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Chicago Movie Review Summary

Actors: Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly, Christine Baranski

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Chicago


Roxie Hart killed her lover and is put on Murderess Row in Chicago. While in jail, her husband hires the best lawyer in town, Billy Flynn, who has never lost a case. Hart begins a sort of competition with Velma Kelly, who was awaiting trial for killing her husband and sister. In Chicago, there's only room for one Murderess/Singer and Hart and Kelly both want to be her!
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The review of this Movie prepared by Colleen




In this delightful musical, we meet Roxie Hart, a wanna-be star who is arrested for killing furniture salesman, Fred Casely. In prison, she meets Matron "Mama" Morton, who can get her anything...for a price. She then meets Billy Flynn, a slick-talking lawyer who can turn her into a star. She soon starts competing with idol, Velma Kelly for the spotlight, and an earliest possible trial date. Then, a woman performs a never-before-seen triple homicide, and becomes more popular. So, Roxie fakes having having a baby, and gets attention again. The songs are wonderful, and the ensemble cast is brilliant, especially Zellwegger, Gere, and Zeta-Jones. This is possibly the greatest musical experience, since Cabaret (another Fosse production).
The review of this Movie prepared by Estefan Ellison




This film is based on the hit Broadway musical that also served as the inspiration for All That Jazz. Zeta-Jones and Zellweger portray two Chicago women who get sent to jail and run across a sultry guard (Latifah) there. All three put on spectacular performances in the film, and they make it a rather grand tribute to Broadway.
The review of this Movie prepared by Teddy




Adultery, violence, obsession, and ambition are only an iota of descriptions to this wonderful and exciting movie set in Chicago in the Roaring 20s. Roxie Hart, an ambitious jazz singer, wants more than anything her own show. She gets tricked by furniture seller, Fred Casley, and drifts into an affair with him. Fred successfully lies to Roxie and gets her in bed. Later, Roxie discovers that Fred lied to her, and she shot and killed him without thinking. Roxie gets arrested and taken to the Cook County Jail. There, she meets the "six merry murderesses" there, as each one described how and why they killed their lovers. Among these was the famous jazz singer, Velma Kelly, in which Roxie already knew. Velma and Roxie are hard rivals together, competing for publicity and fame. Slowly, Velma becomes less famous as Roxie hires criminal lawyer Billy Flynn. Roxie and Velma are both declared innocent but begin to lose their popularity. Then, they both ally together to star in a show, what Roxie always wanted. This story brings happy endings for both Roxie and Velma.
The review of this Movie prepared by DW




It's wild and woolly 1920s Chicago, and two women are behind bars, awaiting trial for the death penalty. Velma Kelly (Zeta-Jones) is an established nightclub star who found her twin sister and husband in bed and shot them; Roxanne Hart (Zellweger) is an aspiring performer who was having an affair with a galoot who welshed on his promise to get her into show business, so she shot him. Fast talking, smooth but venial attorney Billy Flynn (Gere) will work to get each of the girls off. A film of the long-running Bob Fosse musical based in turn on a play by Maurine Dallas Watkins and loosely inspired by true events, this 2002 film is a hoot. The sets, choreography, costuming, and vigorous camera work are all terrific, and the leads do their own credible dancing and singing. Supporting cast includes Queen Latifah as the scheming prison matron, John C. Reilly as Roxie's loser husband, Christine Baranski as reporter Mary Sunshine, Taye Diggs as a sort of ringleader-bandleader, and Lucy Liu in a bit role as yet another murderess. Great fun while it lasts.
The review of this Movie prepared by David Loftus




Roxie Hart (Rene Zellweger) will do anything to become a famous vaudeville dancer, include having a wild affair with her furniture salesman thinking that he has connections in the industry. Only, when she discovers that he is a lying SOB he shoots him dead - landing her on "Murderess Row". The only sunshine in her life is that her idol, the infamous dancer/singer Velma Kelley (Catherine Zeta-Jones)who shot her husband and sister after discovering them "spread-eageled" together, is in the same prison as she is in.

In prison, Roxie meets Mama (Queen Latifah) who will do anything for her darlings stuck in prison - as long as they have the cash, and she introduces Roxie to Velma's hot-shot and flashy lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere) who will try any unlucky woman's case for a mere $5,000.

The movie follows the 'razzle-dazzle' court room show that Billy directs and examines how far Roxie will go to keep her name in the papers.

The review of this Movie prepared by Jen Jen



Script Analysis of Chicago

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Plot & Themes

Comedy, primarily    -   Yes Time/era of movie:    -   1930's-1950's Comedy or Parody about    -   musical How much humor v. drama    -   Lot of humor, but significant serious drama

Main Character

Identity:    -   Female Age:    -   20's-30's Ethnicity/Nationality    -   White American

Setting

United States    -   Yes The US:    -   Midwest City?    -   Yes City:    -   Chicago Misc setting    -   prison    -   theater    -   bar

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   generic/vague references to death/punishment Sex/nudity in movie?    -   Yes What kind of sex:    -   vague references only    -   kissing    -   sex under blankets Any profanity?    -   Occasional swearing If lots of song/dance...    -   lot of singing and dancing Is this movie based on a    -   play

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