How I really feel about RENT the movie.

So it's been a week since I sat down in the movie theatre with my popcorn, sour patch kids, and diet soda to watch RENT. I know that seems like a lot of food but when it's a movie I have been waiting for I tend to turn it into an event. Even though I had been waiting for it I lowered my expectations from the begining. For this reason I left the Theatre last week pretty much satisfied with my movie going experience. Now a week has past and I have had some time to think about what happened in front of my eyes that night.

I am first off offended at the removal of the lyrical dialoge in the "tune up's", "voice mail's" 1-2-3-4-AND 5, "you okay honey","on the street", "we're okay", "christmas bellls", "goodbye love", "halloween" and last but by NO MEANS least (one of my fav's) "Happy New Year". Grrrrrrr.....does everyone see how much music I just listed above? The thing with those pieces is that the way they were written lent so much honesty to the story and without that lyrical dialoge I think a lot of variety and validity to the chracters was spared. I dont know if this was some strange attempt by "Home Alone" director Chris Columbus to have "more talking" or if he actually didnt like the music. If he didnt like the music that is arguable, but I venture to say it is because he felt there should be more "spoken word". If that was the case he should have re written the script all together. Those words belong to music and without that music some of those words mean absolutly nothing. If he was going for some sort of a reality effect by having them speak he should have taken into consideration that most of us dont really rhyme when we speak. Well, I do occassionaly, but only when I'm really drunk and getting paid!

The good feeling I had from leaving the theatre came from seeing almost all of the original cast back together again and hearing SOME of the music that made me feel back in the day in High School that even though things suck in life it's really all relevant-No Day but Today, right?. I have a boot leg video tape from the opening night of RENT on broadway. Not great quality but I feel fortunate to possess such an object.

I was pleased with the way the "Life support" segments were done. Jesse L. Martin made me fall in love with him. "Santa Fe" I never really enjoyed before the movie but I thought it was executed to perfection and gave you that "feel good" vibe you were supposed to get. Of course we were all on the edge of our seats for "La Vie Boheme" and I also thought that was done well with nice use of the space and it really looked like what you had pictured the "life cafe" to be. I thought Rosario Dawson and Traci Thoms were cast stand out's. Rosario was awesome as Mimi combining just the right amount of edge to her vulnerability. Ms Thoms raised the bar as Joanne and it was kinda like Idina said "oh okay then, I accept your challenge". Anthony Rapp was wrapped up in his usual "rappism's" which is what makes him so adorable, he passes on cuteness. Um...Adam Pascal just looks tired. He makes you realize why Daphne Ruben Vega isnt back as Mimi. Brilliant from the original production is Wilson Jermaine Heredia. I hear he is actually straight in real life, if you can believe that. Either way, he is at ease with the character and the way he plays it makes me fall in love with Angel.

I thought the cinematography was over all just FLAT. There wasn't much dimension to what emotionaly is a very dimensional piece. If you are gonna put it on the screen and put these amazing words with a "set" make it a damn good one or not one at all. I just didnt understand some choices from the director. I would really love to know what the original cast members really think.

I was pleased to see some original costume pieces make there way back into the show. Mimi's blue pants usually worn in "Out tonight" now re-placed into the New Years Eve scene. Maureen's cat suite. Where were Rodgers signature plaid pants? And what is this 1989 bullshit? The show was written to take place in the "present" which at the time of the broadway debut was like 95-96. 1989? Seriously? I could go on but I doubt you the reader even continued this far due to my lack of any sort of skills in grammer and just plain old fashioned bad typing. i just had to get this off my chest. And this wasn't even all of it. heavy chest...

So how do you all feel a week later?