Sameir Ali I don't know why musical films are all so good. May be, I haven't seen the bad ones.It is said that, as the death comes closer, you will see your life like a flash back. Here in this movie, the hero makes an interaction with death. Unlike Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal, death is beautiful, peaceful and cheerful here.Joe Gideon, is a Director and Choreographer. He is getting ready for a big show. The film shows how he deals with the hard work, with the drug using and womanized character.The film has a great energy and Amazing beauty like any other musical films.It was nominated for 9 Oscars and won 4 of them.Do not miss this movie. Go ahead and watch. #KiduMovie

grantss Great drama on the life and death of an artist (loosely based on Bob Fosse's own life, without the death part, of course, at that point). Original plot, which demonstrates the decadence, pitfalls and back- stabbing of showbiz. Very original direction by Bob Fosse, complete with musical dream sequences and time jumps. A bit too innovative sometimes, as it can be confusing.Roy Scheider acts out of his skin in the lead role. You can actually imagine Scheider inflicting the damage to himself that the movie portrays, so convincing is his performance. He was unlucky to lose the Best Actor Oscar to Dustin Hoffman for Kramer vs Kramer.Supporting cast are good too. Jessica Lange's part is not overly major, but All That Jazz did revive her career after King Kong almost killed it. Interesting to see John Lithgow in an early role.Great movie.

dwpollar 1st watched 8/23/2014 -- 7 out of 10(Dir-Bob Fosse): Dark comedic musical about the downfall of a Broadway musical director written and directed by Bob Fosse is very well done for the most part. Roy Scheider plays the overworked, overmedicated, playboy director who just refuses to give less of himself to his work and his body can't deal with it. This is advertised as a musical, but it's more a portrayal of a man who really has no direction to go but down because of his refusal to change his way of life. He admits to his faults but just doesn't deal with it. He cheated on his ex-wife, doesn't give enough time to his daughter, cheats on his current girlfriend, and is majorly obsessed to giving everything to his work to these faults. This movie does exactly what it wants to do almost perfectly. The only flaw, in my opinion, is an overlong slightly corny ending number. Fosse choreographs the dancing numbers -- which there are plenty of -- but they complement the story rather than just being an addition. The beautiful Jessica Lange portrays death and is used throughout to help show what's going on inside Scheider's character and introduces the inevitable very early on. The movie could be considered depressing but it's all done tongue-in-cheek(almost laughing at itself because of the choice of the subject matter). The two hours fly by because of the way the director presents the main character and gets your interest in his life. Pieces are revealed as the story moves forward and by the end you get a complete picture of the man's life. This movie is so much more than a musical even though these parts aren't bad either --- it should be held in acclaim as one of the better of it's kind -- don't miss this one.

Lachlan J McDougall Bob Fosse's semi-autobiographical surreal musical comedy might be one of the most artistically intelligent musical movies I've seen in a while. Its meta-tale of the slow deconstruction of a man and his ego takes the quick cut aesthetic of Fosse's earlier expressionist masterpiece Cabaret (1972), but adds to the mix the almost terrifying reality that this is not a dream, this is Fosse's real life.The plot revolves around Fosse's fictional surrogate Joe Gideon's (deftly portrayed by Roy Scheider) efforts to balance his excessive lifestyle with the demands of simultaneously making a motion picture and directing a Broadway production. The real story, however, revolves around the masterful editing and surreal song-and-dance routines which build layer upon layer into the tragic melting pot.An ongoing interview with an angel of death, a repetition of the Gideon's daily routine of booze, pills, sex, and "showtime", and a multitude of stories, plays, and films within the film make it a real delight to watch. Perhaps it's not the simplest thing to get your head around when you're just looking for a feel-good musical, but that is not why All That Jazz is here: this is art.It must be said, however, that, for the final effort from one of the most accomplished musical directors and choreographers to ever grace the screen, the dance routines and musical numbers don't hold much water compared to a lot of other films. Yes, the ending Bye-Bye Life is a truly remarkable piece of cinema, but on the whole most of the actual 'musical' elements of this film don't really stick in your mind. Every dancer is more than competent and the whole thing is shot and edited with a touch of genius, but the routines themselves are just a little bit lackluster.The real accomplishment of this film, however, is not in its ability to be as good a musical as, say, Grease (1978), but rather it is to be found in the way Fosse expertly weaves the art-house cinema techniques of Fellini with the high camp of a Busby Berkeley number. It is a visual and intellectual feast that holds the audience from start to finish and does not leave them dissatisfied.It just plays out its almost Wagnerian opera sensibilities on such a grand scale that it hard not to be impressed by this film. The masks keep falling, the intrigue keeps on deepening, but it is all treated with a profound sense of subtlety that is rarely captured by films so lavish as this one. It is, in my opinion, one of those rare movies that you simply must see, even if you don't actually like musicals. Find yourself a copy, dim the lights, pour yourself a nice glass of champagne, and brace yourself for a long and winding ride through the heart, soul, and mind of one of the most interesting showbiz personalities of our time.