All Rent Reviews (Place Here)- Page 19

[Amneris]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 8:35am

It was the most surreal experience ever. We got in line at 8:30 at the Ziegfeld and there were already 25 people on line.. In costume... who were like 25... Anyway, they let us in at 10:25ish and my friends and I took an entire row in the balcony section so we had a great view blah blah.. mainly we spent our time taking pictures of all the people in costume.. 12:00 all of a sudden we turn and see Spikey hair being ascorted to a seat down left THE ENTIRE PLACE GOES NUTS.. It was Anthony and Tracy.. everyone runs down to his seat to take pics. The movie starts and it just didn't seem real. It just seemed like we were watching the OBC on stage again.

Of course everyone cheered whenever someones name was shown, someone was shown lol.. And of course for Jonathan Larson.

I really loved the way they started the film in the late 80's. I thought it stuck true to form. I have to say my only tiffs were the way they "spoke" their lines like a poem instead of the way they would sing them in the show. I also thought the whole Adam Pascal on Mountain Top was a little Creed/Uncle Jesse On Full House Makes Rebecca Donaldson a Music Video.. I couldnt help thinking that everytime Adam sang He would break into "Livin On A Prayer" maybe it was his hair and teeth.

I laughed at the fact that there was a Mute Poster in the background in their apt.. Also during "Santa Fe" on the train LOL.. sorry for noticing this weirdass thing but, there was a girl with blonde hair and a sketch pad sitting next to 2 asian boys... they cut to her and then to Jesse and then back to the boys and she wasnt on the train anymore.. and it didn't stop lol. Any Idina Fan.. Her ASS is right in your face on the big screen..so instead of looking at her teeth, you can look at her ass.

Anyway, the entire thing was wonderful. Of course I was bawling during "I'll Cover You Reprise" god Jesse you killed everyone it was beautiful. I really thought the ending was done RIGHT.

Thank God.. A great movie musical and a blessing to see our OBC back again :o) I felt like I was 12 again.

[my2cents]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 9:03am

I like Ebert's little paragraph at the bottom:

: I gave the movie a "marginal thumbs up" on "Ebert & Roeper" because I felt people might want to see it based on what was good in it, but I am fine-tuning that to a **1/2 rating because, on the whole, I don't think the movie really works on its own, without reference to the theatrical version.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 9:46am

LA Times HATED this movie. I was shocked at how much the reviewer panned the movie. I have not read that negative a review in a very, very long time.

Either they love or hate this movie. No middle ground.

This should be interesting to see how the Box Office is. Maybe they opened wide rather in limited release because of the love/hate reaction.

[katygrace84]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 10:41am

Favorable review with glowing comments about Columbus, the material and the message of Rent. Also some really good backstory that explains the context and importance of the stage production.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/movies/249326_rent23q.html

"But the sum of the film communicates a feel for the cultural rhythms of the period, a deep affection for the characters and a unique understanding and sympathy for their place in history that, in the tradition of great musicals, progressively sweeps you away.

On stage, Larson's book and music lend a humanity, dignity and heartbreaking pathos to what, on the surface, seems a pack of self-indulgent stereotypes; and the movie re-creates this feat. It's hard to imagine how a screen version of "Rent" could be any more effective."

[katygrace84]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 10:53am

And another I enjoyed.

http://www.statesman.com/life/content/life/stories/11/23RENT.html

"They simply made "Rent" as gorgeous as possible. The sound reproduction is like nothing before heard in movie musicals, a rich, thick, robust earful that fully magnifies Larson's tunes, and especially his glorious harmonies. The actors — mostly from the original Broadway cast, a rare casting practice in these times — glow with a healthy sheen that sometimes belies their status as drug addicts or terminally ill patients."

I seem to be reading a lot of reviews that are very very positive, yet still contain a few gripes. I'll take that. I'd have a hard time taking them seriously if they thought it was absolutely perfect.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:09am

"I find it interesting that much of the negativity seems to be about the source material. It seems as though these critics just don't get it. I'm not saying the the film is flawless, because it certainly has its flaws, but these people seem to spend much of the review bashing RENT, and not so much the movie."

That's pretty much how the reviews for The Phantom of the Opera were. The reviewers loved how the movie looked, they just hated the source material. And RENT is far superior to The Boredom at the Opera...ooops, I mean The Phantom of the Opera.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:11am

I'm so tired. I read "terminally ill patients" as "terminally ill PARENTS" for some reason, and I thought they were making fun of the cast members' ages.

[sadiem100]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:18am

It got an A- in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer!

[WickedRentLuv]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:18am

From the Los Angeles Times review:

"It's hard to put the experience of watching "Rent" into words, especially after "Team America: World Police" said everything there was to say about the play with puppets, and so succinctly. ("Everyone has AIDS! AIDS AIDS AIDS! AIDS AIDS AIDS AIDS AIDS AIDS! Everyone has AIDS!")"

That's everything there is to say about the play? Honestly, some people are truly missing the point here.

[sadiem100]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:19am

Oops- katygrace84 beat me to that review. Sorry!

[DBillyP]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:24am

Amneris, I actually liked the lines that were spoken rather than sung. It lent a vaguely Shakespearean air to the proceedings. Unfortunately, the additional dialogue did not have the same sense of rhythm, making those normally sung lines seem awkward.

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:28am

I think it only sounded awkward to those of us who already know how the lines are sung in the show. I thought the spoken stuff was fine.

[katygrace84]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:30am

I'll be seeing the show again tonight with my brother, who has absolutely no knowledge of the source material. I'll be sure to ask him what he thinks of the dialogue. I'm sure those who are not familiar with the material might feel differently. It's one case in which I almost wish I hadn't known anything about it going into the movie.

[jstabwaybabi]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:31am

I agree...it was weird at first hearing lines being spoken and not sung...i would sing them in my head...but they have the same effect spoken or not...

its all relevant.

[DBillyP]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:32am

Good point Everything.

[La_Becca]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:36am

Good Lord, the negative reviews on RottonTomatoes are BRUTAL. Someone even said that RENT is this year's GIGLI.

[Di2]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:41am

I loved Sarah Silverman's cameo as Alexi Darling.

I laughed out loud and wish her part was a tad bigger.

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:50am

Jorge Morales, the Village Voice - "Time has not been kind to Rent. It hurts to say this because I was a Rent head, for about 15 minutes, back when I was younger and less demanding. I even camped out in front of the New Amsterdam for $20 rush tickets—several times."

Um, so you camped out at the New Amerdam, did you? Wow. God, I cannot STAND idiots. And a lot of these reviews aren't even attacking the movie, but Jonathans music! WTF is wrong with people? Oh well, this is finally proof that critics are morons and serve absolutely no purpose.

[IveGottaBeME]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:52am

Pittsburgh Post Gazette gives Rent 3/4 Stars!

[WindyCityActor]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 12:00pm

"And a lot of these reviews aren't even attacking the movie, but Jonathans music! WTF is wrong with people? Oh well, this is finally proof that critics are morons and serve absolutely no purpose."

Uh....but isn't Jonathan's music a huge part of the musical?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 12:01pm

The back of the New Amsterdam IS right across the street from the Nederlander. Perhaps they had to camp out across the street.

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 12:05pm

No, I meant they weren't attacking the film as a bad peice of filmmaking, but they hate the source material all together so they would have hated it no matter WHO directed the damn thing.

And no, the person obviously didn't even know the name of the damn theatre where he supposedly saw the show. There's no excuse for blatant errors like that. Ugh, I really should stop reading movie reviews all together, critics NEVER EVER know what the hell they are talking about. *end of rant*

Updated On: 11/23/05 at 12:05 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 12:09pm

If the guy was a Renthead, I don't think he hates the material. You can't pass every negative review off on "oh, he hates the show." He may not like it like he did then anymore, but I feel like former Rentheads don't *hate* the show now.

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 12:14pm

I don't feel a guy who says "I called myself a RENThead for 15 minutes because I camped outside the 'New Amsterdam' for tickets" is a real fan. He was never really a fan of the show, obviosuly, and was one of those people who liked it when it opened with all the hype but didn't really care about it's message or the music.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 12:22pm

Well, obviously he didn't *mean* fifteen minutes. I think he's using that to say that for people like him, some of the original Rentheads, it wasn't something that lasted. Some of the messages aren't ones that would stay relevant. You know, like the "fifteen minutes of fame" cliche. He's being facecious, IMO. I can never spell that word....

Updated On: 11/23/05 at 12:22 PM