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.
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At the close of WWII, a young nurse tends to a badly-burned plane crash victim. His past is shown in flashbacks, revealing an involvement in a fateful love affair.
Director:
Anthony Minghella
Stars:
Ralph Fiennes,
Juliette Binoche,
Willem Dafoe
Ted Kramer's wife leaves her husband, allowing for a lost bond to be rediscovered between Ted and his son, Billy. But a heated custody battle ensues over the divorced couple's son, deepening the wounds left by the separation.
Director:
Robert Benton
Stars:
Dustin Hoffman,
Meryl Streep,
Jane Alexander
Murderesses Velma Kelly (a chanteuse and tease who killed her husband and sister after finding them in bed together) and Roxie Hart (who killed her boyfriend when she discovered he wasn't going to make her a star) find themselves on death row together and fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows in 1920s Chicago. Written by
Debpp322
Producer Martin Richards approached Catherine Zeta-Jones about appearing in this film version of the play after being wowed by her renditions of carols at a family Christmas party in Bermuda (her and husband Michael Douglas' home). Richards approached her for the role of Roxie Hart but Zeta-Jones, though not familiar at all with the original show, did know that the character of Velma Kelly sang the song "All That Jazz"; she only wanted to play that role because she wanted to sing that song. See more »
Goofs
During the song "Cell Block Tango", you can see tape on Annie's chest above her black outfit. See more »
Quotes
Velma Kelly:
[singing]
Now you see me goin' through it. You may think there's nothin' to it. But I simply cannot do it alone.
See more »
Crazy Credits
Near the end of the credits, just so there are no doubts: Catherine Zeta-Jones' singing and dancing performed by Catherine Zeta-Jones Renée Zellweger's singing and dancing performed by Renée Zellweger Richard Gere's singing and dancing performed by Richard Gere See more »
Although the acting had me intrigued, particularly Zeta Jones, I find the flick pales in comparison to the live shows that (should have) inspired it. Fosse and Verdon are rolling over. At the least, Reinking or Neuwirth should have been consulted re. sets, staging, cinematography, choreography, dance coaching, etc. Certainly, the director should have selected actors, for whom dancing was a core competency. Perhaps Zeta Jones, et.al., studied dance in their youth, but none of the main characters exhibited more than dilettante-level skills. I wonder how many takes the actors needed, just to achieve their mediocre dance performances. The fact that this movie won major awards and substantial public praise merely reveals how little exposure people have nowadays, to the art of the musical. Bob Fosse, Gwen Verdon, Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell, we need you.
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Although the acting had me intrigued, particularly Zeta Jones, I find the flick pales in comparison to the live shows that (should have) inspired it. Fosse and Verdon are rolling over. At the least, Reinking or Neuwirth should have been consulted re. sets, staging, cinematography, choreography, dance coaching, etc. Certainly, the director should have selected actors, for whom dancing was a core competency. Perhaps Zeta Jones, et.al., studied dance in their youth, but none of the main characters exhibited more than dilettante-level skills. I wonder how many takes the actors needed, just to achieve their mediocre dance performances. The fact that this movie won major awards and substantial public praise merely reveals how little exposure people have nowadays, to the art of the musical. Bob Fosse, Gwen Verdon, Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell, we need you.