Chicago film review

certificate_12A

CHICAGO

The big Hollywood musical had been on its deathbed for years, but with the last rites about to be read, Moulin Rouge and now Chicago have come along to prove that talk of the genre's demise is a tad premature. Adapted from Bob Fosse's stage musical, Chicago is an exuberant treat, boasting memorable songs, revealing outfits and sexy routines.

While Baz Luhrman's flights of fancy meant Moulin Rouge could barely be contained by the big screen, director and choreographer Rob Marshall has been more restrained, but no less successful, with Chicago, making it more like a conventional stage musical. With a wildly enthusiastic audience applauding each number, the experience was more akin to being at the theatre than a cinema.

Chicago's true stars are the music and choreography. Finding a suitable cast to bring them to life was the problem, with box office clout having to be balanced against singing and dancing ability. Catherine Zeta-Jones' theatrical background stood her in good stead for the role of the ballsy Velma Kelly while Zellweger fares less well, relying more on cutesy charm and editing to mask her shortcomings in the role of Roxie Hart. Unfortunately for Gere, who plays the smooth talking and even smoother dressing lawyer Billy Flynn, there is no disguising his weak voice, but what he lacks in vocal prowess he more than makes up for in enthusiasm and pluck. John C. Reilly, who play's Roxie's cuckolded husband, proves he has a voice to match his acting chops, with a moving rendition of 'Mr Cellophane', a lament to his own insipidity.

Chicago's vitality reflects the exhilarating period of the 20s when gangsters were glamorous heroes. The plot revolves around two girls who find themselves on murderess row. Velma is a nightclub dancer at the Onyx club where Roxie dreams of one day performing. After Velma shoots her philandering husband and Roxie shoots her boyfriend, both girls find themselves locked up under the supervision of Mama (a delicious Queen Latifah). Their only hope for staving off execution lies in the money grabbing hands of Flynn.

Fred Astaire always insisted that during his dance numbers he be filmed from head to foot, but with no Astaires to work with, Marshall keeps the cuts and shots as brief and tight as the outfits. The biggest cheer of the night was reserved for Bob Fosse's credit. While he undoubtedly would have appreciated the gesture, he would be more grateful that his legacy had been so superbly handled.