Chicago

Originally published on social media on March 22nd, 2022

Did anyone else realize that this film won the Best Picture Oscar? Somehow I didn’t know that! Do you think it deserves an Oscar? I’m going back and forth on this myself.

Here are some question’s to ask ourselves as we consider this?

- What films was this competing against? In 2003, best picture nominations included Gangs of New York, The Hours, The Pianist, and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

- Were Oscar worthy performances given? You know, I think so. The roles themselves were demanding, and I think all of the actors truly gave it their all. This film was nominated for 13 Oscars, and 4 of them were for acting.

- Does this film have a a fantastic and memorable soundtrack? Oh heck yeah, the film is filled with catchy music.

- Do you like this film? I have mixed feelings about it. I love the soundtrack, costumes, and clever historical and political notions displayed, but I think it’s a pretty dark film. When I watched it a couple years ago, I didn’t leave the film feeling happy or upbeat like I thought I would. I think sometimes good music or flashy colors and costumes cannot mask an ultimately depressing or dark story. Also, as I’ve learned from watching tons of murder mysteries, murder is a subject that needs to be treated the right way on film. If treated wrong, the film becomes dark, melancholy, and perhaps satanic. In some ways, I think this film dances on that line.

With all these considerations put together, I think that this film has a unique story and has many phenomenal elements that rightfully won it the Oscar in comparison to its competition. However, just because something wins an Oscar does not mean it deserves 5 stars.