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      All That Jazz

      R Now Playing 2h 3m Drama Musical List
      87% 46 Reviews Tomatometer 86% 10,000+ Ratings Audience Score When he is not planning for his upcoming stage musical or working on his Hollywood film, choreographer/director Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider) is popping pills and sleeping with a seemingly endless line of women. The physical and mental stress begins to take a toll on the ragged perfectionist. Soon, he must decide whether or not his non-stop work schedule and hedonistic lifestyle are worth risking his life. The film is a semi-autobiographical tale written and directed by the legendary Bob Fosse. Read More Read Less Now in Theaters Now Playing Buy Tickets
      All That Jazz

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      Critics Consensus

      Director Bob Fosse and star Roy Scheider are at the top of their games in this dazzling, self-aware stage drama about a death-obsessed director-choreographer.

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      Critics Reviews

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      Kathleen Sachs Chicago Reader Even thinking about it still brings tears to my eyes. That, that is what I’m seeking when I go to the movies. All that jazz. Dec 27, 2022 Full Review Bruce McCabe Boston Globe This is a plausible milestone in the evolution of the Hollywood film, a quivering, pulsating, dynamic, excessive and flawed film that wears its alienation proudly where its heart should be. Apr 27, 2018 Full Review Gary Arnold Washington Post By the time the film is over, the movie has degenerated with a jaundiced vengeance. Fosse's sour, grandstanding cynicism imposed an intolerable burden of self-pity on his talent, our compassion and the tradition of the backstage musical. Aug 4, 2015 Full Review Larry Wegner OUT FRONT Magazine (Denver) It's about a brilliant man who, yes, maybe have made a film for his peers, but nonetheless, has had the guts to lay it out for everyone to take a peek. May 8, 2023 Full Review Taylor Baker Drink in the Movies Episode 40: The Dead Don't Die / Birds of Passage / All That Jazz Rated: 94/100 Oct 4, 2021 Full Review Leonard Klady Winnipeg Free Press It's a film that takes chances, an exciting rollercoaster ride that deserves its personal chapter in the art of film-making. Aug 19, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Jeff M ★★★★ Added 23 Nov 2023 I have a gut feeling this is one of those movies I'll be revisiting and re-evaluating for many years to come. Overall, it's a mesmerizing experience! The musical numbers are exhilarating, the editing is phenomenal, and Scheider is quite brilliant in a role that you probably wouldn't necessarily think of him to inhabit based on his previous work. He is an underrated actor who doesn't seem to be remembered as much as he should. And that last 20 minutes or so - OMG! Sheer perfection! I do wish we had been given more time with some of the other characters besides Scheider - his ex-wife, his daughter and especially his girlfriend, played by the divine Ann Reinking. Reinking moves so gracefully that her dancing is like breathing. I would have killed to get to know her character more - and have more showstopping musical moments with her. Each supporting character seems a bit fleeting and non-descript, but perhaps that was what Fosse had in mind. It's rather fascinating to watch this after having seen the film version of CHICAGO - it's apparent that Rob Marshall gathered great inspiration from this film. I can't call it an overall triumph - yet - but the good stuff is so beyond brilliant that I can't wait to watch it again and re-think my whole take on it. And the best compliment I can give it as that it makes me anxious to delve into Fosse's other work. I've seen most of his films, but I would love to discover more of his theater work. And a re-watch of the limited series FOSSE/VERDON is going to be absolutely necessary! In a less competitive Best Actor year, Scheider could have been a real contender! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/17/24 Full Review David M One of the greatest films of the 1970s and one of the greatest films ever. Roy Scheider gives a career best performance as Joe Gideon. Living life by chain-smoking, pill popping, womanizing and being a workaholic is costing him his life and is it worth it? Beautifully edited and choreographed. The last 15 minutes I can argue is the best finale for a film maybe ever. This was Bob Fosse's magnum opus Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/28/23 Full Review David F An entertaining mixture of singing, dancing, and self-aware, metafictional autobiographical filmmaking. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/25/23 Full Review John A I believe it was Martin Scorsese that said something to the effect of "the most personal is the most creative" and Bob Fosse's 'All That Jazz' proves Scorsese's theory to be valid. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/27/23 Full Review Smoov T By this point, forty-odd years after its release, most people know how this movie ends. I too was familiar with the infamous ending scene to this movie and had seen it out of context and found it confusing and ridiculous. That was before I sat down and actually watched All That Jazz. By the time that ending rolls around after watching the movie proper, I was completely on board, to the point where I didn't want that final song to end. This movie stuck with me for days after my virgin watch. It's rare for a movie to so effectively blend the glitz, glamor, and showmanship of classic vaudeville Broadway with the deep, horrifying darkness that all of us carry, knowing death is waiting for us. Maybe we are waiting for it too, and constantly trying to stop ourselves from accepting the embrace of that beautiful, ethereal woman. The cinematography in this movie deserves special recognition, between the soft focus used expertly for scenes with Angelique, the use of mirrors, the surreal and nightmarish sets. Repeated shots give different meaning as the movie sweeps us forward with little time to orient ourselves, which fits perfectly in the chaos of the protagonist's life and mind. I can't give it a perfect score as we all know some of the dance numbers are quite long and hard to get through on repeated watches. Some of the pacing in the first half feels a bit slow as we build towards the chaos and emotion of the second half. Nonetheless, this is an extremely effective and unique movie that has instantly gone onto my list of favorites. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Mike P All That Jazz, Chicago and Cabaret are the Holy Trinity of modern musicals. They are Bob Fosse's gift to the world of cinema. Masterpieces all of them, they represent Fosse at the top of his form; changing the medium; pushing it forward. This one of the three is the most personal. It's Fosse's 8 1/2; and just like that movie most of the narrative takes the place of a confessional; him telling his life to his guardian angel. It's him reflecting on his life in fantastical musical form, and the meaning of life in general; as filtered through his jet-black, begloved, ironical sensibilities; and injected with his trademark sexiness and razzmatazz. It's an autobiographical docudrama, a self-reflection of all the tragedy, humor and failure in his life; just years before he died. (Ironically Fosse himself died in 1987; just a few years after this movie came out. And that's actually became part of the mythology of this iconic movie). Some people complained this movie was self-indulgent and one-note. The Fellini movie by comparison was poetic and sweet; it was wistful, with a light touch. This one can be seen as a heavy handed apologia; one self-indulgent tragic scene after the next. And yet the musical moments are some of the best movie musical numbers ever; particularly the stunning finale. It has Ben Vereen and Roy Scheider singing "Bye Bye Life"; (a bastardization of the Everly Brothers "Bye Bye Love). This number, and so many of the others are so powerful; they wipe most other musicals right off the screen; they are just stunning. Essential viewing for any fan of movie musicals. Highly Recommend. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      All That Jazz

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis When he is not planning for his upcoming stage musical or working on his Hollywood film, choreographer/director Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider) is popping pills and sleeping with a seemingly endless line of women. The physical and mental stress begins to take a toll on the ragged perfectionist. Soon, he must decide whether or not his non-stop work schedule and hedonistic lifestyle are worth risking his life. The film is a semi-autobiographical tale written and directed by the legendary Bob Fosse.
      Director
      Bob Fosse
      Producer
      Daniel Melnick
      Screenwriter
      Robert Alan Arthur, Bob Fosse
      Distributor
      20th Century Fox
      Production Co
      Columbia Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox
      Rating
      R
      Genre
      Drama, Musical
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Jan 1, 1979, Wide
      Release Date (DVD)
      Aug 3, 2004
      Runtime
      2h 3m
      Sound Mix
      Surround, Dolby Stereo
      Aspect Ratio
      Flat (1.85:1)