It was only in 2001 when a film directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Nicole Kidman came out and revolutionized the way Hollywood saw the forgotten genre. That film called Moulin Rouge was about a French courtesan named Satine (Nicole Kidman) who falls in love with a poor, penniless writer/poet named Christian (Ewan McGregor). The film used pop classics, many of them by Madonna and The Beatles, and then they were remixed by the likes of Fatboy Slim and David Bowie. Luhrmann used colorful, lavish sets which gave a vibrant feel to the film. Kidman, McGregor and the whole cast belted out the tunes, every note their own. After garnering much praise and recognition, it made its way to the Oscars where it almost won Best Picture. (In my opinion, it deserved to win, not A Beautiful Mind.) But even though it didn’t win, the film opened new doors for the genre.
And now, here comes Chicago. It is the film adaptation of Bob Fosse’s Broadway classic about murder, greed, corruption, and the will to gain fame and fortune.
In probably any place in the world, murder is considered a very heinous and unacceptable crime. But in a city like Chicago, murder your husband, and you’re an instant celebrity. The movie starts out with Velma Kelley, (played by the electrifying Catherine Zeta-Jones) a flashy jazz nightclub singer who is Chicago’s biggest star. She is idolized by Roxie Hart, (played by the vulnerable Renee Zellweger) a celebrity wannabe. But when Velma is arrested for murdering her unfaithful husband, Roxie’s dreams come crashing down. She too murders her lover and is sent to the Cook County Jail, the same prison where Velma and many other murderesses are staying. There, Roxie meets Matron "Mama" Morton, the prison’s warden, played magnificently by Queen Latifah. In Mama’s introduction to the new prisoners, she belts out one of the most pulsating songs, "When You’re Good to Mama." Here she sings, "When you’re good to Mama, Mama’s good to you!" An idea that bears true throughout the film, like when Mama helps Velma get media attention to achieve fame (even while in prison).
Then, on Roxie’s first night in prison, six girls from their cells disturb Roxie’s sleep by singing, in my opinion, the best song in the film  "Cell Block Tango." In the song the girls justify why they killed their lovers, many of them for petty yet laughable reasons. "He had it coming/ He had it coming/ He only had himself to blame," is what they say. "If you’d been there/ If you’d seen it/ I betcha you would have done the same."
Roxie then convinces Mama to help her achieve fame as Velma did by hiring the slick and clever lawyer Billy Flynn, played by Richard Gere. Billy asks Roxie to pay $5,000 for his services, but of course, being the wife of a simple mechanic named Amos, (played by John C. Reilly) she doesn’t have that kind of money. But then again, Roxie’s "simple mechanic" husband loves her very much, which is very touching, especially since Roxie cheated on him. He tries to pay the $5,000 fee, but comes up with only $2,000. Feeling pity and also touched by Amos’ devotion to his wife, Billy accepts the downpayment.
Billy then takes charge of Roxie’s life, what to say and do and vice versa. He teaches Roxie to use "We both reached for the gun" as her alibi, saying that she and her lover both reached for the gun but she got it first. During a press conference, Billy becomes a metaphorical ventriloquist, dictating their version of the truth. This is the very funny and entertaining number "We Both Reached For The Gun."
Roxie becomes the new toast of Chicago, with her face on every newspaper, and Velma’s career left in the dust. She becomes yesterday’s news, and she’s not happy about it. In an act of desperation, Velma tries to talk Roxie into creating a sister act together, but Roxie turns her down. Wanting the limelight to shine brighter, Roxie pretends to be pregnant while in prison, which sure enough lands her on more front pages. Long-forgotten husband Amos proudly claims paternity, but nobody notices him. Here he sings the most moving and touching but saddest song in the film, "Mr. Cellophane," He says that, "You can see right through me, walk right by me, and never know I’m there."
It is finally the first day of trial and Roxie gets cold feet before her performance, uh, I mean testimony. But Billy says there’s nothing to it, just "give them the old razzle dazzle." Here, Billy makes fun of the judicial system, calling it a "three-ring circus." He tells Roxie that it’s all just an act, and with his forte being showmanship, just put on a good show and she’ll be acquitted. But during the trial, Velma walks in the courtroom carrying Roxie’s diary. In the most damaging testimony against Roxie, Velma reads an excerpt from the diary. Billy then starts questioning Velma on whether she was telling the truth, and is proven otherwise. As promised, Billy gets Roxie her acquittal but, just as the verdict is given, some equally sensational crime pulls the news-hungry press away from Roxie, leaving her with nothing but her freedom. With her celebrity status depleting, she gets rejected by several nightclubs, so she teams up with Velma to form a sister act. They finally attain fame together, and they become Chicago’s new stars, putting their past behind them, singing and dancing their hearts out.
Chicago is an entertaining, exhilarating joyride that will surely have everyone "razzle dazzled." A perfect beginning for a long-forgotten genre.