Opened: December 27, 2002

Directed by: Rob Marshall

Starring: Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly, Christine Baranski, Taye Diggs, Colm Feore, Lucy Liu, Dominic West, Mya, Jayne Eastwood, Chita Rivera, Susan Misner, Denise Faye, Deidre Goodwin & Ekaterina Chtchelkanova

As stylish as it is compelling, Chicago is one of those rare musicals where the film is better than the original stage musical.

After killing her lover Fred Casely (Dominic West), Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger) is sent to Chicago’s Cook County jail. She vies for the attention of the press and her lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere) against fellow prison mate Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones).

This film is so perfectly cast that you’d swear each actor was plucked straight from that time period. The roles are physically demanding with director Rob Marshall’s choreography, but everyone is up to the challenge.

The sets and costumes are dazzling and allows for almost every scene to be its own spectacle. While the stage show feels small and contained, there are no limits to what the film will do.

Final say: Razzle dazzle them. ★★★★★