A never less than fascinating, barely fictionalized biopic about legendary choreographer and director Bob Fosse. The character in the movie is named Joe Gideon, but come on: he's in the middle of choreographing and directing a stage musical that looks an awful lot like "Chicago," and he's in post-production on a film that looks an awful lot like "Lenny." I think we all know who this movie is REALLY about.
It's self indulgent to be sure, and a bit of a mess overall, but it's just so damned accomplished in every way that it's impossible not to sit back and enjoy the ride, however destructive that ride might be. And boy is it destructive. You're going to feel like you need to go on a rigorous exercise regimen and a system-cleansing diet after watching the Fosse stand-in in this film abuse himself to death. This movie will quickly disabuse you of any illusions about the glamour of the show business world.
Roy Scheider gives the performance of his career as Joe Gideon. My other favorite performance came from Leland Palmer as Gideon's long-suffering ex-wife (and presumably Gwen Verdon stand in). These two make poignantly obvious what made them click in the first place while at the same time conveying perfectly why they can't live with one another. Ann Reinking plays Ann Reinking, one-time girlfriend to Fosse who does the same honors in the movie. And before anyone knew who she was, Jessica Lange played a very ravishing angel of death.
"All That Jazz" isn't as tight or as powerful as Fosse's previous musical, "Cabaret," but that's largely because it's so much more insular as a movie. It's really about the demons plaguing one man, and it doesn't have any broader context than that. Whether or not you like it will depend heavily on how fascinating you find the world of New York theatre, and how much you care about Joe Gideon in the first place. To his credit, Scheider is able to make Gideon an entirely sympathetic, if not entirely likable, character.
And if there aren't any musical numbers to rival the razzle dazzle of the "Mein Herr" or "Money, Money" numbers from "Cabaret," there are still a fair share of showstoppers in "Jazz," notably a cute little duet for Reinking and the girl that plays Gideon's daughter, and the rousing opening number, in which a stage full of Broadway hopefuls audition for a show in a whirl of quick edits set to the song "On Broadway." A fantastic, mesmerizing film.
Grade: A
It's self indulgent to be sure, and a bit of a mess overall, but it's just so damned accomplished in every way that it's impossible not to sit back and enjoy the ride, however destructive that ride might be. And boy is it destructive. You're going to feel like you need to go on a rigorous exercise regimen and a system-cleansing diet after watching the Fosse stand-in in this film abuse himself to death. This movie will quickly disabuse you of any illusions about the glamour of the show business world.
Roy Scheider gives the performance of his career as Joe Gideon. My other favorite performance came from Leland Palmer as Gideon's long-suffering ex-wife (and presumably Gwen Verdon stand in). These two make poignantly obvious what made them click in the first place while at the same time conveying perfectly why they can't live with one another. Ann Reinking plays Ann Reinking, one-time girlfriend to Fosse who does the same honors in the movie. And before anyone knew who she was, Jessica Lange played a very ravishing angel of death.
"All That Jazz" isn't as tight or as powerful as Fosse's previous musical, "Cabaret," but that's largely because it's so much more insular as a movie. It's really about the demons plaguing one man, and it doesn't have any broader context than that. Whether or not you like it will depend heavily on how fascinating you find the world of New York theatre, and how much you care about Joe Gideon in the first place. To his credit, Scheider is able to make Gideon an entirely sympathetic, if not entirely likable, character.
And if there aren't any musical numbers to rival the razzle dazzle of the "Mein Herr" or "Money, Money" numbers from "Cabaret," there are still a fair share of showstoppers in "Jazz," notably a cute little duet for Reinking and the girl that plays Gideon's daughter, and the rousing opening number, in which a stage full of Broadway hopefuls audition for a show in a whirl of quick edits set to the song "On Broadway." A fantastic, mesmerizing film.
Grade: A