Chicago
I finally saw Chicago. Ohmygosh, how I love this film. I really didn’t expect too much; maybe to be mildly amused. Well, I wasn’t mildly amused, I was highly entertained. This movie had everything. What can I say that probably hasn’t been said? News Flash: I’m going to say it anyway because I haven’t read what anybody else has written about this fabulous movie. I might even have to enter a new section for my Top Fivers. I’m thinking of my top five movie list as I write.
Let me just start off by saying that my girlfriend, J (not her real name), and I have been planning this night in for some time now. Neither of our husbands was even remotely interested in this movie. We thought it the perfect excuse to get together and mix martinis. Besides, my husband (the greatest cook ever) made us dinner and proceeded to leave us alone for the rest of the night so we could enjoy catching up, watching the movie, pausing the movie to catch, etc. Who could ask for more? We didn’t have to, it was all there in the movie: jazz, oozing talent, dance, great dialogue, satire, and a lesson.
All in all, I think this was a brighter version of Dancer in the Dark. Maybe the Dancer in the Dark executives was inspired by Chicago. After all, Chicago was written at the time of those “jazz slayings.” Whatever the case may be, because I’m certainly not going to claim that I know anything more about Dancer in the Dark other than I saw the movie and was horrified at the ending. I was horrified in Chicago’s ending but not in the same way.
I find myself wondering if there was more to the white flag that the Hungarian woman flung during her dance sequence. J is a teacher, tremendously smart, and quite observant had pointed out that she was the only woman in “He had it Coming” who didn’t wave a white flag. Being the only one besides a shot man in the movie to lose her life, I wondered if she was truly the only innocent one in that song and dance sequence. Plus, as J also pointed out, they waved a white flag before releasing the “Roxie Hart is Innocent” release of the paper. Would the kid have waved a red flag had she been guilty? I was expecting a deleted scene about how the Hungarian woman was innocent but they removed it because of the relevance to Roxie’s story. I found no such deleted scene on the Special Features though. Maybe there’s another disk. ASIDE: I subscribe to Netflix so getting the bonus disk would require an additional space when getting movies from my queue. Not to fret, I plan on owning this movie; even if it doesn’t have more Special Features.
Anyhow, I got to thinking about the meaning of the flags and colors in the movie. They always mean something. The directors, costume designers, and key grips always have a purpose. Remember Sleepless in Seattle? Loved it! Well, they had meaning sprinkled around the film. As most people may know, they had Meg Ryan pass through one door in Chicago (or was it Boston or NY? I can’t remember. All I know was that Tom lived in Seattle), as it shut, Tom Hanks passed through the same door in Seattle. In other words, they used the same exact physical door in both scenes and spliced them together. I guess it shows Tom’s and Meg’s commonality though they’re worlds apart. But, I digress.
You know what I like best about this film? The assumptions. Beyond stereotypes and first impressions, I had assumptions about each of these actors. Who knew they were all so friggin talented? I usually (as always, there are exceptions) don’t respect actors very much. I mean really, how much talent and smarts does it take to memorize a script and perform? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think I can do it better but I don’t think it makes one incredibly smart, beautiful, talented, or make them politically important to be able to do this. Now, what the person brings to the art is a whole other story. Chicago’s actors did it. They brought a certain Joi de Vivre to the screen and I’m impressed. Okay, yea, so back to the assumptions. Did you know that each of these actors did all their own singing and dancing? Did you know that John C. Reilly could belt out a tune like no other? Did you know Richard Gere didn’t want to do a lot of the rehearsals because he knew he could do it all and that his only trepidation was about tap dancing? [How’s that for a run-on? Had to offset the fragments somehow.] Did you know I learned all this from the Special Features on the disk I did have? Again, I digress.
I’ve always loved Queen Latifah. I think her beauty radiates everywhere, she writes interesting music, and girl she can act! Was I surprised that she could give her heart and soul to a show tune? Heck yea. She’s awesome. Rock on Queen Latifah. Along with all my assumptions, I didn’t know Renee Zellwegger had all that talent and Catherine Zeta-Jones childhood profession was singing and dancing. I have a new appreciation for all of these actors. I’m not sure whom I liked best but John C. Reilly is at the top of this list. He almost stole part of the show. Although he’s somewhat of a typecast, he has the ability to make you feel what the character he portrays is feeling. How good was he in the Good Girl?
What was my favorite part of the movie? I would have to say that it was Gere’s tap dancing sequence. I loved that Gere stepped out of his perceived box and strutted his stuff like somebody who’s been tap dancing for years. Boy, was that impressive. I was impressed even before I knew that the tap dancing was his only trepidation. Above all though, was the way the story was told, how every detail was revealed even if it was done in glitter and glitz. It’s pretty, ain’t it?
I could go on and on about all that I got from this movie. I could spell out the apparent sexism, the vulnerability of the public to the press, how money corrupts all, and how it only takes “Razzle Dazzle” to fool the public but I won’t. I’ve never been the brightest bulb in the bunch so I’m sure that whatever I have observed is as transparent as Cellophane to anybody who sees the movie.
So, as with all movies and books, I have to ask myself, “What did I learn?” The answer is simple… I want to learn to tap dance.
Let me just start off by saying that my girlfriend, J (not her real name), and I have been planning this night in for some time now. Neither of our husbands was even remotely interested in this movie. We thought it the perfect excuse to get together and mix martinis. Besides, my husband (the greatest cook ever) made us dinner and proceeded to leave us alone for the rest of the night so we could enjoy catching up, watching the movie, pausing the movie to catch, etc. Who could ask for more? We didn’t have to, it was all there in the movie: jazz, oozing talent, dance, great dialogue, satire, and a lesson.
All in all, I think this was a brighter version of Dancer in the Dark. Maybe the Dancer in the Dark executives was inspired by Chicago. After all, Chicago was written at the time of those “jazz slayings.” Whatever the case may be, because I’m certainly not going to claim that I know anything more about Dancer in the Dark other than I saw the movie and was horrified at the ending. I was horrified in Chicago’s ending but not in the same way.
I find myself wondering if there was more to the white flag that the Hungarian woman flung during her dance sequence. J is a teacher, tremendously smart, and quite observant had pointed out that she was the only woman in “He had it Coming” who didn’t wave a white flag. Being the only one besides a shot man in the movie to lose her life, I wondered if she was truly the only innocent one in that song and dance sequence. Plus, as J also pointed out, they waved a white flag before releasing the “Roxie Hart is Innocent” release of the paper. Would the kid have waved a red flag had she been guilty? I was expecting a deleted scene about how the Hungarian woman was innocent but they removed it because of the relevance to Roxie’s story. I found no such deleted scene on the Special Features though. Maybe there’s another disk. ASIDE: I subscribe to Netflix so getting the bonus disk would require an additional space when getting movies from my queue. Not to fret, I plan on owning this movie; even if it doesn’t have more Special Features.
Anyhow, I got to thinking about the meaning of the flags and colors in the movie. They always mean something. The directors, costume designers, and key grips always have a purpose. Remember Sleepless in Seattle? Loved it! Well, they had meaning sprinkled around the film. As most people may know, they had Meg Ryan pass through one door in Chicago (or was it Boston or NY? I can’t remember. All I know was that Tom lived in Seattle), as it shut, Tom Hanks passed through the same door in Seattle. In other words, they used the same exact physical door in both scenes and spliced them together. I guess it shows Tom’s and Meg’s commonality though they’re worlds apart. But, I digress.
You know what I like best about this film? The assumptions. Beyond stereotypes and first impressions, I had assumptions about each of these actors. Who knew they were all so friggin talented? I usually (as always, there are exceptions) don’t respect actors very much. I mean really, how much talent and smarts does it take to memorize a script and perform? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think I can do it better but I don’t think it makes one incredibly smart, beautiful, talented, or make them politically important to be able to do this. Now, what the person brings to the art is a whole other story. Chicago’s actors did it. They brought a certain Joi de Vivre to the screen and I’m impressed. Okay, yea, so back to the assumptions. Did you know that each of these actors did all their own singing and dancing? Did you know that John C. Reilly could belt out a tune like no other? Did you know Richard Gere didn’t want to do a lot of the rehearsals because he knew he could do it all and that his only trepidation was about tap dancing? [How’s that for a run-on? Had to offset the fragments somehow.] Did you know I learned all this from the Special Features on the disk I did have? Again, I digress.
I’ve always loved Queen Latifah. I think her beauty radiates everywhere, she writes interesting music, and girl she can act! Was I surprised that she could give her heart and soul to a show tune? Heck yea. She’s awesome. Rock on Queen Latifah. Along with all my assumptions, I didn’t know Renee Zellwegger had all that talent and Catherine Zeta-Jones childhood profession was singing and dancing. I have a new appreciation for all of these actors. I’m not sure whom I liked best but John C. Reilly is at the top of this list. He almost stole part of the show. Although he’s somewhat of a typecast, he has the ability to make you feel what the character he portrays is feeling. How good was he in the Good Girl?
What was my favorite part of the movie? I would have to say that it was Gere’s tap dancing sequence. I loved that Gere stepped out of his perceived box and strutted his stuff like somebody who’s been tap dancing for years. Boy, was that impressive. I was impressed even before I knew that the tap dancing was his only trepidation. Above all though, was the way the story was told, how every detail was revealed even if it was done in glitter and glitz. It’s pretty, ain’t it?
I could go on and on about all that I got from this movie. I could spell out the apparent sexism, the vulnerability of the public to the press, how money corrupts all, and how it only takes “Razzle Dazzle” to fool the public but I won’t. I’ve never been the brightest bulb in the bunch so I’m sure that whatever I have observed is as transparent as Cellophane to anybody who sees the movie.
So, as with all movies and books, I have to ask myself, “What did I learn?” The answer is simple… I want to learn to tap dance.
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