Almost flawless film

Rating: 9/10 (25 January 2013)

It is one the most exquisitely well thought out and put together film in history.
If you are not paying attention right from the beginning, you'll miss the beginning set-up, which is the key to appreciating the rest of the film. What really makes the movie is the importance and urgency of the time that the film is set -- for all the characters in this story, for this one small gin joint and this one very obscure city, for all of Europe and all the world. What is particularly important is the desperation of this moment in history. It is brilliantly boiled down into a tableau of detailed interwoven personal stories of greed, power and need, love and sacrifice, loyalty and betrayal.
The acting is flawless across the board with these iconic actors really shinning; the screenplay dialogue is smart, witty, with hardly an unnecessary word; the direction and cinematography are flawless, with each scene framed like a movie poster; and the musical numbers contribute the environment and the emotional gravitas without making the film be contrived. I had to watch this film twice before I could fully appreciate it; there's that much to take in.