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Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Oooooh, musicals! Here we go again. I know in the past that I said I really didn’t like musicals. If you have read some of my past posts on musicals, you will see that maybe I am turning the corner on them. Actually, I must admit, if the plot is good and the songs are entertaining, I am not against a musical. Hell, I have seen so many now that I find them enjoyable. What I don’t like about musicals is the ones that are straight song after song after song. I need some dialogue in it, please, for a break.
No matter, this time, I rewatched Chicago. I didn’t think much about it before because I was on my hating musical trip, but this time around, since I am older, I found this film highly entertaining. The songs, characters, and story are so entertaining that I found myself either laughing or having a slight shiver of fear because people were dying in this film, with some trying to get significant headlines. Ladies and gentlemen welcome to Chicago, where mobsters rule and women shoot men.
In 1924, in the grand city of Chi-Town, Roxie Hart (Zellweger) watched the lead role Velma Kelly (Zeta-Jones) perform at a Chicago theater. After the show, Velma is arrested for killing her husband Charlie and sister Veronica after finding them in bed together. Roxie dreams of fame and stardom and spends her nights looking for her lucky break from her housewife life and boring husband Amos (Reilly). Roxie meets and begins an affair with Fred Casely (West), who convinces her he can make her a star. Well, things don’t go as planned when Fred tells Roxie that he only wanted to tap that ass. Upset at hearing this, Roxie shoots Fred Casely and kills him. Upon discovering her infidelity, Roxie’s husband Amos refuses to take the blame for the murder, and Roxie is sent to jail, pending hanging. While in jail, all the attention is on Velma. Roxie tries to strike up a friendship, but Velma is like, “go kick rocks.” With the help of prison Warden, Matron Mama Morton (Latifah), Mama offers Roxie the opportunity of representation by slick Chicago lawyer Billy Flynn (Gere). Billy comes at a steep price but knows how to use showbiz for his clients. As Roxie starts becoming a star, soon the spotlight is off Velma. While both women fight for that attention for the spot of Chicago’s most famed murderess, they soon learn that there is only room for one in the great city of Chicago.
Now I must admit that I found this film highly, highly entertaining. The characters are great, the story is funny, and the music is some of the best. Let’s start off with the story. The story centers around Roxie and Velma where they both seem to be stars of a show. Well, Velma is at first, and Roxie wants to be one. Things go wrong when Velma goes to prison for murdering her killing her husband Charlie and sister Veronica after finding them in bed together. You can’t make this shit up. You know what happens? She becomes a star for being a murderous woman, and the papers love her. Social media before social media. Roxie, being two-timed herself, kills her lover and is sent to prison, which spirals into who the papers love the most. You know what? I FREAKIN LOVE IT! Why? It reminded me of my favorite tv show, Snapped! Oh, how I love Snapped. Women who kill their husbands because they snapped. Chicago is the “musical” version of that show. You cannot tell me because the musical number Cell Block Tango is each woman’s story about killing their lover. Prove me wrong! The plot goes into full detail on how both Velma and Roxie try to beat their cases and avoid hanging. The court scene was crazy and yet funny. What I also love is the rivalry between Velma and Roxie. They hate each other first, and when one gets the major spotlight over the other, one tries to join forces with the other or sabotage the other to get a plea deal. They both need each other to finally have the fame they were looking for in the very end.
What I like about this film are the musical numbers that progress the film and fill in essential details about the characters. A primary example is with the brilliant Billy Flynn and his song “All I Care About.” The character development in this song is fantastic because we see all the girls rave about Billy, and he sings that all he cares about is love, but yet, he has a price for that love, and it’s $5 grand. He exploits this out of his people because he knows how to turn a case around and make an absolute spectacle of it. Yet, this musical number is significant because it shows Billy loving the high life with fancy suits and dinner but yet, he doesn’t really care about anyone but himself and the next major headline.
Another scene is with Queen Latifah as Matron “Mama” Morton, the corrupt but nurturing matron of the Cook County Jail, and her song “When You’re Good to Mama.” Mama begins her song when Roxie rolls up in the jail. At first, Mama seems like a caring person, but she exploits each woman by telling them that if they are good to her, she will look out for them and find a lawyer for them for a price knowing they wouldn’t be able to afford them. Also, I love a black woman in charge.
Now the musical numbers are great and enjoyable. I was really impressed with how they were portrayed and displayed. First, Cell Block Tango was where it was. You learn about the backstories of the other women in the jail. This was shown in a dark but spectacular way as when each woman told her story, the scene changed to what happened and showed you rather than just listening to them talk. Some were violent, and yet, those men deserve it. Note to self, no cheating. Another excellent musical performance that I enjoyed and found entertaining was “We Both Reached for the Gun.” The idea of having a press conference was entertaining because the scene changed back and forth with Billy and Roxie answering the reporters’ questions, but in another scene, it showed Roxie as a doll and Billy as a ventriloquist. As the song goes on, it shows that he is answering all the questions, which turns it into a media spectacle and the paper being on his side. It shows that Billy is the true puppet master. A final musical scene that I think is worth mentioning because I can go on and on with performances is “Razzle Dazzle.” This is where social media today and the actions in courtrooms get a laughable highlight. Billy pretty much turns the courtroom into an absurd joke with his skills as a lawyer. As Billy sings, he presents evidence and then counters that evidence to put doubt in the jury’s mind.
As for the cast, I think they all did an excellent job. Renée Zellweger as Roxie Hart was funny as she was this “innocent” housewife who dreamed of making it big but shoots her lover and cheats on her husband. She actually has a big head and loves the attention and fame. She did treat her loving husband like trash. Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly is a joy to watch as the charismatic showgirl who is arrested for the murders of her husband, Charlie, and her sister, Veronica, after finding them in bed together. Man, I tell you, it’s like a freakin episode of Snapped. Yet, I liked her sassiness and cold demeanor until the fame was off of her. Zeta-Jones definitely deserved her Academy Award. I thought Richard Gere as Billy Flynn was one of the major highlights of this film. He played the greedy, smooth-talking lawyer who turns his clients into celebrities to gain public support for them to perfection. I don’t know if he actually did the tap dancing, but that man’s feet were on FIRE. Let’s give a major shout-out to the one and only Queen Latifah as Matron “Mama” Morton. Even though she wasn’t in the movie that much, she made sure that “Mama” had a voice and someone impactful in the film, if only for a really short time. I also want to say that John C. Reilly, as Amos Hart, Roxie’s naive, simple-minded but devoted husband was a pleasure to watch. The man just wanted to love his wife, only to be thrown away.
I will be the first to admit that I enjoyed watching Chicago. It is an outstanding musical with funny characters, great musical performances, and an entertaining story. Zeta-Jones, Zellweger, and Gere are excellent in their respective roles. The music is fun to listen to, and the story makes you think of the tv show Snapped. Enjoy this award-winning film and maybe take a trip to Chi-Town.
