Bob Fosse's autobiographical look at the hectic life of a Broadway director/choreographer rehearsing a new show in New York City while concurrently editing his latest movie. Roy Scheider fabulously stands in for Fosse; as Joe Gideon, pill-popping, womanizing, self-destructive genius on the verge of collapse, it is Scheider's shining moment as an actor. Fosse paints himself as suspicious, paranoid, driven, indifferent, exhausted and horny. It's more than most of us want to know about the man, who seems intent on showing us what a creep he is...but a talented creep! The film doesn't particularly look good (it's a gray movie),though it has amazing musical flourishes and the self-styled bombast is actually rather amusing once you get the idea. Jessica Lange is beautiful in an early role as the Angel of Death (imagine Fosse explaining that role to her!),and Scheider's performance is really something to see (only occasionally does the camera catch him not knowing what to do). Fosse tries hard not to be pretentious, he keeps things playful and perky, and his ironic ending is bitterly funny. The film is alive and ticking--but that's not Fosse's heart, it's a time bomb. *** from ****

This film is about an EXTREMELY manic Broadway producer (Roy Scheider) who burns the candle at both ends--pushing himself in such an extreme and unhealthy way that eventually he has a heart attack in the midst of a production. Will he survive? Well, while waiting to find out, the film takes an amazing turn. Up until the heart attack, it's a SOMEWHAT conventional film about the making of a play. BUT, after the attack, it suddenly becomes VERY surreal--with many song and dance numbers that explore death! In this sense, the film really is a lot like Fellini's "8 1/2"--but with song and dance numbers! I could say more...but don't want to spoil what happens next. Just hold on...the final scene is one of the most amazingly stunning in film history!!

"All That Jazz" is one of those rare films that I didn't particularly enjoy BUT I really respected what it tried to do. While it is similar, in some ways, to a few other films (such as "42nd Street"),the total package is wholly unique--and for that reason alone it deserves to be seen. But, I am warning you, it's very possible you won't like a lot of the film because the leading man is pretty awful--drinking to excess, using drugs to excess, using women to excess--heck, doing EVERYTHING to excess! Interestingly, the film's director, Bob Fosse, intended this as a sort of autobiography--so I assume Fosse was a very talented but incredibly screwed up man...AND, he welcomed the world to see this!! This was either a case of incredible narcissism or perhaps a cry for help or understanding--I have no idea which the case might be! I mentioned how "All That Jazz" is a lot like "42nd Street". This is because in "42nd Street" (the film),Warner Baxter is in many ways the manic Broadway producer that Scheider is in "All That Jazz"--and, in the end, he burns himself out and dies--all for the sake of the show. As far as "8 1/2" goes, it's much more likely you've seen that and it's a very strange film that explores a film director whose life is VERY hectic and he retreats into fantasy and day dreams to cope with his out of control life. All these films are well worth seeing and would make a great triple-feature.

By the way, less than a decade after "All That Jazz", Fosse really DID die of a heart attack at age 60. Talk about art imitating life!! NOTE: This film has many adult themes, language and nudity. Think twice before showing this to your mother or kids.

The script is a bit of a jumble at times, with the odd groaner particularly with Wallace Shawn's one line(the worst line of the film and Shawn is wasted) and Schneider and Lange's chemistry comes across as a little wooden. But everything else about All That Jazz is so great, it is one of the better 1970s musicals and one of the most unique ones you'll see anywhere along with Ken Russell's The Boy Friend. All That Jazz looks spectacular, the editing, costumes and art direction all won Oscars that were richly deserved. The editing and cinematography is some of the most imaginative of any musical, the costumes are rich in colour and the art direction is wonderfully opulent. The score also won an Oscar which was also deserved, it captures all the glitz and glamour of musical theatre brilliantly with no over-sentimentalising. The songs are ones that you will have no trouble remembering, Take Off With Us being the highlight. And they are superbly staged and imaginatively shot with choreography that is unlike what you've seen before and since, plus it is very rhythmically driven(again the very erotic Take Off With Us is the standout, though Everything Old is New Again is very sweet). The reality parts of the story blend surprisingly well with the more fantasy-like ones, the reality stuff is often hard-hitting and unpleasant but very real like Joe Gideon himself while the fantasy has a real surrealism to it. Fosse's direction is truly impressive, yes some scenes like the death sequence is a touch self-indulgent but there is his usual pizazz and rhythmic precision while also very Fellini-esque, reminding one somewhat of 8 1/2. Roy Schneider gives a blistering career-best performance as a very sordid character with a good amount of complexity. Jessica Lange is alluring, Leland Palmer is equally solid and Ann Reinking is equally charming. The director-daughter relationship is touchingly done. Overall, a wonderful, if somewhat divisive, musical and one of Fosse's best alongside Cabaret. 9/10 Bethany Cox