'Rent' Movie Review (Unmarked Spoilers)

Gemini Cricket · 11-23-2005, 02:37 PM

‘Rent’
by GC

When I saw Chris Columbus’ take on the ‘Santa Fe’ song scene on ‘Regis and Kelly’ the other day my eager anticipation for the movie version of ‘Rent’ almost went away. It’s a comedic number that breaks up some of the serious moments in the movie with the Tom Collins character goofing around with his friends on the New York subway. The scene is too brightly lit, everyone has pasted smiles on their faces and Adam Pascal’s hair (which almost resembles a wig from the ‘Carol Burnett Show’ at times) almost steals the show. The song, not one of my favorites from the stage version, is sung well but the scene is pure cheese. Showing that scene above all others was a poor choice for ‘Regis’. This scene must have turned a lot of people off from ‘Rent’, luckily I was not one of them.

Chris Columbus’ ‘Rent’ was a good film. Not the best musical ever, not the most well shot film ever but it held its own and retained a lot of the poignant moments the stage version had, but this time we got to see it up close. What straight woman or gay man wouldn’t want to see Adam ‘mega long eyelashes’ Pascal singing ‘Your Eyes’ up close?

Lately, whenever I hear about some studio making a musical, I must admit it makes me physically ill. It’s a serious condition I developed almost ten years ago while watching Madonna’s big screen take on ‘Evita’. Don’t get me wrong, this man loves the Material Girl, but the first pains struck five minutes into the film when Antonio Banderas gives the camera a coy look from his seat at a bar and sings, “Oh what a circoos, oh what a show…” I knew then that this was going to be a bad film. The characters were going to look at the camera and acknowledge us not as mere observers but as part of the show. Think of it as the ‘Come on, everybody join in, you’re one of us’ syndrome. But this style never works and comes off as pure cheese whiz. On Broadway, if the cast sings to you it is to be expected and usually ends up being fun. But not many actors can pull this off on film. A Mel Brooks cast could get away with that, the first lady of Argentina not so much. (I also knew it was going to be bad when Banderas began singing with his accent. This, I suppose, could not be avoided.) Thankfully, Columbus did not use this technique in ‘Rent’ yet he did not go the clear cut ‘all songs happen for a reason’ staging as was done with Best Picture ‘Chicago’ to show us that this was all in Roxie’s head. What he did was safely between the two and it works.

For an avid Renthead like myself who could not get to see the original cast, ‘Rent’ was a treat. My copy of the CD soundtrack to the Broadway show is almost worn out and I have seen it twice with excellent casts but the curiosity of watching the original cast’s take on it loomed. This alone made the film worth seeing. These talented actors were cast for a reason on Broadway and was proven to us by the film. Anthony Rapp is hysterical in this film. Sticking out like a sore thumb hanging with partnered couples, Mark exudes confidence and self certainty when everything that happens to him tells him not to. Great advice for everyone. Adam Pascal is a good singer and pretty to boot. He is almost perfect as the film Roger. A little too elated and less dark than perceived on stage, Roger could have brooded more, we would have watched. The highlight of the cast was the amazing Jesse L. Martin. He has the right amount of bumble, tenderness and gloom just under the surface of Tom Collins to make one rivoted to his performance. His comedic takes during the ‘Santa Fe’ scene is only successful in context with the rest of the film. On its own, it looks like Martin indulged in too many Tom Collins drinks. Rosario Dawson is great as Mimi. Although not as powerful vocally as Daphne Rubin-Vega, Broadway’s original Mimi, Dawson makes up for it by taking us on a drug inspired rollercoaster ride that is all too realistic. Her ‘Out Tonight’ dance number is excellent and exactly how I envisioned the movie version to be. I appreciated the fact that Columbus didn’t water-down the provocative dancing to try and appease the MPAA. The choreography was dead-on appropriate.

The opening song, ‘Seasons of Love’ has been transplanted from the middle of the show to the very beginning. This move was brilliant. A great introduction to the film and all the characters. Unfortunately, this song although beautiful has been played ad nauseum on commercials for the film itself. The studio would be wise to replace the song in future ads.
The song ‘Rent’ is staged with great intensity as is ‘Another Day’ and ‘What You Own’. The extra-amplified speakers in my particular theatre was a treat. Although, the soundtrack seemed a tad too loud in places. The show stopper and definite highlight to this film is ‘La Vie Boheme’. It is high intensity and powerful. And, after hearing that the cast spent a week and a half to two weeks on the same song, it paid off well being one of the best parts of the film. The best being Martin’s reprise of ‘I’ll Cover You’. Martin’s singing is heart-wrenching, powerful and joyous all at the same time.

‘Rent’ although a fine film, has some off moments sadly. ‘Take Me or Leave Me’ is staged at an engagement party and under no circumstances would anything remotely close to it occur in real life without both parties in question being committed. I appreciated the director’s take on gay marriage, but that too felt added on to be timely. This song is one of the highlights of the stage show, not so much on film. ‘Tango: Maureen’ worked when the number was about Mark and Joanne’s commonality. When the number turned into a full scale choreography orgy, it made me place my hands firmly on the sides of my face and scream. Nice idea, Columbus, but a tad bit over the top. Anthony Rapp is extremely funny and not in need of fifty dancers to be amusing. “You’ll See” could have been redefined into spoken dialogue. The camera during this portion dwelled on Benny’s Land Rover and an uninteresting street scene. Boring.

As a gay man, I appreciate ‘Rent’ in all of its forms. The fact that this film is even being shown makes me happy. Portraying gays and lesbians as actual human beings with heart and soul makes me a proud Renthead queen. I mean, what other film has a gay love song and a lesbian sort-of love song in it? Not only that, it’s wonderful to watch a film where the gay characters are not hairdressers, only there for comic relief or unpleasant restaurant hosts...

While not a hit out of the park, the film ‘Rent’ succees more often than not. One should see this film in a theatre to experience the sound, it makes you feel like you’re at a concert. And ‘La Vie Boheme’ should be watched with the sound loud in a place where your neighbors can’t fault you for your upped volume. I found myself engrossed in the goings on of the Alphabet City bohemians and forgot I was watching a film after awhile. I guess they succeeded where ‘Evita’ did not. They made me feel like I was one of them and had joined in on the circus, without force feeding me.

Alex · 11-23-2005, 03:48 PM

I'm very split on whether I want to see this or not. So a simple test so that I know how to categorize your reliability as a guide:

Question #1: Chicago was a good movie?

__ Yes
__ No
__ No, and not only was a it a bad movie it was the most undeserving Best Picture winner since 1936 when Louis Mayer orchestrated giving the award to The Great Ziegfield to piss off Charlie Chaplin by blocking out Modern Times.
__ AAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH. My brain melted a little bit just thinking about this abomination again.

Ponine · 11-23-2005, 04:05 PM

Now see, I didn't want to be the one to start this thread... thank you GC for opening the door.

I find we differ slightly in our emotions. Is it because you are a gay man and I am a straight woman? That said, for the rest of you, GC and I are both avid theatre fans, and have oft shared likes on the many boards. That said....

I saw the movie Monday night.... stood in line, called LibraryVixen to tell her that I was in fact a geek, and to prove it was in this line. I had not seen anything beyond the trailer.

I enjoyed it. Immensely.
Having Seasons of Love open the movie was bloody brilliant, didn't tell us anything, but was a feel good intro.

I wonder though, how easy was it for the noobie rent person to jump into the story that fast?

I loved the staging of Rent, being able to see Collins go to the phone, get mugged... and have people wonder what happened to him... I couldn't help but think that it was hard to understand if you didnt know the lyrics already.

I love Angel, I love Collins... They have a chemistry that I cannot deny, and half the time, I just relate to them, and wish I could be them.

Today 4 U has never been a fave of mine, but has an energy beyond my scope. It was beautiful number, but hard to watch. It was , imo, shoot very quickly, and I found myself wanting to ask the camera man to stand still.

I liked them using Out Tonight as a vehicle to move the scene. It told the viewers about Mimi, we saw where she worked, and when she FINALLY got to Rogers loft, I was relieved. I kept thinking, Oh god, don't let her not sing this to Roger, that'll kill me.

I had bought the movie soundtrack about a month ago, and was dreading and hoping that Another Day would live up to what I saw in my mind and on stage.
I was so glad that Roger kept his intensity. Though Mimi looked more like a whipped puppy than the po'd fighting girl I wanted her to be. But it worked. its my second favorite piece and I was glad to see it with the flavor I wanted.

I missed the sections that were missing. Joanne's phone calls, The Christmas Bells songs.. the little tiny sung dialogue pieces that I have come to love... "angel... indeed".
(Wait... GC, what happened to Goodbye Love? It's on the soundtrack... am I high? Did I forget it?)
Yet I can see why some pieces were removed. Why Joanne's parents were toned down, and Maureen's were added. Any number of things I could add, and wont.

I adore them all, and found a great intensity in the show. I identify with far too much of it, and weep openly at the passing of Angel.
Collins can turn my heart on a dime, and does so more than a few times. Santa Fe had me smiling from beginning to end, I'll Cover you reprise, in tears.

Roger could brood more... and he was pretty, even WITH hair.
Mark was .. Mark. I love him, I hate him, I want to slap him.
Maureen, I hate... but I'll deal..
Benny, needs more screen time..
Oh, the tango... GC, I loved that!!! I thought that was beautiful!
That spoke volumes, and I loved that they had the ability to bring that part to the screen.

This is so incoherent, and I really wont bore the rest of you with my sorted review.. I should have tried to write it off board.
I am very glad CNN gave it a good review, now to see what Ropert says... Go see it... please... its an experience.

Ponine · 11-23-2005, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

I'm very split on whether I want to see this or not. So a simple test so that I know how to categorize your reliability as a guide:

Question #1: Chicago was a good movie?

Option E:
It was a entertaining movie, that dragged at points, and jumps around a lot, and had no right to win best picture, yet was entertaining enough to pay full price for.
BUT... I think that for the novice, Chicago was easier to understand plot wise than Rent.

(edited because Alex can count I can't)

Gemini Cricket · 11-23-2005, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

Question #1: Chicago was a good movie?

There isn't a choice for my answer. My answer is 'sort of'.

As far as storytelling goes, 'Chicago' is a tightly told story. The direction in the film is good as is the editing. The art direction, sound, cinematography etc are all good.

I'm still not sure about the casting for the film. Who they cast was okay, but could they have found better? Probably. But would people have come to see it if Bebe Neuwirth was cast? Probably not.

The soundtrack is good and very addicting. I love some of the songs.

As far as it being faithful to the stage version, not so much. There were several songs cut out of the film and great dance scenes cut that the leads of the film couldn't possibly do.

I'm not sure either if it was Best Picture quality, but the fact that it was trying hard to revive a dying film genre was admirable and probably the real reason it got selected. 'The Pianist' was exceptionally good as was 'The Hours' but I'm thinking the Academy wanted something more upbeat? I dunno.

My suggestion for you, Alex, would be not to see it and wait for Netflix. If you hated 'Chicago', you'll hate 'Rent'.

Gemini Cricket · 11-23-2005, 04:36 PM

Ponine ~ You're totally right. 'Goodbye Love' was on the soundtrack and only the first bit was in the film. I figured that out when I got home and listened to my iTunes. I'm thinking the cut was okay, I mean I don't know if the actors could make 'Maybe I'm the only one to survive...' and 'Poor baby!' and 'Longs for a community of his own...' sound convincing and not cheesy. It's hard to pass off and have people buy those moments...

The 'Tango' scene was visually right on, but I felt the moment was too 'Hollywood'. I don't know. Maybe if I see it again... Oh, and I will see it again. Oh, yes. I will.

As for Pascal's hair, I guess I'm just used to the shorter hair Roger that is on my framed Broadway poster that I look at every day.

Alex · 11-23-2005, 04:42 PM

Sorry, I provided the only four possible answers (though I think Ponine meant "Option E" not "Option D") and the first one is wrong.

I really like the theatricality of the music for Rent, and was completely in love with it after I saw it the first time, but then I saw it a second time and realized that the story was crap. That is why I'm unsure about the movie. I'd see it again on stage in a heartbeat but the emotion of live performance won't carry a weak story on a screen like it does on a stage.

But I really want to see Jesse L. Martin sing if for no other reason than to make watching Law & Order more interesting.

Ponine · 11-23-2005, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

As for Pascal's hair, I guess I'm just used to the shorter hair Roger that is on my framed Broadway poster that I look at every day.

Ah.. yes. I heard the reason for this was that a "pretty boy frontman" in the late 80's early '90's would have had longer hair. Now, this makes no sense to me now knowing that in flashbacks he has short hair, but whatever.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

But I really want to see Jesse L. Martin sing if for no other reason than to make watching Law & Order more interesting.

And for that alone, I say see it.
You may be bored or aggravated with other facets of the movie, but Jesse L. Martin has boundless energy, and takes us on an emotional roller coaster.

innerSpaceman · 11-28-2005, 04:47 PM

Ugh, I pretty much hated this movie. This is coming from someone completely unfamiliar with the show or the songs, but it just screeeeaaamed Broadway Show That Should Never Have Been Adapted to Screen. In fact, it seemed that it wasn't adapted to the screen, and was merely a filming of material that would only work on stage.

The songs were nice, I suppose, but utterly forgettable. The characters were sketched thinly, the plot non-existent, and the ensemble-for-the-sake-of-ensemble tale was uninvolving.

The only performance that stood out was Jesse L. Martin's. The only numbers I liked were "Take Me or Leave Me" (which, despite the locale shift alluded to by GC, seemed interestingly staged and a lot of fun) and "Cover Me," which I found very sweet. Sorry, but "La Vie Boehme" was overwrought and borderline embarassing.

Oh, and Mr. Pascale was cute only in the short-hair flashback.

* * * * *

Chicago, on the other hand, was brilliantly and extensively adapted for the film medium ... and it paid off. I LOVE that movie, and think it was deserving of a Best Picture nomination (and, thus, also a potential win - which it happened to achieve).

* * * * *

But Rent??? Meh.

Chris Columbus is, d'uh, a hack. And any idiot should have seen that this pale story of senseless ensemble soap-opera and wall-to-wall sound-alike songs is strictly stage material that should never have been movie-filmed.

I guess I have to assume that all the hoopla and huzzah over Rent, the stage musical was deserved ... but this movie did not give me one iota of why that would be.

Edited to add: It seems that the moviegoing public agrees with my take on the material: Despite being arguably more famous in the current pop cultural climate than 'Chicago' was ... 'Rent' performed dismally at the box office and is one pathetic weekend away from being a certified bomb.

Ponine · 11-28-2005, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

The only performance that stood out was Jesse L. Martin's. The only numbers I liked were "Take Me or Leave Me" (which, despite the locale shift alluded to by GC, seemed interestingly staged and a lot of fun) and "Cover Me," which I found very sweet. Sorry, but "La Vie Boehme" was overwrought and borderline embarassing.

Okay, this honestly, is the kind of review I expected from a viewer that wasnt already in love with the broadway show.
I did like the new staging of Take Me or Leave Me, and Cover Me has always been a fave.

Jesse L Martin brings the viewer "in" in my opinion, and I am glad to see that I wasnt too far off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Oh, and Mr. Pascale was cute only in the short-hair flashback.

I sooooooooooo agree.

11-23-2005, 02:37 PM	#1
Gemini Cricket ... Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 13,244	'Rent' Movie Review (Unmarked Spoilers) ‘Rent’ by GC When I saw Chris Columbus’ take on the ‘Santa Fe’ song scene on ‘Regis and Kelly’ the other day my eager anticipation for the movie version of ‘Rent’ almost went away. It’s a comedic number that breaks up some of the serious moments in the movie with the Tom Collins character goofing around with his friends on the New York subway. The scene is too brightly lit, everyone has pasted smiles on their faces and Adam Pascal’s hair (which almost resembles a wig from the ‘Carol Burnett Show’ at times) almost steals the show. The song, not one of my favorites from the stage version, is sung well but the scene is pure cheese. Showing that scene above all others was a poor choice for ‘Regis’. This scene must have turned a lot of people off from ‘Rent’, luckily I was not one of them. Chris Columbus’ ‘Rent’ was a good film. Not the best musical ever, not the most well shot film ever but it held its own and retained a lot of the poignant moments the stage version had, but this time we got to see it up close. What straight woman or gay man wouldn’t want to see Adam ‘mega long eyelashes’ Pascal singing ‘Your Eyes’ up close? Lately, whenever I hear about some studio making a musical, I must admit it makes me physically ill. It’s a serious condition I developed almost ten years ago while watching Madonna’s big screen take on ‘Evita’. Don’t get me wrong, this man loves the Material Girl, but the first pains struck five minutes into the film when Antonio Banderas gives the camera a coy look from his seat at a bar and sings, “Oh what a circoos, oh what a show…” I knew then that this was going to be a bad film. The characters were going to look at the camera and acknowledge us not as mere observers but as part of the show. Think of it as the ‘Come on, everybody join in, you’re one of us’ syndrome. But this style never works and comes off as pure cheese whiz. On Broadway, if the cast sings to you it is to be expected and usually ends up being fun. But not many actors can pull this off on film. A Mel Brooks cast could get away with that, the first lady of Argentina not so much. (I also knew it was going to be bad when Banderas began singing with his accent. This, I suppose, could not be avoided.) Thankfully, Columbus did not use this technique in ‘Rent’ yet he did not go the clear cut ‘all songs happen for a reason’ staging as was done with Best Picture ‘Chicago’ to show us that this was all in Roxie’s head. What he did was safely between the two and it works. For an avid Renthead like myself who could not get to see the original cast, ‘Rent’ was a treat. My copy of the CD soundtrack to the Broadway show is almost worn out and I have seen it twice with excellent casts but the curiosity of watching the original cast’s take on it loomed. This alone made the film worth seeing. These talented actors were cast for a reason on Broadway and was proven to us by the film. Anthony Rapp is hysterical in this film. Sticking out like a sore thumb hanging with partnered couples, Mark exudes confidence and self certainty when everything that happens to him tells him not to. Great advice for everyone. Adam Pascal is a good singer and pretty to boot. He is almost perfect as the film Roger. A little too elated and less dark than perceived on stage, Roger could have brooded more, we would have watched. The highlight of the cast was the amazing Jesse L. Martin. He has the right amount of bumble, tenderness and gloom just under the surface of Tom Collins to make one rivoted to his performance. His comedic takes during the ‘Santa Fe’ scene is only successful in context with the rest of the film. On its own, it looks like Martin indulged in too many Tom Collins drinks. Rosario Dawson is great as Mimi. Although not as powerful vocally as Daphne Rubin-Vega, Broadway’s original Mimi, Dawson makes up for it by taking us on a drug inspired rollercoaster ride that is all too realistic. Her ‘Out Tonight’ dance number is excellent and exactly how I envisioned the movie version to be. I appreciated the fact that Columbus didn’t water-down the provocative dancing to try and appease the MPAA. The choreography was dead-on appropriate. The opening song, ‘Seasons of Love’ has been transplanted from the middle of the show to the very beginning. This move was brilliant. A great introduction to the film and all the characters. Unfortunately, this song although beautiful has been played ad nauseum on commercials for the film itself. The studio would be wise to replace the song in future ads. The song ‘Rent’ is staged with great intensity as is ‘Another Day’ and ‘What You Own’. The extra-amplified speakers in my particular theatre was a treat. Although, the soundtrack seemed a tad too loud in places. The show stopper and definite highlight to this film is ‘La Vie Boheme’. It is high intensity and powerful. And, after hearing that the cast spent a week and a half to two weeks on the same song, it paid off well being one of the best parts of the film. The best being Martin’s reprise of ‘I’ll Cover You’. Martin’s singing is heart-wrenching, powerful and joyous all at the same time. ‘Rent’ although a fine film, has some off moments sadly. ‘Take Me or Leave Me’ is staged at an engagement party and under no circumstances would anything remotely close to it occur in real life without both parties in question being committed. I appreciated the director’s take on gay marriage, but that too felt added on to be timely. This song is one of the highlights of the stage show, not so much on film. ‘Tango: Maureen’ worked when the number was about Mark and Joanne’s commonality. When the number turned into a full scale choreography orgy, it made me place my hands firmly on the sides of my face and scream. Nice idea, Columbus, but a tad bit over the top. Anthony Rapp is extremely funny and not in need of fifty dancers to be amusing. “You’ll See” could have been redefined into spoken dialogue. The camera during this portion dwelled on Benny’s Land Rover and an uninteresting street scene. Boring. As a gay man, I appreciate ‘Rent’ in all of its forms. The fact that this film is even being shown makes me happy. Portraying gays and lesbians as actual human beings with heart and soul makes me a proud Renthead queen. I mean, what other film has a gay love song and a lesbian sort-of love song in it? Not only that, it’s wonderful to watch a film where the gay characters are not hairdressers, only there for comic relief or unpleasant restaurant hosts... While not a hit out of the park, the film ‘Rent’ succees more often than not. One should see this film in a theatre to experience the sound, it makes you feel like you’re at a concert. And ‘La Vie Boheme’ should be watched with the sound loud in a place where your neighbors can’t fault you for your upped volume. I found myself engrossed in the goings on of the Alphabet City bohemians and forgot I was watching a film after awhile. I guess they succeeded where ‘Evita’ did not. They made me feel like I was one of them and had joined in on the circus, without force feeding me.
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11-23-2005, 03:48 PM	#2
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	I'm very split on whether I want to see this or not. So a simple test so that I know how to categorize your reliability as a guide: Question #1: Chicago was a good movie? __ Yes __ No __ No, and not only was a it a bad movie it was the most undeserving Best Picture winner since 1936 when Louis Mayer orchestrated giving the award to The Great Ziegfield to piss off Charlie Chaplin by blocking out Modern Times. __ AAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH. My brain melted a little bit just thinking about this abomination again.
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11-23-2005, 04:05 PM	#3
Ponine Virgin Ears Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,075	Now see, I didn't want to be the one to start this thread... thank you GC for opening the door. I find we differ slightly in our emotions. Is it because you are a gay man and I am a straight woman? That said, for the rest of you, GC and I are both avid theatre fans, and have oft shared likes on the many boards. That said.... I saw the movie Monday night.... stood in line, called LibraryVixen to tell her that I was in fact a geek, and to prove it was in this line. I had not seen anything beyond the trailer. I enjoyed it. Immensely. Having Seasons of Love open the movie was bloody brilliant, didn't tell us anything, but was a feel good intro. I wonder though, how easy was it for the noobie rent person to jump into the story that fast? I loved the staging of Rent, being able to see Collins go to the phone, get mugged... and have people wonder what happened to him... I couldn't help but think that it was hard to understand if you didnt know the lyrics already. I love Angel, I love Collins... They have a chemistry that I cannot deny, and half the time, I just relate to them, and wish I could be them. Today 4 U has never been a fave of mine, but has an energy beyond my scope. It was beautiful number, but hard to watch. It was , imo, shoot very quickly, and I found myself wanting to ask the camera man to stand still. I liked them using Out Tonight as a vehicle to move the scene. It told the viewers about Mimi, we saw where she worked, and when she FINALLY got to Rogers loft, I was relieved. I kept thinking, Oh god, don't let her not sing this to Roger, that'll kill me. I had bought the movie soundtrack about a month ago, and was dreading and hoping that Another Day would live up to what I saw in my mind and on stage. I was so glad that Roger kept his intensity. Though Mimi looked more like a whipped puppy than the po'd fighting girl I wanted her to be. But it worked. its my second favorite piece and I was glad to see it with the flavor I wanted. I missed the sections that were missing. Joanne's phone calls, The Christmas Bells songs.. the little tiny sung dialogue pieces that I have come to love... "angel... indeed". (Wait... GC, what happened to Goodbye Love? It's on the soundtrack... am I high? Did I forget it?) Yet I can see why some pieces were removed. Why Joanne's parents were toned down, and Maureen's were added. Any number of things I could add, and wont. I adore them all, and found a great intensity in the show. I identify with far too much of it, and weep openly at the passing of Angel. Collins can turn my heart on a dime, and does so more than a few times. Santa Fe had me smiling from beginning to end, I'll Cover you reprise, in tears. Roger could brood more... and he was pretty, even WITH hair. Mark was .. Mark. I love him, I hate him, I want to slap him. Maureen, I hate... but I'll deal.. Benny, needs more screen time.. Oh, the tango... GC, I loved that!!! I thought that was beautiful! That spoke volumes, and I loved that they had the ability to bring that part to the screen. This is so incoherent, and I really wont bore the rest of you with my sorted review.. I should have tried to write it off board. I am very glad CNN gave it a good review, now to see what Ropert says... Go see it... please... its an experience. __________________ There's something strange, There's something wrong. I see a change - It's like when love dies.
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11-23-2005, 04:36 PM	#6
Gemini Cricket ... Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 13,244	Ponine ~ You're totally right. 'Goodbye Love' was on the soundtrack and only the first bit was in the film. I figured that out when I got home and listened to my iTunes. I'm thinking the cut was okay, I mean I don't know if the actors could make 'Maybe I'm the only one to survive...' and 'Poor baby!' and 'Longs for a community of his own...' sound convincing and not cheesy. It's hard to pass off and have people buy those moments... The 'Tango' scene was visually right on, but I felt the moment was too 'Hollywood'. I don't know. Maybe if I see it again... Oh, and I will see it again. Oh, yes. I will. As for Pascal's hair, I guess I'm just used to the shorter hair Roger that is on my framed Broadway poster that I look at every day.
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11-23-2005, 04:42 PM	#7
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Sorry, I provided the only four possible answers (though I think Ponine meant "Option E" not "Option D") and the first one is wrong. I really like the theatricality of the music for Rent, and was completely in love with it after I saw it the first time, but then I saw it a second time and realized that the story was crap. That is why I'm unsure about the movie. I'd see it again on stage in a heartbeat but the emotion of live performance won't carry a weak story on a screen like it does on a stage. But I really want to see Jesse L. Martin sing if for no other reason than to make watching Law & Order more interesting.
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11-28-2005, 04:47 PM	#9
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	Ugh, I pretty much hated this movie. This is coming from someone completely unfamiliar with the show or the songs, but it just screeeeaaamed Broadway Show That Should Never Have Been Adapted to Screen. In fact, it seemed that it wasn't adapted to the screen, and was merely a filming of material that would only work on stage. The songs were nice, I suppose, but utterly forgettable. The characters were sketched thinly, the plot non-existent, and the ensemble-for-the-sake-of-ensemble tale was uninvolving. The only performance that stood out was Jesse L. Martin's. The only numbers I liked were "Take Me or Leave Me" (which, despite the locale shift alluded to by GC, seemed interestingly staged and a lot of fun) and "Cover Me," which I found very sweet. Sorry, but "La Vie Boehme" was overwrought and borderline embarassing. Oh, and Mr. Pascale was cute only in the short-hair flashback. * * * * * Chicago, on the other hand, was brilliantly and extensively adapted for the film medium ... and it paid off. I LOVE that movie, and think it was deserving of a Best Picture nomination (and, thus, also a potential win - which it happened to achieve). * * * * * But Rent??? Meh. Chris Columbus is, d'uh, a hack. And any idiot should have seen that this pale story of senseless ensemble soap-opera and wall-to-wall sound-alike songs is strictly stage material that should never have been movie-filmed. I guess I have to assume that all the hoopla and huzzah over Rent, the stage musical was deserved ... but this movie did not give me one iota of why that would be. Edited to add: It seems that the moviegoing public agrees with my take on the material: Despite being arguably more famous in the current pop cultural climate than 'Chicago' was ... 'Rent' performed dismally at the box office and is one pathetic weekend away from being a certified bomb. Last edited by innerSpaceman : 11-28-2005 at 04:54 PM.
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