It all began in 1927 with a movie called Chicago, based on a true crime story. It's the story of a wild jazz-loving and boozing wife Roxie Hart who kills her boyfriend in cold blood after he leaves her, and how she finagles her way out being convicted.

In 1942 the story became another movie, this time called "Roxie Hart" and starring Ginger Rogers. In 1975, Bob Fosse brought it to Broadway and gave it an abundance of show stopping musical numbers--and all that jazz. On Broadway, the story line of Chicago is squished into tiny bursts of 20 words or less, all its energy is spent to give 'em the old razzle dazzle, razzle dazzle 'em. There are no sets, no costumes, just a bunch of good looking bodies skimpily clad in black underwear and fishnets singing and dancing like their lives depend upon it--which, of course, they do.

Now Roxie is back on the big screen, this time portrayed by Renee Zellwegger in the movie Chicago, directed by Rob Marshall. Obviously influenced by the excess of Moulin Rouge, the movie merges story and the musical. The musical numbers are the main focal point, but for the most part they occur in Roxie's mind, as she pictures her life as a Broadway musical where she is the star.

Roxie is not a star, but she has stars in her eyes. One of them is Velma Kelly, also a felon, imprisoned for killing her husband and sister when they became fonder of each other than of her. If Roxie is to hold the public's attention, she has to take the spotlight from Velma.

Renee Zellwegger is just mousy enough to assure us that Roxie's fame can only from infamy. Her scrawny little frame limps through her dance numbers, edited so heavily that we almost believe she can carry off the role. Almost. I'd express astonishment at her Oscar nomination, but we're all quickly coming to understand that Oscars are as much about marketing as talent. The Razzle Dazzle 'em theme isn't restricted to the onscreen world.

Catherine Zeta-Jones on the other hand is vibrantly stunning. She bursts from the screen with an energy that's almost overwhelming. At times it seems she's playing to the balcony and we're all sitting in the stalls. Zeta-Jones is intensely beautiful and dances like she knows what she's doing.

Queen Latifah is as brilliant as Mama, the prison warden, as Richard Gere is average as Billy Flynn the corrupt lawyer. And John C. Reilly--the actor everyone knows but can't name--is almost type cast as Roxie's invisible husband.

The movie Chicago has a shaky start. The lip-synching doesn't quite cut it. We're assured all the stars sing the roles themselves, so even though they're lip-synching themselves, it's just not quite on.

Chicago is everything it should be. It's big, bold, and brash.


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