Customer Reviews
A Great Movie Musical 
2008-01-15
Very entertaining, particularly if you love dance. It's uplifting and a great work of art. I highly recommend it and be sure to watch it at least 3 times.
the movie 
2007-10-07
I like the plot and the music there was something missing in the casting.Cassie wasn,t as good as the stage version.
One singular and magical sensation!!! 
2007-07-16
One of the best musicals of Broadway!!! I love this movie, the songs, the characters, everything. THis movie shows a little bit of the hard work that actors, dancers and singers have to do in order to be in the theatre world. We have to give a great value to all the work that theatre actors made in order to show a great performance on stage. As an actor I should say that being on stage is one of the best sensations, as this movie sings it! One singular Sensation!!!
I actually liked this film..... 
2007-06-08
Not that I had a choice, since I was way too young to see it on Broadway. I wasn't even born yet, when it had already been on the Broadway stage for seven years. I have heard a lot of criticism about the film version of A CHORUS LINE, from people who had the opportunity to see it on stage. I wish I could have had that opportunity, just so I had something to compare it to...but I don't. For me, it was pretty charming. The dance numbers were okay, and the singing left something to be desired, but I could tell that they tried to translate it to screen as best they could. What's more, it was an interesting change of pace to see Michael Douglas cast as the casting director, on the other side of the stage, critiquing the performers. Yes, it was a little odd, too. At any rate, the best numbers from the production are featured here: "One," "Nothing," and "What I Did For Love" (among others). This is worth a look. Would I reccomend you buying it? Only die hard fans who want it, for the main reason that this is the only filmed version of the musical, that is available to the public.
Bad transition 
2007-06-03
I have seen the stage version 3 times and loved it every time. When I saw this film version I was thoroughly disappointed in the way Atteborough changed the plot. On the stage, Casie was already part pf the audition and Zack was trying very hard to discourage her. The song "what I did for love" was not sung by Cassie but by one of the girls after one of the dancers is injured, and Zack asks them how they feel. The song is about love of dancing, not for the love of 2 people. The best part of the movie is the finale, the rest is trash.
Good Show 2008-06-20
Pretty much a must-have for the musical buff. High points: Audrey Landers, several good dancing numbers, Michael Douglas. Negatives: A bit on the campy side at times, but still a fun movie to watch.
Please, just the song and dance 2008-05-29
Spectacular. . .when there is singing and dancing; tedious (pretentious, trite, self-absorbed. . .so 1980's) when there is talking. Fast forward through Michael Douglas and you have yourself an enjoyable movie.
I love dance movies! 2008-05-02
Especially ones from the eighties! Its not even the story line, the actors, the acting or productions value...its the dancing. I love to watch real dancers rehearsing, auditioning and just dancing. It is so inspiring! Pick this up if you are a true dance lover!
Must have been great on Broadway... 2008-03-03
I've never seen this on stage so I can't compare the film to the original production. I can imagine that it must have been dazzling at the time. The concept of introducing the dancers as real people is great and enables us to care about them over and beyond their ability to dance. The whole Broadway mystique is evoked and one is amazed at the sacrifices these people make for the love of dance and the theater.
Most of the cast was good. I can understand that the choices were for excellent dancers, first, then some singing ability and some looks and personality, plus a diversity of sexes, ethnic groups etc. They managed to come up with a pretty good group although I did find some of them forgettable. I thought Michael Douglas was actually quite good as the hyper-talented but bastardly choreographer.
The weak spot in the film was the character of Cassie, who plays a central part in the story. She is a great dancer and can sing well enough but has no charisma and is generally painful to watch (especially in the flashback scenes in which she has really horrible hair!) One has a hard time imagining Michael Douglas in love with her. If a more sympathetic or attractive woman had filled that role, the whole film would have had more sparkle.
I think that a major attraction for the musical was its novelty--a style that was breakthrough at the time but it which has been imitated so frequently that by now, unless it's done really well, it's a bit lackluster. I think diehard dance fans will enjoy it more than the general public.
Sensational 2008-02-24
I've never seen the stage version of "A Chorus Line" so my only reference point is the film version. And I thought it was great!!! This had to be difficult material to translate to film. The film starts with a stage filled with hundreds of applicants giving their all for a scant eight slots in a chorus line. With a wave of the hand the choreographer(Michael Douglas) whittles it to sixteen. The elimination process that the choreographer employs isn't so much an evaluation of dance technique. Rather, it's more like an interrogation where he asks the most personal details of the applicants lives. You sense the dreams and desperation of the auditioners. You have no real rooting interest here and you hope for the success for each of these youngsters. The songs and dance numbers are fine but it's the backstories of these fledgling hoofers that is the most compelling aspect of "A Chorus Line". There are few names in the cast of aspirants unless you count Janet Jones(Mrs. Wayne Gretzky) and Audrey Landers(of Landers Sisters fame) and Landers delivers the weakest solo in the film. This film on initial release received a lukewarm critical and public reception in 1985. There's definitely room for re-evaluation here. As far as I'm concerned "A Chorus Line" is superior to the Oscar winning "Chicago". Maybe the small screen is the perfect venue to appreciate this film. Director Richard Attenborough, who won an Oscar for "Gandhi", deserves kudoes for tackling tricky material.
