Chicago
(2002 108mins.) [UKTV Watch 8.00pm &+1]
Two female jailbirds imprisoned for murder pull out all the stops to seize the attention of the media. Aided by a slick lawyer, both women are desperate to find fame and fortune and escape the death penalty by winning public sympathy. Musical, starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, John C Reilly and Queen Latifah.
There's a lot to admire and enjoy in this glitzy film version of the long running and hugely popular stage show; it's easy to see why it was such an enormous box-office success when it was released in 2002.
Director Rob Marshall sensibly keeps a lot of the original staging while constructing a clever narrative from which to hang the song and dance numbers.
And those numbers are very effectively done - full of energy and glamour.
The casting is perfect - Renee Zellweger gives a good account of herself despite her lack of previous musical experience and Catherine Zeta-Jones is a revelation : her dance routines, especially, are really well done; and then there's soft shoe shufflin' Richard Gere playing up )and mocking) his leading man image and matinee idol looks.
A really entertaining way to spend a couple of hours on a cold winters evening.
No comments:
Post a Comment