"How many movies are flawless?"
See, this is the argument that makes little sense to me. Of course nothing is perfect, but I came rattle off the names of dozens of films that--as all works are--were less than "perfect," but they did NOT create plot holes, or have underdeveloped characters and relationships, or perhaps they were not films in which the direction was "safe" when the film deals with some pretty heavy, intense stuff. Or, you know, entire scenes that could have been extremely powerful did not turn out to be laughable. In most great films the imperfections are generally things that can go unnoticed, or they're simply things that have to do with personal taste.
The thing here is, yes there's opinion involved, but I think there's fact as well. For example, a fact in this case, I think, is that there are plotholes that exist in the film that did not exist in the stage show. The opinion is whether or not you think this had a large impact on the film's power or not. Then againm if those holes WERE filled...would there be an issue? See, I think plotholes, or very poorly-filmed scenes are MUCH bigger flaws than the imperfections of great movies.
I think people are misinterpreting a lot of the negativity towards the Rent film as negativty towards Rent itself. To speak for myself, my negativty for the FILM comes from a love for the material from which it was adapted, and the fact that the film did not live up to that material.
What I would like to know is if there have actually been any people walking out of this film after seeing it for the first time the same way people in '96 were walking out of the show after seeing the show for the first time. I think the show changed people's lives. Now, people are loving the movie. But did it change any lives? Did it reach as far and wide as it could have? Are people walking out of this film inspired?
I don't think the sole job in creating this film should have been to please Rent fans, but instead to adapt the piece to film in such a way that it would stand on its OWN, and affect people entirely unfamiliar with the piece the way the show has.
Now, about the Golden Globes, I'm hardly "gleeful" about the news. It just brings the feeling I had when I first saw the film back. I think the lack of nominations is just an example of how this movie was not filmed and marketed in such a way that caused it to be taken as seriously as it should have been. Because IF it had been made the "right" way, it would have been nominated.
EDIT: And wow, by the time I typed that up, you guys just threadjacked and entirely strayed from the conversation. Way to make me look like a fool.
Updated On: 12/13/05 at 09:04 PM
