By: debbie lynn elias
Opening nationwide in general release this weekend is the multiple Golden Globe winning – “Chicago.” Fresh on the heels and riding the wave of the revival of the movie musical started last year with Baz Luhrmann’s “Moulin Rouge”, “Chicago” is another spectacular spectacular filled with enough razzamattazz, razzle dazzle, all that jazz and then some, all guaranteed to place Hollywood back at the top of the heap as king of the movie musical.
Directed by stage veteran Rob Marshall in his big screen debut, “Chicago” is the latest incarnation of the 1926 play by the same name, which was previously made into the 1942 film “Roxie Hart” starring Ginger Rogers and then translated to the Broadway stage by Bob Fosse, John Kander and Fred Ebb. Although faithful to Fosse’s 1975 Broadway production (which has been showing continuously every night somewhere in America to this day), Marshall’s “Chicago” takes extravagance, decadence, immorality and the romanticization of cops, killers, dirty lawyers, call girls and reporters to a new level.
Starring Golden Globe winner Renee Zellweger as wanna-be showgirl Roxie Hart, Catherine Zeta Jones as the incomparable entertainer Velma Kelly and fellow Golden Globe winner, Richard Gere as hotshot attorney Billy Flynn whose biggest boast is that for $5,000 he can beat any rap, “Chicago” is set in 1929 and told primarily through the eyes of our young dreamer Roxie Hart, balancing neatly between fantasy and reality, as the characters sing and dance through their imaginations in an imaginary club called the Onyx. Roxie, who has killed her lover, convinces her hapless, auto mechanic husband Amos to pay for her lawyer, while she waits out her time in a jail cell next to her idol, Velma Kelly, who is also jailed for the murder of her husband and sister who were caught in the throes of an illicit affair. Whew!!! (Needless to say, Velma’s sister act ended with the doing of the dirty deed.) Coming to their aid is high priced, slick-backed, king of the razzle dazzle, attorney Billy Flynn.
“Chicago’s” success is due to the brilliance of Marshall who wears two hats as both director and choreographer. With a smooth, streamlined, yet rapid-fire precision, much that like of Luhrmann in “Moulin Rouge!”, Marshall keeps the pace moving with splendiferous story-enhanced visuals that compliment the musical numbers rather than detract from them. As for casting, I can’t imagine anyone stepping into these roles other than those actors we now see. Catherine Zeta-Jones, finally able to showcase her musical background, with her scorching vocals, shimmies and shakes to no end, making you just go WOW! Talk about star power!!! Cyd Charisse move over! Zellweger, never having sung a note in her life, not only gives an amazing vocal and dance performance, but is captivating as Roxie, mixing her own natural innocence and vulnerability with Roxie’s devious, deceitful daydreaming, giving us a character you just can’t help but like. But Richard Gere as Billy Flynn – – – there are no words to adequately describe his performance. From singing (albeit filtered) to tap dancing to his razzle dazzle legal side-stepping, one can see why he won the Golden Globe for Best Actor this year. I recently had a chance to speak with director Rob Marshall who described Gere as a man “who sweat more than any man I have ever known” while preparing for his role as Flynn. Insistent on perfection, Gere was his own task master when it came to learning tap. Having recently bemoaned that “I never win anything”, Gere can make that claim no more having picked up a Globe and putting him forefront in the running for Oscar. In speaking with Gere after the Golden Globes he was humble, in awe and effusive in his praises for his fellow cast members, director Marshall and original creators, Fosse, Kander and Ebb.
But beyond the principal players is a supporting cast equally as luminescent. Queen Latifah, as prison warden Mama, is the 21st Century’s answer to Sophie Tucker here and literally brings down the house with her bravura rendition of “When You’re Good To Mama.” The always hilariously divine Christine Baranski is perfectly cast as tabloidesque reporter Mary Sunshine, giving us all a good look at what “yellow journalism” really was all about. But it is the venerable John C. Reilly as Roxie’s lovelorn and seemingly befuddled husband Amos that steals the show with his tragiocomic rendition of “Mr. Cellophane Man.” John, although you didn’t get a Globe, better prepare a speech for Oscar!. And of course, don’t miss original “Chicago” star Chita Rivera with a nifty little cameo as The Judge.
And if the story and the cast aren’t enough to tickle your fancy, you can’t go wrong with the music, choreography and costuming. Oscar winner Colleen Atwood’s period costumes have enough glitz and glitter to blind you and are tailored to the personalities of each character and dance, making the entire picture seamless. Marshall’s choreography is sheer movie magic, translated eloquently from stage to screen and harkening to the days of Astair and Rogers and MGM musicals. But the real star here is that music by John Kander and Fed Ebb. As timeless, effervescent and energetic today as it was in 1975, come on now, we’re gonna paint the town with all that jazz – “Chicago”!!!!!!!
