Catch Me if You Can Chicago

So I left early to catch the quarter to four matinee of Catch Me if You Can, one of the Oscar nominees I was really looking forward to seeing. I'm not a big Leo fan, or the biggest Hanks fan, but it looked like a good, breezy two hours of entertainment. It was sold out.

Now Chicago was not my idea of a good time. Oh, it had a couple of plusses. First, it was twenty minutes less than two hours, and second, it has Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones, both certified hotties. But singing and dancing? And Richard Gere? And Richard Gere singing and dancing? Ugh.

But you know what? It wasn't half bad. The plot was basically straight out of any lawyer flick or movie you've ever seen, but I enjoys me a good courtroom drama now and again. And Ms. Zellweger and Ms. Zeta-Jones were quite hot (although... more on that later). Gere was awful, but I was braced for that. The man annoys me when all he does is squint, when he puts on the tap shoes?

John C. Reilly was quite good, as he always is, although I've never seen him as quite the schlub he was in this film. His song and dance number was probably my favorite of the movie, and that was unexpected.

Now for the important part: the leading ladies bodies. Zellweger is much to skinny. She seems intent on never letting us look at her and see Brenda Jones again. And she has the arm veins of a bodybuilder! Girl, get out of the gym for five minutes and try to soften up and round out a little. Zeta-Jones, on the other hand, has, umm, child-bearing hips. Yes, I know, she's actually begat a child, so she has an excuse. I suppose a bit of the wide-bottom never hurt anyone, and who knows, maybe she'll serve as a good example to Renée.

Will the movie win any of the big prizes? I don't see Renée Zellweger beating out Julianne Moore or Nicole Kidman for Best Actress. Catherine Zeta-Jones stands a good chance of walking away with Best Supporting Actress, though. Unfortunately, I think this movie is a lock for Best Picture. I think Hollywood would love to see a return to big musicals, and this was a damn big musical. They won't give it best director, because I think that will be a lifetime achievment award for Scorcese this year, so Best Picture will be the official start for the new musical stampede.

Article Author: Matt Moore

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