1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Chicago

#1046- Chicago (2002)
Starring: Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere
Directed by: Rob Marshall


Plot Summary: Roxie Hart wants to be a vaudeville star and hopes her lover, Fred Casely, will help pull some strings for her. When she learns that he lied to her in order to get what he wanted from her, she murders him in cold blood. Roxie is sent to the Murderess' Row at Cook County Jail, run by the corrupt Matron "Mama" Morton. While in jail, Roxie tries to become friends with fellow inmate and vaudeville star, Velma Kelly, but Velma shows no interest in making friends with Roxie. Under Mama Morton's advice, Roxie seeks help from Velma's lawyer, Billy Flynn, who has never lost a case. Thanks to Billy's help, Roxie becomes the talk of the town and steals Velma's spotlight. Jealous of Roxie's success, Velma craves the spotlight and would stoop to any level to get it back on her, while Roxie does everything in her power to keep the attention of the paparazzi fixated on her.


I went into Chicago expecting to not like it. I remember when it came out, my grandmother rented it to watch and turned it off five minutes in because of the film's sexual content (might have had something to do with 9 year old me watching it with her, oops). But I saw how the world went crazy for it, and I said "What's so special about Chicago?" When I sat down to watch it oh so many years later, a lot of my perceptions proved to be true, but there was also a lot to enjoy with the film. It wasn't that the songs weren't catchy, or that the plot wasn't engaging, or even that the characters weren't enjoyable, but rather that the musical numbers detracted from the story. While I know that happens in most musicals, the style of Chicago really made this fact stick out like a sore thumb.

Renée Zellweger plays the films main character, Roxie Hart. Roxie wants to be a star, so she's very selfish throughout the film, but that's okay because most of the other characters are as well. That all could normally be forgiving, but it is Roxie's attitudes towards her husband that make it difficult to stand her. Her husband Amos, played by John C. Reilly, is one of the most devoted and sympathetic husbands I've ever seen on film. Of the film's I've seen, I have never felt as bad for a character as I have for Amos. Reilly does a great job of making Amos this lovable, yet naive, character that is full of empathetic material. I won't spoil all the stuff he goes through, but it is his attitudes and moral nature towards them that make him absolutely pitiful, and Roxie absolutely detestable for treating Amos so coldly.

The shining star of Chicago is Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly. There is not a whole lot I could say about Velma without giving away a good deal of the plot, but I will say that she does an amazing job of making a character seem so glamorous and so desperate at the same time. Catherine Zeta-Jones shows serious dedication in her acting, singing and dancing, as is evident in the "Cell Block Tango," my favorite song in the film due to the pacing and emotion flowing throughout the musical number.

Roxie and Velma seek the attention of hotshot lawyer, Billy Flynn, played by Richard Gere. Gere might not seem believable as this fast talking lawyer at first, but throughout the film, he blends into the character nicely. His singing isn't the greatest, but it's done in a style that it is very self-aware of the fact by having him sing like how Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin would sing, which translates into more talking in sing-song than actual singing. Gere showcases a talent for dancing more than singing. There's an exceptionally choreographed tap dance he does during the film's climax, a metaphor for how he schools his competition in the courtroom. Billy Flynn is also a character with motivations the audience can understand. His loyalty is towards proximity and profit. We shouldn't expect him to solely want to support Roxie or Velma in the press if someone new becomes the center of the media's attention, so he isn't faulted for his actions. He's a film lawyer after all (no disrespect to lawyers in real life, only those portrayed stereotypically on film).

Queen Latifah plays the corrupt matron, "Mama" Morton. Latifah adds a lot of fun and a natural charisma to the role, while also making good use of her time on screen. While Latifah could have benefited from more time on-screen to break out of a supporting role, admittedly, the character belongs in the background to help the flow of the film's narrative. Consider Queen Latifah's performance a compliment, fulfilling her purpose as a character, while also leaving the audience wanting more of her in the film.

The set design for Chicago is spectacular, but also a detriment to the film's narrative. When the film decides to do a musical number, it cuts together two versions of the number, from the point of view of the film's narrative, and a choreographed stage production-like version of the number. This wasn't bad to watch, but it also can be a bit confusing as to what's going on in the film. It wouldn't be surprising if audience members were confused about it being a daydream or not. Truthfully, the songs would work better if they ONLY showed them in the stage production setting, which would also be a fitting method to popularize the film adaptation of a Broadway musical.


Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I give Chicago a lot of credit for its dedication to adapt the look of a stage production on film, while also carrying a big production value in sets and costumes to go along with it. Despite the issues I have with some of the characters, it is a film I would recommend everyone see once, so give it a rental and see if you like it.

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Chicago and movie images are copyrighted by Miramax Films