VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Chicago
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I wasn't very familiar with this Kander and Ebb classic
until I saw Bebe Neuwirth singing All That Jazz on Late Night
With David Letterman in conjunction with the show's 1996 Broadway revival.
Five productions later, I was a Chicago veteran, viewing the impending
arrival of a big-screen adaptation with equal parts glee and dread. I remember
taking one of my best friends, an avid theater devotee, to the advance promotional
screening. The two of us collectively held our breath as the familiar "Pop,
six, squish . . ." began The Cellblock Tango, easily one of
the show's highlights. It was make-or-break time and, thankfully, Chicago
the movie only got better with each number. (Cellblock was still
an unforgettable showstopper). There's no point summarizing the plot of
this six-time Oscar winner. The three leads -- Renee Zellweger, Catherine
Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere -- manage to far exceed all expectations. The
costumes are fabulous, the numbers brilliantly executed, Bill Condon's screenplay
ingeniously adapts and improves upon the stage play's best elements while
Rob Marshall's meticulous direction pulls all of it together into a gloriously
delightful package. It's a perfect film that's perfectly entertaining. The
DVD includes the deleted musical number Class.
