Chicago (2002)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Alexander D

  
  Ostentatious musical takes a sarcastic look at the story of two murderesses and their rise (or rises, one could say) to fame on the stage. This was the first musical in 33 years to win Best Picture, the previous being OLIVER! in 1969, and I can now honestly say that this didn't… More
  Ostentatious musical takes a sarcastic look at the story of two murderesses and their rise (or rises, one could say) to fame on the stage. This was the first musical in 33 years to win Best Picture, the previous being OLIVER! in 1969, and I can now honestly say that this didn't deserve to win Best Picture, but it did not deserve to lose, either. Before I had seen this, I was almost positive that THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS should have been the film to win Best Picture in '02; now, I am stuck between the two. The sarcastic taste of CHICAGO was intelligent and, at times, ironic, but it did not completely throw me like I had expected. Almost <i>everything</i> here, in fact, is sarcastic in one way or another. It all ranges from the subtle (such as a sarcastic line here and there) to the utterly ridiculous (such as the fact that one of the women in jail murdered her husband only because he was popping his gum and getting on her nerves). If you can't stand that, then this film is not for you, because without all the sarcasm and razzle-dazzle, CHICAGO simply would not be CHICAGO. <b>Full Review: http://wp.me/p1Urcx-sR</b>

• Matt G

  
  A very well choreographed film, with good acting and songs. It isn't my cup of tea, to be honest.

• Bethany M

  
  A great musical!

• shahmeer h

  
  Chicago is a very original movie. And that's what people are looking for these days. Every award they received, including Best Picture, was well given from the Academy. Catherine-Zeta Jones was an excellent supporting actress, and she did earn her Best Supporting Actress award,… More
  Chicago is a very original movie. And that's what people are looking for these days. Every award they received, including Best Picture, was well given from the Academy. Catherine-Zeta Jones was an excellent supporting actress, and she did earn her Best Supporting Actress award, but truly, I think Renee Zellweger did a better job as an actress. The cinematography was simply amazing. The transitions between reality and stage were definitely enjoyable. The way the audience saw the stage performances was excellent, and the way they saw reality was interesting as well. And at that fact, the stage performances is what made this film extravagant. No breaking into song in reality. All of the singing was as if they were feeling it, and we were witnessing their feelings. The the songs were real catchy, and definitely masterpieces to listen to. But there were a few flaws in Chicago. One was some of the speech. It was hard to understand without subtitles or going back a few times to hear it again, but not all of it was like that, only some. Then the fact that one of the characters (the innocent and "invisible" one) never got what he deserved. This was the sad point in the film. But I guess that's reality, folks. And the best part of Chicago was... That it was better than the musical. I saw the musical, and it was boring and dull compared to the film. But there is one last flaw. The 1 hour 57 minute film left out a bit from the 3 hour musical. You got to know the characters more in the musical. All in all, I give Chicago a 80/100.

• Brad W

  
  A impressive musical with a mediocre story, top notch acting, and incredible songs. I never believe in overrated movies but this is one of them, espically for the Best Picture Oscar.

• Jameson W

  
  Catherine Zeta-Jones gives a great and memorable performance. Great film, but I'm not quite sure it deserved Best Picture!

• Jacob E

  
  Now THIS is a musical film. Worthy of the Best Picture Oscar it received? No. Not even close. But is it good? You can bet your life on it. "Chicago" is darkly humorous, beautifully shot and choreographed, and filled to the gills with catchy/awesome songs. Highly recommended… More
  Now THIS is a musical film. Worthy of the Best Picture Oscar it received? No. Not even close. But is it good? You can bet your life on it. "Chicago" is darkly humorous, beautifully shot and choreographed, and filled to the gills with catchy/awesome songs. Highly recommended for anyone, even those who don't like musicals. This might convert you over.

• Spencer S

  
  Great cast, numbers, costumes, and atmosphere. Movie musicals are rare nowadays, and Chicago lets us remember the Golden Age and how far we've come since.

• Manu G

  
  A great musical film! Acting was incredible, probably the best acting portrayal of the top 3 actors in this film in there career. Great film and I recommend it to all musical fans out there. Fame hungry Roxie Hart dreams of a life on the Vaudville stage, and spends her nights… More
  A great musical film! Acting was incredible, probably the best acting portrayal of the top 3 actors in this film in there career. Great film and I recommend it to all musical fans out there. Fame hungry Roxie Hart dreams of a life on the Vaudville stage, and spends her nights jazzing it up in the bright lights of Chicago, continually hoping that she'll find her lucky break, and be shot into 1920's stardom, so able to flee her boring husband Amos. In awe of seductive club singer Velma Kelly (who is subsequantly arrested for the murder of her husband and sister - after discovering their affair), Roxie meets Fred Cassely a man who convinces her he can 'make her showbiz career take off'. However after Roxie has undergone the 'casting couch' treatment, and Fred has had his wicked way with her, he reveals that he has no more connections in showbusiness than she does. This is the final straw for Roxie, and her constant anger at rejection explodes. She shoots Fred Cassely 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. In jail she finally meets tabloid darling Velma Kelly, currently receiving huge media attention for the double murder she committed earlier in the tale. Sharing the clink with Velma, are a collection of other sly females, all awaiting trial for the murders of their own partners. Velma is aloof to Roxie, however the prison Warden Mrs Morton offers Roxie the opportunity of representation by slick Chicago lawyer Billy Flynn. Billy is more a showbiz P. R agent than a legal lawyer and minipulates the tabloids into thinking Roxie is no more than an innocent 'good time girl' who took the wrong path, than a scheming murderess. The tabloids go crazy for the new girl on the cell block, and Roxie finally becomes a star. However due to Roxie's new found fame, Velma is forgotten about. She is forced to approach Roxie with an offer of a part in her Vaudville act (filling the gap left by her murdered sister), but Roxie turns down her offer flat, thinking she needs no support in topping the bill. However, just as Velma's star fell, so does Roxie's, when Go-to-hell Kitty arrives at the jail on a multiple murder charge, the press forget Roxie and now she and Velma are in the same boat. With one more trick up her sleave Roxie manages to bring the media attention back onto her, and her day in court arrives. Billy is now ready to play the ultimate showman!

• Richard C

  
  C

• Jennifer D

  
  Wow. Something I like Renee Zellweger in... Catherin Z-J is amazing as usual.

• danny d

  
  disturbing morality and off dance numbers combined with a mostly miscast group in key roles makes for a decent but highly overrated musical. moulin rouge deserves the credit this film gets for rebirthing the musical genre after a dark period.

• Anthony L

  
  I much preferred seeing this in the theatre, I found it lost a certain something in its transference into film and was an undeserving Oscar winner!

• Drew S

  
  Brassy and entertaining, but sort of an empty delight at the end of it all. I immensely admire the technical wizardry and actorly flair that oozes from Chicago but musicals are really just not my thing. And I dunno, the 20s flapper era strikes me as so simple. I think to an interested… More
  Brassy and entertaining, but sort of an empty delight at the end of it all. I immensely admire the technical wizardry and actorly flair that oozes from Chicago but musicals are really just not my thing. And I dunno, the 20s flapper era strikes me as so simple. I think to an interested party, this would be the absolute Holy Grail, as the whole affair is arguably faultless within its own little warped world (except Richard Gere, he sucks so bad, make him go awayyyy). I would be remiss to deny that I liked the movie - of course I did. Renee Zellweger falling down and awkwardly declaring a pregnancy, and Catherine Zeta-Jones' reaction, were movie magic. The music is accessible and well-done; Cell Block Tango is stunning, CZJ is solid gold, and you can't help but fall in love with Queen Latifah after Be Good to Mama. And seriously, who the hell would have expected that voice coming out of John C. Reilly? Amazing. Everything about this movie, right down to the costume and set design, is crafted with utmost cinematic love. Rob Marshall has created a beautiful paean to an art form that clearly means the world to him. I won't seek fault in it to justify my personal feelings, but simply admit that it isn't a movie for me.

• Thomas B

  
  brilliant film of a stage show. zelwegger and zeta-jones are fantastic and sooo sexy

• Coxxie M

  
  damn Catherine Zeta is so freakin hot she will give this 3 stars i know i know it doesnt deserve it.... but just LOOK AT HER!!

• Lewis C

  
  Musicals are made (or unmade) by their songs and actors, and Chicago excels in one of these categories while being a little more questionable in the other. It's no exaggeration to say that some of these song numbers are among the most famous and well-known musical performances,… More
  Musicals are made (or unmade) by their songs and actors, and Chicago excels in one of these categories while being a little more questionable in the other. It's no exaggeration to say that some of these song numbers are among the most famous and well-known musical performances, ever. Cell Block Tango, We Both Reached for the Gun, And All That Jazz...you don't have to be a huge theater fan to recognize these favorites. And even if this is your first exposure to them, expect to have them running through your mind days after you hear them. A few of the songs pale in comparison to the most popular ones, but overall the tunes in Chicago can stand toe-to-toe with nearly any other musical. The big turn-off for me was the casting. Renee Zellweger simply failed to bring the character of Roxie to life, I don't know how else to put it. I didn't enjoy her character at all. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Queen Latifah and Richard Gere are more suited to their roles, but they still aren't as good as one could have wished. Lucy Liu was awesome in her brief part, though. Anyway, Chicago is a good enough movie musical, but when the main character is ineptly handled it makes the whole experience less enjoyable for me. I'd rather just hear the songs and skip past Renee's weird faces and unconvincing acting.

• E.J. B

  
  No. This is a bad movie. A depressingly bad movie. Action films get criticized for having no story. So aside from crappy stage numbers, where's the story here?

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"With the right song and dance, you can get away with murder."</i> Murderesses Velma Kelly (a chanteuse and tease who killed her husband and sister after finding them in bed together)and Roxie Hart (Who killed her boyfriend when she discovered he… More
  <i>"With the right song and dance, you can get away with murder."</i> Murderesses Velma Kelly (a chanteuse and tease who killed her husband and sister after finding them in bed together)and Roxie Hart (Who killed her boyfriend when she discovered he wasn't going to make her a star) find themselves on death row together and fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows in 1920s Chicago. <b><u>REVIEW</u></b> This movie is brilliantly acted and wonderfully directed. Catherine Zeta-Jones superb portrayal of saucy Velma Kelly is matched against Renee Zellweger's equally manipulative Roxie Hart. Neither of these characters is worth redeeming, but the audience will root for them anyway. Set in Prohibition Chicago, where jazz clubs are sheik and murder is a form of entertainment, Roxie Hart (Zellweger) is on trial for her life. Enter Billy Flynn (Richard Gere) a flamboyant lawyer more interested in manipulating the press than whether his client is guilty or innocent. Also features Queen Latifah as the warden who takes care of her charges...for a price! The musical sequences are very well done, most notably "Press Room Rag" and of course the signature "All that Jazz". Also, kudos to John C. Reilly whose "Mr. Cellophane" solo is heartbreaking poignant.

• Jennifer X

  
  Lacks the seedy debauchery of its precedents and thus attains a kind of superficial Hollywood sheen that actually works for it rather than against as with many cases. It pays homage to those old Bob Fosse classics but also turns into a new direction entirely. It's less about the… More
  Lacks the seedy debauchery of its precedents and thus attains a kind of superficial Hollywood sheen that actually works for it rather than against as with many cases. It pays homage to those old Bob Fosse classics but also turns into a new direction entirely. It's less about the self-involved players behind-the-scenes - which plays a starring role in the likes of All That Jazz and Cabaret - and more about the thrillseeking, tabloid-ingesting audience hungry for any sort of monkey show the stars can put on. So they respond accordingly. I know many people don't think this movie deserved the BP back in 2003 but I will defend it to the death because it's my favorite large-scale production modern musical. It's not a movie that you think about a lot afterwards but you can't deny the musical numbers weren't astonishing, not to mention fun. Bill Condon had a knack for pulling out showstopping performances from actors I didn't even know could sing! So I thank him for that.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings