Dominic West 5%

As the guys aren't the stars in this story of the merry murderesses of 1920's Chicago, you're going be disappointed if you've just gone to see Dominic. As Roxie's ill-fated paramour, he's "screwing around - which is like fooling around, but without dinner" in an American accent and dimly lit bedroom. Don't arrive late to the film.

Of course, there's far more to this than Dominic's gradual increase in Hollywood screentime (hey, at least it beats the 0.0001% of The Phantom Menace!) It really is a whoopee film. Despite a slightly claustrophobic theatrical air, it's refreshingly dark, has a sassy pace but isn't as manic as Moulin Rouge.

Chicago has always been a musical for people who don't like Disneyfied musicals, and the songs are fantastic. The well-known numbers are done to perfection (All That Jazz and Razzle Dazzle) and the ventiloquist act of We Both Reached For the Gun and Roxie's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes song n' strut are real show-stoppers.

Cast-wise, Richard Gere is competent as the smooth lawyer Billy Flynn, although he looks more at home with the acting rather than the dancing despite being a former Danny in Grease the stage show. Renee Zewellenger is pretty good as Roxie. However in her desire to shed the so-called heftiness of Bridget Jones (give it up - she was only a UK size 12!) she's so over-muscled and underweight that it's hard to believe in the supposed 'cuteness' of the character.

Biased as I may be towards a fellow Brit, it's Catherine Zeta-Jones who is the ultimate star, playing the vampish Velma. She looks so assured, so at home with the whole caboodle (she sings! she dances! she does the splits!) In comparison to Renee's boyish frame, C Z-J is a screen goddess of the old Jane Russell/Marilyn Monroe mould and is the real (black-hearted) soul of the film. To quote Lisa Simpson: "I am woman - hear me roar!"