Summary
Murderesses Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart find themselves on death row together and fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows in 1920s Chicago.
Cast
Renée Zellweger
Roxie Hart
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Velma Kelly
Richard Gere
Billy Flynn
Queen Latifah
Matron Mama Morton
Ekaterina Chtchelkanova
Katalin Helinski "Hunyak"
John C. Reilly
Amos Hart
Christine Baranski
Mary Sunshine
Lucy Liu
Kitty Baxter
Taye Diggs
Bandleader
Colm Feore
Harrison
Dominic West
Fred Casely
Mya
Mona
Deidre Goodwin
June
Denise Faye
Annie
Susan Misner
Liz
Cliff Saunders
Stage Manager
Jayne Eastwood
Mrs. Borusewicz
Bruce Beaton
Police Photographer
Roman Podhora
Sergeant Fogarty
Rob Smith
Newspaper Photographer
Sean Wayne Doyle
Reporter
Steve Behal
Prison Clerk
Robbie Rox
Prison Guard
Chita Rivera
Nickie
Joey Pizzi
Bernie
Scott Wise
Ezekial Young
Ken Ard
Wilbur
Marc Calamia
Hunyak's Husband
Niki Wray
Veronica
Gregory Mitchell
Charlie
Sebastian La Cause
Al Lipschitz
Brendan Wall
Billy's Assistant
Cleve Asbury
"Gun" Reporter #1
Rick Negron
"Gun" Reporter #2
Shaun Amyot
"Gun" Reporter #3
Eve Crawford
Billy's Secretary
Bill Corsair
Newsreel Announcer
Bill Britt
Auctioneer
Gerry Fiorini
Sailor
Elizabeth Law
Perfume Lady
Joseph Scoren
Harry
Monique Ganderton
Bare Woman #1
April Morgan
Bare Woman #2
Marty Moreau
Groin Reporter
Conrad Dunn
Doctor
Jonathan Whittaker
Bailiff
Rod Campbell
Jury Foreman
Brett Caruso
Harrison's Assistant
Sean McCann
Judge
Jeff Clarke
Court Clerk
Patrick Salvagna
Newsboy
Kathryn Zenna
Woman Shooter
Jeff Pustil
Club Owner
Roxane Barlow
Female Dancer
Jocelyn Dowling
Female Dancer
Melanie A. Gage
Female Dancer
Michelle Johnston
Female Dancer
Charley King
Female Dancer
Mary Ann Lamb
Female Dancer
Vicky Lambert
Female Dancer
Tara Nicole Hughes
Female Dancer
Cynthia Onrubia
Female Dancer
Karine Plantadit
Female Dancer
Jennifer Savelli
Female Dancer
Natalie Willes
Female Dancer
Karen Andrew
Female Dancer
Kelsey Chace
Female Dancer
Catherine Chiarelli
Female Dancer
Theresa Coombe
Female Dancer
Lisa Ferguson
Female Dancer
Melissa Flerangile
Female Dancer
Michelle Galati
Female Dancer
Sheri Godfrey
Female Dancer
Brittany Gray
Female Dancer
Karen Holness
Female Dancer
Amber-Kelly Mackereth
Female Dancer
Jodi McFadden
Female Dancer
Faye Rauw
Female Dancer
Rhonda Roberts
Female Dancer
Leigh Torlage
Female Dancer
Robyn Wong
Female Dancer
Ted Banfalvi
Male Dancer
Harrison Beal
Male Dancer
Paul Becker
Male Dancer
Jean-Luc Côté
Male Dancer
Scott Fowler
Male Dancer
Edgar Godineaux
Male Dancer
Bill Hartung
Male Dancer
Darren Lee
Male Dancer
Troy P. Liddell
Male Dancer
Blake McGrath
Male Dancer
Robert Montano
Male Dancer
Sean Palmer
Male Dancer
Desmond Richardson
Male Dancer
Martin Samuel
Male Dancer
Jason Sermonia
Male Dancer
Jeff Siebert
Male Dancer
Sergio Trujillo
Male Dancer
Stacy Clark Baisley
Acrobat
Megan Fehlberg
Acrobat
Rachel Jacobs
Acrobat
Rebecca Leonard
Acrobat
Erin Michie
Acrobat
Danielle Rueda-Watts
Acrobat
Dana Calitri
Female Ensemble
Kate Coffman-Lloyd
Female Ensemble
Curtis King Jr.
Male Ensemble
Laura Dean
Female Ensemble
Margaret Dorn
Female Ensemble
Capathia Jenkins
Female Ensemble
Audrey Martells
Female Ensemble
Sara Ramirez
Female Ensemble
Nicki Richards
Female Ensemble
Dennis Collins
Male Ensemble
Darius De Haas
Male Ensemble
Willie Falk
Male Ensemble
Timothy Shew
Male Ensemble (uncredited)
Alfonzo Thornton
Male Ensemble (uncredited)
Eric Troyer
Male Ensemble (uncredited)
Crew
Director
Rob Marshall
Book
Bob Fosse
Book, Lyricist
Fred Ebb
Screenplay
Bill Condon
Theatre Play
Maurine Dallas Watkins
Reviews
Wuchak
August 21, 2018
7
Gazillions of babes frolicking around in showgirl costumes and lingerie In mid-20’s Chicago Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger) find themselves on death row for murdering their lovers and fan the fame that will keep them from the gallows with the assistance of a slick lawyer (Richard Gere). John C. Reilly plays Roxie’s likable but dimwitted husband while Latifah is on hand as the avaricious prison matron.
People criticize this amusing satirical musical for being sleazy, but it would be hard to lampoon and ridicule the corrupt targets of the media and the legal (in)justice system without showing, um, sleaze. That's the point of the original 1926 play “Chicago” and all its successive incarnations, including this acclaimed 2002 movie: illustrating and sarcastically denouncing sleaze via a droll musical. “Chicago” without sleaze would be akin to “Apocalypse Now” without war.
Believe it or not, the movie is based on real women, Beulah Annan (represented by Roxie) and Belva Gaertner (Velma), who were imprisoned for killing lovers in spring, 1924, in two unrelated incidents. The actual accounts were salacious with loads of sex & violence; and both were ultimately acquitted. Maurine Dallas Watkins wrote the original play, which was intended as a stinging satire of the lack of morals in Chicago during the roaring 20s. Watkins was, interestingly, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune who covered the popular trials and is represented by Mary Sunshine (Christine Baranski) in the film. Several of the peripheral characters are also based on real-life individuals who played a part in the unfolding drama, e.g. journalists, attorneys, officials and convicts.
I’m not big on musicals beyond ones like “Moulin Rouge” (1952) and “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), but “Chicago” works for me simple due to the scores of beautiful women prancing around in scanty showgirl apparel of the 20s. It’s the same reason I love figure skating. After the passage of the 19th Amendment, American women were basking in their newfound freedoms and “Chicago” depicts this euphoric emancipation.
I also appreciate “Chicago” because Gere is great and there are some creative pieces, like the puppet one and the tap-dancing part. All the musical skits are in Roxie’s imagination, except for the opening “All that Jazz” performed by Velma at the club and the climatic one, which features both Velma & Roxie.
The film runs 1 hour, 53 minutes.
GRADE: B
Media
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$45,000,000.00
Revenue:
$306,776,732.00
