Recommendation: 4/5 Stars
The Cinephile’s Journey is an attempt to watch and review every film that has won The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar for Best Picture.
Plot: “Two death-row murderesses develop a fierce rivalry while competing for publicity, celebrity, and a sleazy lawyer’s attention.” -IMDB
Review: The plot to Chicago is weak and overly simple, but its execution is enthralling. As you watch this film, you will often forgive the latter because of the structure of this film and the way the plot unravels.
With an introduction that feels like being torn from deep, rapid eye movement sleep, we meet one of our death-row murderesses. As Velma Kelly, Catherine Zeta-Jones dazzles. The opening number alone will have you eating out of her palm and willing to forgive her for any sins. It is also in this opening scene you will get your first taste of the fascinating structure of this film. As each chapter progresses, we will return to the stage for music as a tool to introduce near characters and to move the story forward. A lot like a Broadway musical, these songs give the dialogue and action more flavor and substance.
But Velma is not alone in her murderous ways. Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger) is a girl with big dreams of making it on the stage as a performer. Attempting to get ahead, she finds herself in the arms of a man who is not her husband. After a sultry night of passion, she asks one more time for him to fulfill his promise and make a necessary introduction. When he refuses, Roxie loses it and turns to violence. As the fight rages, things get out of control and Roxie shoots her lover dead. At first, she attempts to spin a yarn about self-defense, but that quickly falls apart. Arrested and behind bars, Roxie quickly learns the game. To get out alive, she will need the services of an attorney with a brilliant mind and an even sharper tongue.
Enter Billy Flynn (Richard Gere). Billy is a fast talking, overly confident lawyer possessed by fame and notoriety. Specializing in lady-killers, Billy is representing Velma. Seeing Billy as her only way out, Roxie makes it her mission to steal Billy away and have him focus on her case. This decision sets off a war of words and double-crossing tricks between the two women.
As Roxie steps forward as the clear victor in her battle with Velma, we get a sense of Billy’s true power. Manipulating Roxie’s husband, the court, and the media, delivers us to my favorite scene in the movie. Seriously, the puppet scene is a moment in film I will never forget. Sure of his ability to pull the strings in any courtroom, we also get a sense of one of Billy’s greatest flaws. Billy really is not concerned with saving the lives of his clients. He wants fame and money, nothing more. This realization leads to a falling out between him and Roxie.
Roxie, just as fame starved as Billy, turns to a drastic measure that will turn the final courtroom scene into a circus. With questions launched, acquisitions made, and evidence presented, we arrive at a realization we should have known from the very beginning. Like the stage driving our two lead women and the courtroom where Billy reigns supreme, everyone in this film is a stage monster. And fame does funny things to people.
Be good to each other,
Nathan