| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | Chicago (2002) |
| Director | Rob Marshall |
| Writer | Bill Condon, based on the stage musical by John Kander and Fred Ebb |
| Lead Actor | Renée Zellweger |
| Cast | Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly |
| Genre | Musical, Crime, Drama |
| Release Date | December 27, 2002 (United States) |
| Duration | 1h 53m |
| Budget | $45 million |
| Language | English |
| IMDb Rating | 7.2/10 |
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Musicals don’t come much more comically glitzy or wittily cynical than Chicago (born on stage in 1975). This energetic movie spoofs the city’s infamous Prohibition era morals with a lively splash of ragtime jazz songs, plus dazzling individual and chorus dancing.
The original creative talents included legendary choreographer Bob Fosse, songsmiths John Kander and Fred Ebb (Cabaret), and performers Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera.
First-time feature director Rob Marshall kept much of the original dialogue and style but pushed everything to another level with impressive cinematics primarily Martin Walsh’s editing. Nominated for 13 Academy Awards, the film has already won Golden Globes for best picture, musical or comedy, as well as Richard Gere and Renée Zellweger for their acclaimed performances. Catherine Zeta Jones won a BAFTA Award and is nominated for an Oscar.
The based loosely on fact plot material is scandalous, derived from the political corruption of the time and the public’s media driven fascination with sensational crimes.
Pretty women like Velma Kelly (Zeta-Jones) and Roxie Hart (Zellweger) sometimes got away with murder, thanks to clever lawyers like Billy Flynn (Gere) and reporters who swallowed the sentiment and spin, and then wrote the stories.
Director Marshall cuts between the glamorous artsy stage version of events and a more lifelike narrative. A favorite moment for courtroom buffs: Gere’s Flynn tap dancing his way through a crucial cross examination. The ratings reflect the fact that the sex and violence are mostly offstage. The peak of the sexy, jazzy dance musical with a brain that is Fosse’s gift to Broadway, adapted with flash and a style that Fosse would appreciate satisfactory for adults.
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