maildest

This preachy film is 5% dumbed-down science and 95% pop psychiatry and philosophy. A lot of the statements presented as science are actually pop philosophy, and some of the "experts" on quantum physics know just enough to misinterpret it. They kept repeating some of the quotes; I don't know if they didn't have enough film for a whole movie or if they think the audience is really dumb and needs endless repetition to get the point. Even when I agreed with some of the opinions about religion, I was irritated by the claims that their opinions were proved by science. The animation, wedding scene and loud music could make this a enjoyable watch for our stoned friends, who might also think the pop philosophy is really deep.

According to this movie, the US could solve its problems (then in the Great Depression after the market crash in '29) by making the president a dictator. Guided by the advice of the Angel Gabriel, the president made dictator avoids the red tape from due process and the balance of powers. For example, he can get rid of gangsters by trying them for execution in police courts (without being too fussy about requiring evidence for things the police ``know'' to be true). The quaint set of populist policies advocated is naive and crosses modern liberal/conservative lines. In the movie, the only alternative is having things run by Congress and a Cabinet that are self-interested, corrupt, and beholden to corrupt bosses. Pure political fertilizer, just like a modern campaign.

Dance is the thing: the mediocre plot, one-dimensional characters, insipid music, and weak acting are all calculated to stay out of the way of the frenetic Bob Fosse-style dance numbers. I felt like I had seen the dance numbers before in All That Jazz (1979), and I did not have any urge to see them again. Personally, I had more fun with Roxie Hart (1942), another campy B musical based on the same story. The earlier musical has more silliness and less of an ugly hard cynical edge. The earlier musical also had more heart. Ginger Rogers' Roxie Hart was sexy and vulnerable and seemed like a real person in spite of a weak story and script. By contrast, all the characters in Chicago (2002) are cartoon characters.