period.

Zellweger steals the show as Roxie. Her soft features and blonde curls belie the hardhearted Roxie who would kill (literally) for a chance to be a celebrity. Jones is outstanding as Velma. Gere is wonderful as Billy, and (to my surprise) he is able to carry a decent tune. The biggest surprise (although it shouldn't be) is John C. Reilly who plays Roxie's husband Amos. Reilly has been getting a lot of good press this year for his supporting roles in Gangs of New York and The Hours. Once again he is proving himself as a well-rounded actor, adding singing to his repertoire. If they gave an award for best supporting actor in multiple films, Reilly would win it - hands down!

I've never seen Chicago on the stage, so I can't say how the film version compares. Nevertheless, I do know this is a wonderful example of a big-screen musical. While I still think last year's Moulin Rouge was a little better, I think Chicago is an outstanding film. I hope this means we can look forward to more Broadway/Hollywood crossovers in the future.

MY RATING: 9 out of 10.

RATED: PG-13
RUN TIME: 113 min.