Minnelli and Grey sparkle, and the Fosse flash is everywhere in evidence.
100
TV Guide Magazine
TV Guide Magazine
Chilling Fosse vision of Weimar Berlin, stylishly directed and choreographed, featuring a show-stopping musical performance by Minnelli, Grey's unforgettable emcee and thoughtful acting from Michael York.
90
Variety
Variety
It is literate, bawdy, sophisticated, sensual, cynical, heart-warming, and disturbingly thought-provoking.
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
This is no ordinary musical. Part of its success comes because it doesn't fall for the old cliché that musicals have to make you happy. Instead of cheapening the movie version by lightening its load of despair, director Bob Fosse has gone right to the bleak heart of the material and stayed there well enough to win an Academy Award for Best Director.
80
EmpireKim Newman
EmpireKim Newman
It stands as a hugely enjoyable, occasionally chilling, musical.
80
The New York Times
The New York Times
Cabaret is one of those immensely gratifying imperfect works in which from beginning to end you can literally feel a movie coming to life.
70
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
It's entertaining and stylish, though maybe not quite as serious as it wants to be.
30
Time
Time
By the time Scenarist Allen and Director Fosse have wrung them out, what's left - with one exception - is mostly slack and sour.