Cabaret (1972)

Simply A Masterpiece

Sadly Over-hyped

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

The only movie that I have ever gotten chills to. A great movie exploring many different aspects of German life in 1932 such as Homosexuality and the Rising Nazi Party. It is a great movie to just sit down and watch because it is not particularly depressing nor psychologically demanding.

Typical Bob Fosse musical settled in Berlin where have a decadent night club where the everything begin or ending,Liza Minnelli play Sally a daughter of an American diplomat who works in this club,sally think big she wants to be a star,when she re-rent his room to an English teacher Brian played by Michael York,living together starting a romance,but when Sally was involved by a rich man from the German aristocracy they were in a love triangle that spoiled the weak relationship between Sally and Brian Soon she stay pregnancy but the main problem is to known who is the real father...the interesting point of this movie is that whatever happens in real life is cover on stage at night club...very amusement!!!

Liza Minnelli shines as Sally Bowles in the Cabaret musical film adaptation. The musical itself was adapted from a novel and played on Broadway(NYC, US) and West End (London, UK) from 1966 to 1969. Liza was a real nightclub singer and although she carries the role and act well, she is like the character she plays, a better singer than actress. "Maybe This Time" is the best song for melody, lyrics and performance, but "Money" with Minnelli and Joel Grey also delivers. They would both win an acting Oscar for their role. Joel Grey is also delightful in "Two Ladies" with another funny choreography and fitting art direction. Director Bob Fosse, along with cinematographer, editor, sound, score and art direction won awards and the film itself was nominated for Best Picture and Screenplay but lost to The Godfather (1972) which was better in both aspects. Its 8 wins are the most ever won for a movie that did not win Best Picture.The directing succeeds in a few scenes, including the disarray of the German woman, Natalia Landauer (played by Marisa Berenson) who has been ravished and feels lust and love- She asks advise and confess to promiscuous Sally in probably the best non musical scene.The rest of the movie carries through nicely and neatly but with less flair. Cinematography does shine on occasion with some swift visuals. Colours, movements, feelings in either interior or exterior shots.A nice musical that could have benefited from slightly better source material but that transit to the screen effectively and also deals with the slow and innocuous rise of the Nazi in the background.Flirty, full of life and rich beyond its minor imperfections.

It's pre-war Berlin. The country is in a depression struggling between Communists and Nazis. Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli) is a flamboyant bohemian American singer performing at the Kit Kat Klub with MC (Joel Grey). British academic Brian Roberts (Michael York) from Cambridge moves in to finish his doctorate. She falls for him despite him being adverse to women. He teaches English to earn money and one of his students is a rich Jewish heiress Natalia Landauer. She is uncertain about the advances of Fritz Wendel. Sally and Brian are befriended by rich playboy Maximilian von Heune who seems to be interested in both.Liza Minnelli is brilliant. Joel Grey is magnificent. Michael York is put in a tougher spot as a bi-sexual. I buy him more as a homosexual and I like his friendship with Sally more than his romance with her. The biggest deficiency is Helmut Griem as Max. The role needs to be a matinée idol and played by a superstar. It's minor but very important to see both Sally and Brian tripping over themselves for the guy. He needs to be magnetic. The Bob Fosse songs are incredible. The inter-cut scene between the stage and the beating by the Nazi thugs is truly compelling. The pacing does go flat at times and it probably could be trimmed a little. Overall this is a great musical and social drama.