We now come to another film that has to do with both my focus on Best Picture winners and also going through musicals to sort of prepare for Les Mes. So with that said, I decided to review Chicago as my 325th review.
Plot: Roxie Hart is the wife of a mechanic named Amos who sleeps with her lover Fred in believing that he will use his connections to help her get a vaudeville gig. But Fred eventually reveals that he lied about having any connection so he could sleep with her so she angrily shoots him three times and convinces her husband to tell the police that he did it because he was a burglar. But when the police reveal Fred's name to Amos, he tells the truth and so Roxie is arrested. At the Cook County Jail, Roxie tries to get a famous lawyer to take her case but is in competition against star Velma Kelly who murdered her sister and husband.
This was a very well done musical adaption. I mean to be fair I don't know what are the certain differences between this and the actual stage musical, but as far as I know, this is a very well done adaption of it. The story was good, the acting was well done, and the choreography from "Cell Block Tango" and the "All That Jazz" reprise in particular was memorable. The only issue I would really have is that it kind of toned down once we were getting through most of the second half of the film. Not that any of that was bad necessarily, but it felt like almost all of the really classical and big numbers were already done by the time we actually got to the trial most of the other numbers like Billy's tap-dancing part where just there for the sake of having some imaginary stage thing to happen during the trial.
Music: Now I've enjoyed listening to the soundtrack since before this movie came out on DVD. SO naturally I enjoy the music a lot. My favorite number sound have to the be the "Cell Block Tango" and "We Both Reached for the Gun". Because they both are a lot of fun to listen too with the way all these stories are told in Cell Block Tango (though I really wish there were subtitles or something for Hunyak), and that "We Both Reached for the Gun" just has a fun and silly kind of setting to it that made it fun to sing to whenever my family and I would play the soundtrack. I also really like "Mr. Cellophane" which is depressing for the character but it's just well made and also very fun to sing to.
Editing: Now when the Nostalgia Critic brought up "Cell Block Tango", the thought the editing to the climax of the song felt like dance in itself. And I would agree to that. I mean we timing with the way that they cut it felt roughly similar to just the all around rhythm of the chorus of the song made it enjoyable. Would I say that this film deserved best editing all around? ...eh, maybe. I guess the thing is that i'm a little torn between the editing here along with the editing for The Two Towers, but I'd still agree to say that it was one of the best of that year as far as I know.
And that's my review for Chicago. It's a well done film that may not have had a grand climax with the music and stuff but still gave us a very well done adaption of the musical and just a very enjoyable film to win Best Picture. Do I have a biased opinion that totally says that I think Two Towers should've won instead?...no comment.
No comments:
Post a Comment