All Rent Reviews (Place Here)- Page 31

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 11/29/05 at 11:34am

Off topic here, but can anyone PLEASE post a picture of the scarf that Mark wore in the movie. Thanks in advance.

[dmb_rent]

Posted: 11/29/05 at 11:56am

I sadly, sadly...am fearing the worst for the film's success. $17.1 mill in 5 days is nothing to rave about. But in the end, who really cares about the money (ok the producers and execs do) --- but who cares about THEM....jonathan's parents are SO proud, and the cast is SO proud...I personally am so proud as well that it's gone this far. So if it flops in the theaters...it will definitely be sad, but ...at least it's out there now, for us to have forever. /

Sigh. Just a sappy little message I had to write after reading a review about the film.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 11/29/05 at 1:53pm

all right Emcee and group, I need your help.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/29/05 at 1:54pm

Moi?

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 11/29/05 at 1:57pm

yes, Mrs. Pascal I am talking to you.

Do you know of where I can find a picture of the Scarf from the REnt movie that Mark wears? The navy and blue one.

[JBSinger]

Posted: 11/29/05 at 4:14pm

Saw it Sunday and thought it was wonderful! I thought they captured the spirit of the piece beautifully. I was welling up with tears even in the "Seasons of Love" opening (even though it was out of order). At first I was a little distracted by the sung recits being turned into dialogue but it worked. that's a problem when you've got the score so wrapped in your head.
It was thrilling to see most of the original cast back in the show. I saw the original cast back in the day, so there was a bit of nostalgia seeing them again.
Rosario was awesome as Mimi. Those huge eyes of hers just lept off the screen. Though I could tell there a little "studio" action to her vocals, it didn't seem to matter. she belted everything out there in the original keys and seemed totally natural in her scenes.
Collins seemed a little long in the tooth, but his performance had a joy about it and the vocals were top notch. Angel looked terrific and was happy to see her de-drag at times. Some have criticized that the show was "de-gayed" and I can see their point. But, I think by not highlighting the male gay relationship, they just showed it as being normal/no big deal. Theirs was also the healthiest relationship in the film and everybody loved Angel (who did a terrific job). I was a wreck at the funeral!
Mark - could anyone else have done justice to this role? No. He was awesome. "La vie Boheme" looked like so much fun that I wanted to be in the Life Cafe as well singing along.
Roger - sang it well, but Adam didn't have the most electric screen presence. I know his character is coming back to life, but even heated scenes seemed tame.
Benny - seemed like his role shrunk a bit, but Taye nailed what they gave him.
Maureen - Idina sounded great and was a total flirty flake job. Her performance piece was so ludicrous on screen that it actually worked better than on stage. "Take me Or leave Me" was a true vocal highlight.
Joann - Tracie Thoms, congrats girl. You rock! Girl can Sing.

All in all, a terrific adaptation that I can't wait to buy on DVD. Kind of makes up for a lackluster Phantom last year (even though I am now enjoying on video). rush to see it!!!

[MUNKY]

Posted: 11/29/05 at 9:01pm

I finally finished my review and would like to add to the fun. So alas, here it is:

I have mixed feelings watching the film, but overall I am still in love with this piece as if I seen if for the first time live. I don't think the film version did any justice for the original stage production; however a film like Rent is one of a kind. You won't find anything like this released before in film history. People had asked me what Rent was about and I would find it was difficult to explain. I do not believe that this film was about AIDS or homosexuality. I do not believe this is about a love story either. It would be safe to say that I do believe that Rent is about a group of friends dealing with life, hope, struggle, and living their lives to the fullest before their time is over.

The film version of Rent just made it simple to digest, but lacked some character development. To my surprise, Columbus managed to keep Rent true in the film that it still delivered the same powerful message as it did in the live production of Rent. I considered this piece of literature brilliant, not to mention that it won the Pulitzer Prize shortly after Larson's death. Rob Cavalo, the producer of the Green Day soundtrack (Dookie) produced the new film soundtrack and revived the tunes with a fresh alternative and soulful edge.

It is one of the first musical to talk about real life issues and situations such as homelessness, drug abuse and coping with life-threatening diseases. The reviews are pretty mixed with the good and the bad. As for myself, I believed that those who did enjoyed the film, found it to be inspirational and uplifting despite of the dark subject matter. The contents of Rent dealt with issues that these audiences could relate to. It's also was the first show to altered people's way of thinking and living, especially during the troubled times of our lives.

The fiery "Rent" introduction leaves it memorable for those who seen this film for the first time. The flashbacks in "One Song Glory" and "Without You" worked exceptionally well. Scenes such as "Tango: Maureen" and "La Vie Boheme" were among the best performances of the film. Dawson who portrayed Mimi in her rendition of "Out Tonight" will have you drooling for more. She is hot stuff! Menzel and Thoms had great on screen chemistry especially during "Take Me or Leave Me." Even though I had some technical issues with the film, I will say that the performance of each cast members is still remarkable.
I felt that the transitions between songs and scenes were not as fluid as it should be. In a recent interview, Columbus announced that he cut "Goodbye Love" because this particular scene was too emotional and would distract the audiences from understanding the big picture of Rent. This was a foolish mistake. Columbus should have never allowed his camped-up version of "What You Own" to be part of the final cut. This is the only part of the film that did not flow correctly and made no sense of why the character Roger left home. "Goodbye Love" would have revealed Roger's motivations and intentions for departing.

As for the upcoming awards, I would predict that Jesse L. Martin and Rosario Dawson are likely to get nominations for best supporting actor/actress and probably best cinematography for the film itself. Honorable mentions also go out to Wilson Jermaine Heredia and Tracie Thoms for their outstanding performance.

On November 23rd. 12 AM. From Eastern to Pacific Standard Time. And as the hour raced over one time zone at a time, the highly anticipated film adaptation of Rent dominated the silver screens at the struck of Thanksgiving. In cities across the nation, an unexpected turn out of the film packed theatres with scores of Rent-enthusiasts whom they called themselves, "Rentheads." The entire auditorium was seen peppered and lavished with those wearing flashy decorative Rent shirts and home made costumes. Some sported cat ears along with black and white scarves that dangled from their necks. The event was similar to scenes of the typical Rent posters and the Rent trailers seen before in advertisements. Like characters that flew off a television set, the elated and emotionally touched, embraced each another with their shared stories and tears. For most, this was a journey that began 5 years ago when Spike Lee was rumored to immortalized Rent "through the single frames that forever flickered in close-ups." Truly, this is a notable cinematic picture event that had become a part of our generation.

Once again...Thank you Jonathan Larson.

[katygrace84]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 2:43pm

I know this isn't a Rent review, but it's definitely a response to some of those critics who claim that AIDS is not as important as it was when this musical debuted. As Angel might say, "Kapow!" As long as people are still dying, the fight has just begun!

http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/conditions/11/29/aids.tns/index.html

[mygfdontliveincanada]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 3:11pm

I'm posting the review I wrote on my myspace blog. Read it here, or if ya want, you can check it out on my blog by going to blog.myspace.com/lovemesomedali.

And now for our feature presentation...

HOW DO YOU MEASURE, MEASURE A FILM?

Being the good homosexual theater student that I am, I patiently waited for five-hundred twenty-five-thousand six-hundred minutes for the film version of Rent. Of course my expectations were high since almost the entire Broadway cast reunited for the film, and the film soundtrack (in my opinion) is much more enjoyable than the Original Broadway Cast recording. Sadly though, the film version of Rent made me more disappointed than seeing a horribly miscast and untalented thirty-something play the title role in last year’s film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera.

So what turned this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning piece of theater into the worst film adaptation of a musical since A Chorus Line? I’d start by blaming virtually unknown screenwriter Steve Chbosky and director Chris Columbus as both obviously do not understand what the original stage version is all about.

The stage version of Rent is a story of life, love, loss, friendship, and—most of all—community as told by a group of eight friends living in a modern day New York plagued by homelessness, drug addiction, and AIDS. One of the things that makes Rent such an entertaining piece is how the large chorus is used to breathe life into New York and to show that most people face the same kinds of problems as the eight principle characters. In short, the chorus is a pivotal ninth character that helps illuminate many of the play’s themes, especially the theme of community.

One of the grave mistakes of Chbosky and Columbus was the elimination of the chorus. By doing so, they fail to establish an environment that their main characters live in. Though the main players may bicker about the world they live in, they now appear totally detached from it, and thus the idea of community is now non-existent in the film.

Chobsky and Columbus also have trouble establishing the relationships between their main characters. It seems like their main characters have been friends forever yet we as an audience never see how they become friends or why they’re friends or even how important they are to one another. This doesn’t seem to be a problem in the stage version, though, as the entire first act establishes how these people met and why they have such a close bond.

And then there are the more amateurish problems in the film. Many of the crucial plot points and songs seem to come out of nowhere. For example, when Collins, an African-American professor at MIT, and his transvestite boyfriend, Angel, finally declare their love for each other in the song “I’ll Cover You,” nothing instigates it besides--as far as I can tell--a short ride on the subway. If a subway ride is all one needs to feel love, then why are New Yorkers so cynical? When another character goes missing for a month, we don’t even find out she’s missing until a few minutes before she comes back. And some scenes just seem to have the wrong tone. When Roger, the HIV positive recovering drug addict sings a love song to his dying girlfriend, Mimi, the lighting and camera angles make him look more diabolical than loving. I would have expected him to slit her throat more than I would expect him to kiss her.

But I’d say most of Rent's problems lie in the editing. Two songs which give us crucial pieces of information about certain characters—such as the insinuation that Roger’s roommate Mark is a closeted homosexual or that Roger's drug addict girlfriend, Mimi, needs to check herself into rehab or she’ll die—are cut from the film yet were obviously shot as the songs appear on the soundtrack. These cuts and others like it make it very difficult to follow the plot or understand who the characters are. And while these crucial points are cut, we somehow need to sit through a second rendition of “Seasons of Love” and a reprise of “La Vie Boheme,” both of which come out of nowhere and don’t serve the story at all. If things needed to be cut for time, those moments should have gone long before scenes that help us understand the characters or their problems.

Still, Rent is somewhat redeemed by its brilliant cast. “Law and Order” alum Jessie L. Martin gives a charming performance as Collins. His rendition of the heart-wrenching reprise to “I’ll Cover You” is enough to win him a Golden Globe nomination. Other stand-outs are Tony Winner Idina Menzel’s energetic and hilarious performance as the trashy, constantly horny bisexual Maureen. Her rendition of the monologue/song/performance art piece “Over the Moon” is both nonsensical and laugh-out-loud funny all at once. And Tracie Thoms as Maureen’s sophisticated, Ivy-League lesbian lover Joanne gives a brilliantly understated and demure performance. Their fierce duet, “Take Me or Leave Me” is easily one of the most enjoyable moments of the film, as is Thoms’s duet with Antony Rapp’s Mark in the “Tango: Maureen.” But the biggest surprise of the bunch is Rosario Dawson as the optimistic yet HIV positive junkie, Mimi. Who knew that she could sing or dance? At any rate, she is a joy to watch, and her striptease number “Out Tonight” is a high point of the film.

Despite the enjoyable performances by the cast, Rent is plagued by bad writing, directing, and editing. As I watched this train wreck I could picture the producers of the upcoming adaptations of Dreamgirls and Hairspray cowering in a corner. My advice when it comes to Rent: save your money for The Producers, which will hopefully follow in the footsteps of better recent musicals like Moulin Rouge and Chicago. And if you must see Rent, well consider that renting that seat in the movie theater costs a lot more than renting the DVD will.
Read my review on my myspace blog!

[jackson992]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 1:04am

I went to this film with some trepidations. I love the music from it and has seen both Chicago which I thought was ok and Phantom which I thought was a tad better but still flawed. For me Rent tho was perfect. I've gotten to the point now where I like the music from the film better than the music from the broadway cast. I did miss Goodbye Love and am hoping they have it on the DVD when it comes out. For some reason my favorite person has to be Roger. I can't seem to listen to the CD anymore without seeing his face. La Vie Boheme was done wonderfully and the flashbacks in the other songs was inspiring, something that helped me understand much better than listening to the Broadway cast had. The last half of the film was so depressing which is exactly what I wanted to see up until Mimi comes back from Death. I do not believe there was a bad performer in the whole bunch, and nothing acting wise bothered me at all.

[iheartcheyenne123]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 6:30am

RENT is the #1 album on iTunes

[jackson992]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 3:02am

Great news!

This music gets better every time you listen to it.

On a sidenote when does Producers hit theaters?

[jackson992]

Posted: 12/5/05 at 12:43pm

*bump*

We need more reviews!

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 12/5/05 at 1:16pm

"such as the insinuation that Roger’s roommate Mark is a closeted homosexual"

wait, what!? Where in the world did the play give you that idea? You lost me there.

[JenD512]

Posted: 12/5/05 at 1:41pm

When another character goes missing for a month, we don’t even find out she’s missing until a few minutes before she comes back.

Were you busy writing this review during the scene where they looked for her?

Many of the crucial plot points and songs seem to come out of nowhere. For example, when Collins, an African-American professor at MIT, and his transvestite boyfriend, Angel, finally declare their love for each other in the song “I’ll Cover You,” nothing instigates it besides--as far as I can tell--a short ride on the subway.

"I'll Cover You" followed "Santa Fe" on stage as well. That's really all it was.

such as the insinuation that Roger’s roommate Mark is a closeted homosexual

Huh?

And while these crucial points are cut, we somehow need to sit through a second rendition of “Seasons of Love” and a reprise of “La Vie Boheme,” both of which come out of nowhere and don’t serve the story at all.

These were in the show as well. Have you even seen the show?

[jackson992]

Posted: 12/6/05 at 2:20am

I'd have to agree with all the points that Jen raised. Now I have never seen the show but I do own the Broadway album. The disappearance of Mimi is talked about during What We Own I believe. The fact that they don't really dwell on Collin and Angel so much is on purpose IMO. Note that they are only the truly happy couple in the show. I think more of an emphasis was placed on the struggles the other couples were having, not any of their sexual preferences. I will say that I kinda missed Happy New Year in the film, tho it played equally well without it.

[jackson992]

Posted: 12/6/05 at 10:55am

Is it just me or is the quality of the soundtrack recording from the film so much better than the Broadway album?

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/6/05 at 11:00am

No it's not just you.
The OBC was the "soundtrack of my life" for 9 years.
But I have to say that I popped it in after almost two months of listening to the movie's soundtrack and it just sounds...FLAT.
I have to credit Rob Cavallo for taking these songs which in some cases are more than a decade old and pumping new life and new energy into them.
The songs are much more layered and the arrangements more intricate than on the OBC.

[jackson992]

Posted: 12/6/05 at 11:02am

You put it exactly right. It's funny now I prefer listening to the movie soundtrack now although most of the players are the same. But the difference is nothing short of amazing.

[JenD512]

Posted: 12/6/05 at 12:57pm

The disappearance of Mimi is talked about during What We Own I believe.

It was Finale A. "Found his song, if he could just find Mimi." "I tried, you know I tried."

Not only that (and I'm a little disturbed I remember all this, I haven't listened to the OCR in ages), Roger was starting a new band, according to the voice mail from his mom.

I liked in the movie how everyone was actually trying to find her.

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/6/05 at 1:11pm

I'm going to go see the film one last time tonight.
I'm going with two friends who have never seen or heard any songs from the show.
Well, except for Seasons of Love of course...

[jackson992]

Posted: 12/6/05 at 2:10pm

Has anyone heard of a release date for the DVD?