Chicago (2002)
The Cast
Renée Zellweger .... Roxie Hart
Catherine Zeta-Jones .... Velma Kelly
Richard Gere .... Billy Flynn
Queen Latifah .... Matron 'Mama' Morton
John C. Reilly .... Amos Hart
This movie, directed by one Rob Marshall, won the Best Picture Oscar in 2003, as well as a Breast... sorry, Best Supporting Actress for Zeta-Jones, & a bunch of art & set design awards. Latifah & Reilly were also nominated, Reilly justifiably so, & Latifah for her Grand Canyonesque cleavage.
I believe it's based on some Broadway musical or something, or perhaps even was an "actual event," I don't know or care. The question I want to know the answer to is: does the movie stand on it's own? Winning a Best Picture Oscar would seem to indicate so, & I would agree as well. Personally, I'd say The Pianist demands respect, more than Chicago, but that's mostly because if you say Pianist a certain way it sounds like penis.
Zeta-Jones deserved her Oscar win, as did all the technical art & design Oscar winners from this movie. It's simply a gorgeous movie, well-paced & beautifully filmed, bright colours & dark lighting. It's like Batman & Robin only not shitty. & that's the last time Batman & Robin will be mentioned in an Oscar-winning film review. The film won the award, not the review. Just thought I'd clear that up.
Yes, I know it's a musical, but it's still a pretty damn good movie. The acting's superb, the song & dance numbers excellent, with a great story to back it all up. However, if seeing a skeletal-looking Zellweger isn't on your list of things to do, you might want to avoid it. 4.5 outta 5, with that half point deducted for Zellweger helping to give the young females of the world an unrealistic body to hope for. Brrrr, it's like that "very special episode" of Full House where D.J. gets all anorexic & shit.
Roger Ebert's review of Chicago (2002)