Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
I’m hearing rapturous things about this movie, and what I’ve seen of it so far supports those swooning comments. I can’t wait to see the thing cut together, and am jealous of those lucky folks who’ve seen it these last two weeks in New Jersey. Sounds like Miramax is pleased as punch with what they’ve seen, too. Could this be their big contender at the end of the year? Let’s see what this reader thinks...
Hey Harry
I just got back from a preview screening of Chicago here in Edgewater, New Jersey. It was a pretty big deal at the theater, and afterwards at the discussion group, a bunch of Miramax execs slipped into the theater to listen in, including one Harvey Weinstein. I hadn't seen the Broadway show before taking in this one, but I've gotta say that you certainly didn't need to see the show in order to appreciate this movie.
In a tough winter movie season (especially right around Christmas), I've gotta say that this one is absolutely worth seeing. It's a lot of fun, and it sucks you in right from the beginning. There were so many places where it could have been screwed up, but Rob Marshall did a phenomenal job directing it. I'm gonna skip the spoilers, although it's a pretty obvious plot (two performers trying to one-up each other, fighting for the spotlight in a big city that loves controversy), but here are some of the highlights:
- The musical numbers are blended into the movie perfectly. They're interspliced with the actual story and tied directly into the plot very smoothly. The regular scenes are in dull, bland colors (most of it takes place in a prison), but the music scenes are in bright flashing colors. The dancing is a little lackluster, and some of the singing is a little off, but apparently, all of the actors and actresses did their own singing and dancing, which makes you appreciate it a little bit more.
- I can't believe they didn't make this into a movie sooner. The plot is perfect, and it has a great flow to it. The movie dragged just a little bit during the middle (maybe it could have used a quick intermission like the show), but it certainly keeps you more than entertained for its hour and 45 minutes of running time.
- Renee Zellweger was solid as Roxie Hart, and she gets the character down pretty well. Catherine Zeta-Jones was the better actress for her part (Velma), and although her dancing leaves something to be desired, she has a lot more presence on screen. We could have used a little bit more of her. But the surprise of the night was Richard Gere. He was absolutely perfect for the role of Billy Flynn, the sleazy 1930's lawyer with the greased back hair and the ability to charm any jury. It seemed like the role was written with him in mind, even though it wasn't. I'm certainly not the expert you are, but his performance deserves an Oscar look, even though he's gonna be competing with Paul Newman. The rest of the cast holds their own weight (John C. Reilly, Queen Latifah), and Lucy Liu is in the movie for about a minute and a half, but overall it was a strong ensemble performance.
The vast majority of the theater seemed to really enjoy the movie, and out of 20 people in the discussion group, 17 rated it excellent. It's got the right blend of humor, entertainment and music to keep any audience involved, and you really don't need to love musicals to see it. You're gonna have to check this one out for yourself.
Big Smooth
Such a quick review. If anyone else saw it and has more to say, please... drop me a line.
"Moriarty" out.
