This thing just doesn't work from the casting to the staging and the blame must be laid solidly at Director Marshall's feet.
A neutered adaptation of an appealingly dark musical that dispenses with the edge in favour of an ill-judged slickness of delivery. It's this too-smooth energy that makes it feels like a scented fart in a vacuum rather than the seedy burlesque of human frailty it should have been - fishnets alone do not make for wickedness. Oddly Female Trouble tells the story of muderous celebrity with greater fidelity.
Zellweger is a honking miscast. Aside from Queen Latifah and Catherine Zeta-Jones, the cast wouldn't be good enough for Broadway, so why are they good enough for Hollywood? Marshall's direction for the 'fantasy' big numbers is creative but stagey, and serves to highlight the dreariness of the 'reality' main plot and characters. It is enjoyable nevertheless and the quality of the musical numbers shines through.
I'm so going to hell for this 4* rating but I don't care!
Largely entertaining, but - okay, I know it's a musical - there is too much music, or rather all the numbers are too drawn out and all of a muchness...apart from the excellent Cellophane Man by the equally excellent John C Reilly. Obvious comparisons to be made with Cabaret - this fails the test. Story is too thin, everything is based on show, and Mr Gere is not Joel Grey!
It was the fatal combination of jazz and liqor. I cannot bear musicals, but in this, the numbers actually help the narrative, instead of competing with it. Why would you watch Renee in Bridget Jones when she is capable of this, maybe I'm more Roxie idk.
Great movie, very entertaining. Top choreography, excellent songs, very well paced at the start, drags a little towards the end in a couple of places but not enough to be bothersome. Recommended.
This gets a lot of hate for being typical as old American movies get love for the same thing.
Can not get over fact that they casted Richard Gere in this movie. Every time he started to dance and sing I was wondering why him?!
Cine negro, Musical, Baz Luhrmann. Una belleza sin pena ni gloria... pero bella.
the plot isn't that great but the songs and choreographies are, for sure
By just recently watched the musical play, one of the things that the film gets absolutely right is how the vaudeville spectacle is transported into the adaptation without being gratuitous or forced. The casting is inspired and the choreography serves as an homage. Irresistible cynical fun.
I don't know if it deserved the Oscar, but I definitely did like this a lot. Adapting a Bob Fosse musical isn't easy in any medium, and these guys did a pretty good job.