Chicago (2002)

Chicago is an interesting movie by all means but not a usual one, this is a movie which relies heavily on its visual appeal rather than story or screenplay. You are in a middle of a scene and suddenly the background changes, jazz starts playing, and you see actors are now wearing shining outfits, with a lot of people dancing behind them while the actors sing and tell the world their story. The movie changes into a stage show as frequently as in every ten minutes. But you enjoy the way these songs are done.

Something of this kind you may remember watching in the Romantic Comedy ‘Jaaneman’, where movie was shot in the style of an opera. However ‘Chicago’ is much grander in its appeal. Set in Chicago 1924, the movie tell the story of a famous song and dance artist (Catherine Zeta Jones) and an aspirant girl (Renee Zellweger) desperately wanting to try her luck on stage. The only thing common between these two girls is both of them are accused of murder and are sent to the same prison.

Enters their defense attorney, the flamboyant and famous Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), notoriously famous for never loosing case of a woman in his life. Thus begins a three way tussle, as everyone starts playing to get what he/she wants.

The beauty of the movie is the way the lawyer tries to defend his clients, not by logic but by publicity, with public sentiment taking the front seat nobody cares about the truth, and the reporters starts having a field day to tell the common men the misery of the defendants, while the climax of the movie takes place in a courtroom where our hero makes it a high stake gamble to win all he can.

Frankly speaking the movie is not for everybody, few may enjoy it while others may start cursing me for making them watch an illogical ‘musical’ court room movie. But the movie was actually inspired by a two real life murder cases. So all I can say is leave the logic and enjoy the performances.

Rating ***