Chicago

Chicago movie posterHaving enjoyed the Chicago The Musical, I went to the cinema to see the long awaited film version. And what a cinematic treat it is, thoroughly deserving many of the great reviews it’s been having on the web.

There are some who feel this is better than the musical but I would disagree. It’s a superb film but, and there are always comments to be made, it sticks a little to closely to the stage version, not using the different medium to its full extent. That said, the music is still there and – while not pushing the genre’s boundaries like Moulin Rouge – it is some of the best music to have made it to film. The air is filled with the jazz sounds of 1920s Chicago, the perfect backdrop to the nightclub singers and the murders the perform.

Catherine Zeta-Jones is a superb Velma Kelly, Renée Zellweger perhaps not as sassy as the Roxie I have in my musical memory but she certainly plays the vulnerability card well and the surprise (to me at least) was Richard Gere who plays suave Billy Flynn brilliantly (and it definitely seems that he can sing and dance).

Some commentators have suggested that the directon is limited due to director Rob Marshall’s TV backgorund. I can’t say that it was noticeable to this viewer although perhaps my comments about the medium above are related. Chicago tells the tale in an elegant way; conveys the essence of 20s and moves along at a decent pace.

If there was one major disappointment it was the down playing of the Mary Sunshine role (in the musical it’s played by a man) and the omission of her song (A Little Bit of Good). Nevertheless, one to recommend.

On this day…