Rent

[listersgirl]

RENT! YAY!

Rent is one of my favourite musicals. I'm not obsessed, and I know it's not perfect by any means, but somehow it always manages to sneak onto my Top 10 lists. I'm sure the fact that I saw it in New York in 1995 (?), with the original cast (except for Adam Pascal [Roger], who was replaced by his understudy that day, if I remember correctly) makes a difference in how much I love it, too.

Taken without reference to the stage production, I loved the movie. I really did. Sure, the cast was probably far too old for the characters, but it was just so incredible to see them again. Also, I adore Jesse L. Martin and Anthony Rapp. ADORE.

Good things:

-Rosario Dawson made an excellent Mimi. Ok, she didn't look 19, but that would have been weird if she'd been 19 and everyone else was waaaay older than their characters.
-I loved the staging on two of my favourite songs, "La Vie Boheme" and "Santa Fe".
-I found that it translated well to the screen, that they managed to open it up without losing the smaller moments, and work with the staginess without ignoring the fact that it really is a musical and people really are singing while walking (or biking) down the street.
-The costumes! I loved that they kept so many of the same costume ideas from the original version.
-Maureen's performance piece was awesome.
-I liked that they didn't pretend that people weren't singing, that when someone started to sing everyone looked at them. Nice.
-Mark and Joanne tangoing. Hee.
-Mark constantly filming things. I mean, obviously, yes, that's what he does, but the visual of it was a nice reminder.

Quibbles:

-I missed all the singing bits they took out, or turned into spoken dialogue. I mean, it worked, but I was sad. Without the singing, Angel meeting Collins lost some of its resonance, and the New Years scene felt like it was missing something.
-The whole engagement party scene before "Take Me or Leave Me" was weird.
-They were definitely trying to make Benny more sympathetic, which, although probably more logical, since he had been their friend, kind of undercut some of the lines and made a few things not make as much sense, I found. The Benny/Mimi thing was played way down, too.
-Why don't I ever end up on subway cars with charming singing boys? Oh wait, I think that's more a quibble with my life.

Bad things:

-The hair on the extras in "La Vie Boheme". I realize it's 1989, but really.

Whatever, I still loved it. And I still cried pathetically (just ask starfishchick).

Comments

[sh1mm3r.livejournal.com]

I cried too. And my husband and I have been singing Rent songs so much lately, in the shower, in the car, during dinner... I wonder if we'll ever get tired of it. I've already posted my own thoughts, but just wanted to say how much I shared your adoration of Jesse L. Martin.