All That Jazz (1979)

RATING:	80%
FORMAT:	Cinema

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Incredibly-honest and self-recycling autobiography that is funny about major and universal themes. A musical-comedy about death, dying & sex is unusual, as is its take on what we make of our own lives.

Despite the essential awfulness of the central character, he is very talented indeed and women do really, really like him - despite themselves. A much more personal film than his earlier Cabaret, but none the worse for that. The style is highly reminiscent of the later BBC tv series The Singing Detective - only better, because more believable.

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The dance numbers are impeccable and imaginatively-staged throughout - as one would expect from director and choreographer Bob FOSSE; while the performances and the cynical humor always ring true. It is a little too long and the pace sometimes sluggish, but these are relatively minor complaints amid all the technical brilliance on show.

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Copyright © 2011 Frank TALKER. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute it in any format; provided that mention of the author’s Weblog (http://franktalker5.blogspot.com/) is included: E-mail notification requested. All other rights reserved.