Better than Pianist?

Chicago: Best....movie...ever....made.

Pianist was good, too. But in the end, a much simpler movie to make. Now, if Brody had done his acting while also singing and tap dancing, maybe that movie would've won.

Chicago was a good entertaining musical, however The Pianist was a heavy, dramatic masterpiece.

Surely The Academy was high on drugs...

Apples and oranges. They are both good films but very different films. It doesn't really make sense to compare them using terminology like "better"; it's like asking "is chocolate better than a sunny day?" They're both pretty awesome for their own individual reasons.

One of the highlights of The Pianist was Brody's performance, for which he was rewarded an Oscar. Same goes for Polanski.

Chicago is much more of an ensemble film that shined in different areas. There were a number of sharp performances in addition to artistic feats with choreography, set design, and costume design. The storyline and dialogue are poached from a Tony-winning Broadway musical. So, ultimatly, Chicago wins because the sum of its parts is greater than that of The Pianist.

People tend to get offended that a "musical" wins over a historical drama simply because they lend more weight to a film that tackles serious subject matter. It doesn't make the lighter-hearted fare a lesser form of entertainment; it's simply different.

Well, I dissagree. IMO "Chicago" is a way better picture than "The Pianist".

"The Pianist" is a good movie but just a series of wretchednesses one after another with no more to contribute. The script of "Chicago" was diverse, witty and with a subtext of denunciation. The acting (with the exception of Richard Gere) was all in a breathtaking state of grace. The artistic direction was absolutely outstanding, the music remarkable.

Actually... I must confess I consider "Chicago" the third best live action musical ever made in cinema (behind "The Sound of Music" and "Mary Poppins").

But Chicago made more money, and was less of a shaggy-dog story.

Yeah definitely one of the worst best picture winners.