Chicago

It's the Puppet Master!

Bob Fosse, John Kander, Frank Ebb and Maureen Dallas Watkins are the creative team behind the making of the hit musical Chicago, which, after successful stints around the world, was recently brought back to the limelight via this 2003 Academy Award winning film directed by Rob Marshall. A fantastic crew, aided by composer John Kander and costume designer Colleen Atwood, worked tirelessly for months to bring this musical masterpiece to life. But none of this could have happened without a star-studded cast led by three powerful stars in Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere. The supporting cast is made up of an equally amazing group including John C. Reilly, Queen Latifah, Taye Diggs, Lucy Liu, Christine Baranski and Colm Feore.

So what do you get when you mix a fabulous cast and a talented crew? Well Chicago is a damn fine example – an energetic and emotive film about sex, corruption and all that jazz. Behind the cheeky comic exterior is a rather serious and deep political message, but by having this dual layering audiences are able to choose their own depth and enjoy it on that level. The winner of six Academy Awards, and basking in theatrical runs lasting months, Chicago was a critical and commercial success leading the way for other classic stage musicals to be written to the screen.

A totally different tone to her singing in Empire Records...

From the opening frames you know you’re in for a real treat, with fast-paced and vigorous activity that just grabs your attention and grasps it for the entire 110-minute duration. Similar to Moulin Rouge, the sheer energy pushed out by the entire cast is exhausting to watch, making it one of the most draining yet fulfilling films to come out in recent years. By the end you have been taken on a journey into the dreams of a young visionary covering a tight and complete story that takes you into another world, one that is different, stylised and saucily alluring – something that is perfect for your next video night.

"In this town, murder is a form of entertainment."

And, no, John C. Reilly is not The Thing.

Velma Kelly (Zeta-Jones) is about to hit the stage with her sister act, but there’s a slight problem – she caught her sibling in bed with her hubby so offed them both. This is the night that Miss Kelly is arrested for double homicide. This is also the night that Roxie Hart (Zellweger) and her lover, Fred Casely (Dominic West), are at the very club, witnessing the popular Kelly perform And All That Jazz. But things between Roxie and Fred don’t go too well, as a gun is fired and Fred is killed. Upon the discovery of Roxie’s floosiness, her husband Amos (Reilly) refuses to stand for his wife's indiscretions and refuses to take the blame for Fred’s murder. So Roxie is sent to death row for the murder of Fred Casely, where she meets a cast of colourful characters who share the cell block including Velma Kelly and Big Momma Morton (Latifah). But when Roxie comes along, Velma is thrown off the news headlines and Roxie screams her way to stardom. Not only is the race on to top the news, but also for Billy Flynn (Gere), the star lawyer in Illinois. And so we go on, with this array of characters on a rollercoaster ride down into death row with fierce competition, a suave lawyer, a faithful husband, a free-range circus, a puppet show and a delightful and dazzling cinematic experience that really should not be missed.

Queen Latifah has a huge... talent.

This stunning transfer is presented in its original theatrical aspect of 1.85:1, and is anamorphically enhanced. From the opening frames your eyes are in for a treat, in what is visually stunning and gorgeously eye-catching transfer. Colours are vivid and bright, yet at times you get the impression that the contrast is a little low. The effervescent nature of the colours is captured on this DVD, however they do suffer from a slight lack of clarity due to the wash of film grain over the entire image. This slight grain makes colours and shades look somewhat smoky and grubby, possibly an artistic effect to convey the “real� Chicago, or maybe just the film stock used during production. Regardless, it isn’t an annoying factor, but just rather an artefact that’s visible throughout. For this reviewer it is fantastic to say that there is only the odd ever-so-slight case of posterisation to bitch about. After the theatrical release, the projection staff of an Adelaide cinema were concerned about the complex lighting of this feature and the possible problems on DVD, and it is an absolute pleasure to say that this transfer is faithful to the theatrical run. Colours display gradual shifts, with little stepping and a beautiful transfer to watch. Like a perfect live concert, this DVD transfer really shows how finely perfected DVD compression can be.

The clarity of the image is reasonably good, but is limited by the production of the film, with rather musty and smoky interiors. Detail levels are quite high, showing every minute detail including hairs on arms and the tightest of facial expressions. Black levels are solid and precise, showing the deepest shades with very little low-level noise, and some deep and defining shadows. Now not only is the transfer a beauty to watch, but we have some precise, if slightly edited, subtitles and a brief yet mildly disruptive layer change.

Get ready for a bit of aural fun now, with some absolutely amazing audio tracks. First of all, the language barrier is restricted to English, but our options are endless. Well, three at least... First up is a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, which sounds simply awesome. Next up is a DTS 5.1 track which is nice, but bears the harshness of DTS. Finally there is a Dolby Digital stereo visually-impaired track which is really not even worth listening to.

Catherine Zeta Jones realises that this really does hurt...

So on with each track. The 5.1 Dolby Digital track provides a fantastically detailed 5.1 mix, with loads of discrete instrumental effects from each and every speaker. Dialogue comes crisply from the centre channel, but does sound a little distorted during some of the heated scenes. The minor downside to the Dolby Digital track is the slightly muffled sound, making things a little unclear during some sequences. The fidelity of the instruments is incredible, hanging onto the precise and harmonic nature of each individual instrument.

Next up is the DTS 5.1 mix, which offers the same aurally involving 5.1 mix, but with a slightly harsher and crisper sound. This is slightly detracting for the richness of the music, as it harshens the warm sound of the jazzy score. As for which is better, Dolby Digital rules the way with a warmer sound, providing an energetic and intense soundtrack.

The subwoofer rips through the soundstage with a fierce pounding that tears up the living room with a powerful punch, and surround channels that just envelope the audience with involvement and activity. If you’re after a fantastic 5.1 mix, this is sure to please.

With music originally by John Kander, the filmmakers required extra pieces to fill the edit and complete the piece. Maestro Danny Elfman was brought onboard, composing a few cues, notably at the transport of Roxie to the prison. The entire score, Kander and Elfman combined, is rich and detailed, holding onto the emotional, comedic and magical nature that musicals can hold.

The seed of sex, murder, and all that jazz.

Chicago’s gracious 16:9 enhanced menus load up after a brief (and skippable) Miramax logo, featuring some fluid animation and, of course, some of that jazz. The feature-length audio commentary featuring the vocal talents of director Rob Marshall and screenwriter Bill Condon is a fairly interesting listen, as it details the subtle little elements that makes it a whole, as well as the development of a musical to a film. Next up is a 28-minute full frame featurette of your usual promotional style. Interviews with the cast and crew are included, all full of complimentary comments, of course. This looks as if it has been made for television, a making-of prime-time special to entice people to go and see the movie. Keep watching at the end of this as you can view the music video And All That Jazz which tails off the 28 minutes. Finally, sadly already, we have a deleted musical sequence for Class, that track you all heard on the CD soundtrack but was cut from the film. This is presented in a widescreen aspect of 1.85:1, not enhanced, and can be watched with the optional commentary. The reasons for the final cut are fair, but still it’s a nice inclusion on the DVD.

Well, we’re at the end of the list of extras already. To see a fine example of a musical film on DVD check out 20th Century Fox’s Moulin Rouge, a two-disc set full of features. Here’s just hoping someone has a reality check and this 2003 hit gets a similar treatment sometime. Fingers crossed anyway.

Chicago hits home on DVD in a quite stunning package, it just lacks in the extras department. You shouldn’t need any more proof than this review, for this is how DVD mastering should be done. OK, so you want more proof? Well get up and go and get this disc – it’s perfect for any collection with enough oomph, visual eye candy and power to knock any DVD enthusiast flat.