RENT SCREENING review (11/8/05)- Page 2

[enjolrasissex]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 10:51am

This is a depressing thread. Sigh. It sounds almost like Columbus' glossing it over like the first two Potter movies.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 10:57am

"I can't help but think that if everyone involved in this project had the best of intentions"

But many of the issues mentioned in the negative reviews (esp. the staging of TMOLM, Another Day and the events for the last quarter of the film) were raised here in response to the screenplay a year ago. Instead of taking the criticisms seriously, people involved with the film got really defensive and insisted on changing nothing. If this film is mediocre or just plain bad, then no one person involved in it should be exclusively to blame.

Yes, Chris Columbus wrote and directed the film, but several of the actors are engaged readers of the message boards (especially IMDB) and should've known from there that putting Mimi outside (with Angel, Collins and Mark, right?) for the end of Another Day was bad staging. I don't know... I may find myself enjoying the film (not likely given that a consensus is developing on what's wrong with it and that I took issue with these same things while reading the screenplay). If I don't enjoy it and reviews [from people who weren't in the film] continue to be negative, then I think a metaphor with the sinking of the Titanic might be apt. This is another accident that could have been avoided if certain parties weren't overconfident in what they were doing. Next time, the studio should spend a little less time marketing their films as genius/life-changing/milestones and a lot more time making sure that the films actually work.

Were there even test screenings for this thing?
Updated On: 11/9/05 at 10:57 AM

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:04am

There defintiely were test screenings, and I've seen a review from someone who saw the film without Halloween and Goodbye Love cut who really enjoyed it, and said that Goodbye Love was his favorite sequence in the movie. Which just makes it all the more frustrating knowing that it wasn't cut because it didn't work in the film for some reason, but I guess for time reasons.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:07am

"Which just makes it all the more frustrating knowing that it wasn't cut because it didn't work in the film for some reason, but I guess for time reasons."

That person really liked Goodbye Love as it was filmed. Others (including the director and one of the actors in the film) have said that it was filmed "too melodramatically" and "seemed redundant."

I don't think time was the only reason why it was cut.

[TabooWickedFan]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:08am

i am so excited for this movie and reading this review makes me in a way upset abou it. Like its not going to be as good as i want it to be, and as i sit in my band room at school listening to rent and goodbye love matter of factly, i cant see the movie without it. So please put it back in, if anyone is reading this that has any impact on that please put it back in! thank you very much!

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:09am

Yes, they said the argument presented poorly onscreen.

[TabooWickedFan]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:14am

Evelyn- you said something about Another Day staging what did they do with that?

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:16am

Hmm, well, that's good to hear at least. Part of me is like, "It's a musical, it's SUPPOSED to be melodramatic..." but I know that they seem to be striving for realism, so if that's the case then I can understand the cut. I'm sorry to hear that the film isn't as clear without it, though, and I still think that we lose a lot of character development.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:19am

Another Day is probably my favorite song in the show, so what I'm hearing is depressing to me.

It's irritating to me that musicals could be really big again, but many directors don't seem to know how to turn them into effective movies.

I'll hold my judgement until I see the movie myself, but I'm not liking some of the things I'm hearing.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:20am

That something was filmed "too melodramatically" is bad news as I'm sure the people behind this film would attest. "Too melodramatic" doesn't mean it's true to the spirit of the show (lol). It means that it's funny in a campy bad way.

I don't know whether to think the film would be better or worse off with Goodbye Love *as it was filmed*.

[Steeler Jim]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:21am

I'm beginning to get a little depressed about this. We've all waited so long for this movie, and it appears that those of us who know the play so well are going to be disappointed.

Cutting Goodbye Love makes absolutely no sense from a STORY standpoint, whether it's "too melodramatic" or not. To me, this is like filming "Titanic" and cutting the part where it hits the iceberg.

{heavy sigh}

Hopefully they'll make the movie whole again on DVD.

Updated On: 11/9/05 at 11:21 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:25am

On my five hours of sleep to think on this, I still DO think that April's suicide is instrumental to understanding Roger, and why he doesn't trust love. But I'm right now telling myself that it's because I haven't seen the movie, and that maybe it works without it. I think it's hard, because we think it's "supposed" to be there, but because Roger would feel guilty about her death anyway, maybe it isn't really all that important. It's hard, because I'll know it's missing when I see the movie, but I'll also know that in theory, it probably isn't really that big of a deal. I've told a lot of people that for some time now, I had to learn to take the movie and the show as separate entities. Maybe that's still a valid interpretation -- accepting that they're different media, and things have to be done differently, and accepting that as a movie these changes were made for a reason.

As for these relatively small things hurting assumptions of truth to the fact that the actors say the movie is true to Larson's vision, Larson's vision, to me at least, is not about the details. It's about the politics of his show, and the themes of his story -- not who did what to whom, or anything like that -- but the big picture. And even though I'm nervous about these little things, I know that logically, those things are still there. Things can be different, but the movie can still remain true to Larson's vision. I'll certainly have to keep reminding myself of that, but it seems to make sense to me. I've come this far, and I *am* going to keep the faith I've found in this movie.

heh, the trailer just came on TV.

Updated On: 11/9/05 at 11:25 AM

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:25am

Ok, let me say what I think and I hope that some people agree. I LOVE RENT ! I am thankful that the movie is made and I am gonna love it anyway, see it and buy the DVD despite any flaws ! I have faith in the creativity of everyone involved ! But my main concern, is that I want the whole world to see what a brilliant piece of work RENT is ! I wouldn't mind if cuts and alterations that I'd hate were made, as long as they made the film better for those unfamiliar and spead the RENT love even more! But the cuts made I have heard, DO NOT add something to the film, instead they take away crucial and important elements. And that is why I am worried a bit !
Updated On: 11/9/05 at 11:25 AM

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:26am

It's sort of unfortunate that, because the argument didn't film well, Roger and Mimi's goodbye and "Goodbye, love... Hello, disease" had to be cut as well for temporal continuity (since it starts off with, "You heard? / Every word.").

[Edit]
Very well said about the important thing being that the movie stays true to Larson's overall message, Emcee. I think that it's important to keep that in mind when getting all flustered about the details of what's been changed. Updated On: 11/9/05 at 11:26 AM

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:33am

MJohnson and twotrey, thank so much for your reviews. They're probably the most detailed ones I've read yet.

I can't say I'm happy with what I'm hearing, but I can't say surprised. Much ofthis is confirming fears I've had since reading the first draft of the script.

I wish they'd put "Halloween" and "Goodbye Love" back in, but with two weeks until opening, is it even possible? And if it obviously did not work, would we even want it in there? Honestly, it should have been re-filmed as a musical number, or written in as dialogue if they really could see NO WAY of making it work as a song (which, if you ask me, is a bit of a narrow-sighted way to think.)

Greekmusicalfan. I agree with you. I'll obviously see this film, and I'll probably enojy it very much simply because I really do love Rent. But much like you, I"m worried that the piece will not come across as well as it could have on film.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:35am

I think it *may* be an option, BroadwayGirl. I know that after the screening I'm going to, we'll all be asked to fill out some papers about our feelings toward the movie, and I'd assume it's for that reason.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:41am

I suppose so, but things would really have to be fixed DAMN quickly. I mean, they'd have to pu it back in there and get the new version of the movie out there to all the theatres. I don't know how that usually works...so who knows if theatres already have the filmed, etc, but I'd imagine doing all the would take a little while.

What date is the screening you're going to?

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:43am

It could be done.

I believe Alexander and Elizabethtown are examples of movies with major last minute edits. But did they get rave reviews in the end? No.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:45am

I'm going this Friday, BroadwayGirl. I think it's the 11th.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:52am

I see, Emcee. I suppose that would allow for it to happen...because otherwise, you're right...its a little strange they might ask. But who knows?

Evelyn...It seems as though this film won't be getting raves whether or not "Goodbye Love" is added back in. At this point, who knows if it could save or kill the film either way if it filmed as poorly as we hear.
Updated On: 11/9/05 at 11:52 AM

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:54am

I'm just itching to see what Ebert and Roeper have to say about Rent. In the last couple of years, Ebert has been very generous with his four-star ratings...

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:57am

because otherwise, you're right...its a little strange they might ask. But who knows?

I'm sorry, I didn't follow; who might ask what?

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:58am

Well, Ebert does like Rosario, so I can't imagine him being too harsh.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 11:59am

Oh. By "they" and "ask" I was referring to the papers you'll be asked to fill out on your thoughts on the movie.

LOL, sorry. I'm so out of it today.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/9/05 at 12:02pm

It's okay, I'm out of it as well. As you can see, I was up very late!

I have no idea how detailed the feedback will be expected to be -- for all I know, it could be like five multiple choice questions. The way these passes were being distributed, it seems like they want unbiased reactions, if possible -- and to see how random people unfamiliar with the show will react.