Steven Spielberg's WEST SIDE STORY - News & Discussion Thread- Page 66

[JasonC3]

Posted: 12/10/21 at 11:54pm

An ATC poster shared this link to an amusing McSweeney's essay:

"We’re Sorry, You Can’t Join Our Street Gang Because You Don’t Know Ballet"

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 12:04am

Dollypop said: "babyjunegem said: "Saw the film last night and my first thought was that Ansel should have been dubbed. I think that his performance was held back by his lack of vocal prowess. His performance wasn't bad per se, and the critics are overdoing it a bit. However, he absolutely cannot handle the vocal demands of the role.If someone dubbed for him, he'd have freed up himself to truly embody the part.

This just highlights how difficult a role Tony is to cast. Directors have gotten it wrong in the past. If you really want a Tony that sticks the landing, you need a character actor with leading man appeal and a great voice. In that sense, Mike Faist would have been an inspired choice. I find it baffling that Bobby Conte Thornton wasn't in consideration."

I have to disagree. I felt Ansel's vocals were excellent. His singing was exactly right for the character he was playing. If anything, his height was a disadvantage to his characterization and he LOOKED Polish!

"

Pretty sure he is Polish and there is literally a line in the movie about his height. My bad he is Russian. 

Updated On: 12/11/21 at 12:04 AM

[akhoya87]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 2:27am

Trying to make this spoiler-free, but I liked the change they made at the end of the film.  I think we all know why they did it, but I think it makes more sense.  I am probably in the minority on this, but *shrug*

Loved the film overall.  Rachel Zegler is a revelation.  Ariana DeBose steals every scene she's in.  Ansel Elgort is in the movie.  The choreography, cinematography, costume designs - all stunning.  I need to see the film again to have a better sense of whether I like the new song placements, but just well done, all around.

[BWNUT]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 5:55am

mailhandler777 said: "Dollypop said: "babyjunegem said: "Saw the film last night and my first thought was that Ansel should have been dubbed. I think that his performance was held back by his lack of vocal prowess. His performance wasn't bad per se, and the critics are overdoing it a bit. However, he absolutely cannot handle the vocal demands of the role.If someone dubbed for him, he'd have freed up himself to truly embody the part.

This just highlights how difficult a role Tony is to cast. Directors have gotten it wrong in the past. If you really want a Tony that sticks the landing, you need a character actor with leading man appeal and a great voice. In that sense, Mike Faist would have been an inspired choice. I find it baffling that Bobby Conte Thornton wasn't in consideration."

I have to disagree. I felt Ansel's vocals were excellent. His singing was exactly right for the character he was playing. If anything, his height was a disadvantage to his characterization and he LOOKED Polish!

I have to disagree also. Ansel Elgort’s vocals and acting  were perfectly suited to the character. I would  nominate him for Best Actor if I were an Academy voter. I don’t understand the shade he’s getting. 

 

[BWNUT]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 6:37am

dramamama611 said: "Normally, I love previews...but good lord: 25 minutes of them?

I know. And Nicole Kidman  is starting to annoy me in that AMC  bit. It was a TV spot. Why do they have to show that in the theater? I miss the ARCLIGHT cinemas in LA. No commercials whatsoever , 3 previews max and no latecomers allowed  (they try , anyway). A couple of extra bucks were so worth it.

The film was terrific. While I didn't love Ansel, I thought he held his own. But the others? Wowza.

Holy s**t! I literally felt tremors going through my body while watching. Loved Ansel.

 

 

[The Other One]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 7:12am

Ansel is being complained about by people who look for something to complain about.  While I don't think either of the two outstanding films of West Side Story is better than the other, one vast improvement in the Spielberg film is that it has a well-cast Tony.  Ansel has better chemistry with Rachel's Maria than any other pairing of the couple I have seen.  

I can't wait until the dust settles and these unnecessary and inaccurate critiques fall by the wayside.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 7:59am

Has anyone noticed the cameos the original Jets play in the film?  I caught Harvey Evan as a security guard in Gimbels and Grover Dale as a passerby in the Cloisters. George Chakiris is also supposed to be in the film but I couldn't spot him.

Updated On: 12/11/21 at 07:59 AM

[JasonC3]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 8:16am

Nice profile of Mike Faist in the Washington Post featuring some praise from Tony Kushner (gift link so all should be able to access the piece).

Updated On: 12/11/21 at 08:16 AM

[Seb28]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 8:49am

Saw it yesterday and loved it.

Finally a movie musical with very good acting AND singing. The language of sung thoughts on screen works perfectly with the pre-recorded tracks, which heightens the emotions even more. It leaves much more room for real acting without harming the intense and soaring quality of the sung thoughts, which makes the scenes extremely intense. Best of both worlds.

It is very well directed, most scenes are basically a work of art. Well cast. Loved the technicolor colors, it actually looked like the time it was supposed to take place in. Love the music and the orchestra. Love the musical direction of the singing, very sincere.

It's not easy to make that opening song look tough, realistic and sincere, but somehow it worked. Spielberg is a master at his craft. Everything I knew and have heard of West Side Story in the past was lifted to a higher level in this film.

It also shows that it's a good thing to mix theatre talent with screen projects. It's a very special craft.

If I had to nitpick and mention some flaws, it would be that there are 2 songs/scenes that would have benefitted form being just a little shorter, which is the "officer Krupke" song and the sequence where Tony and Riff and the friends fight for the gun in the shed with the holes in the floor. Other than that, the pacing of the film was good.

This movie gives me hope for future musical movies. It's glorious.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 9:22am

I agree with those who found "Gee, Officer Krupke" to be a weak spot. The idea of trashing the precinct in the process of their little play is fun, but the number really does not have the runaway momentum it usually does, and the Jets' imitations of the various authority figures aren't as funny or clearly-drawn as in other recordings. A quibble in a mostly-stellar bunch of numbers. 

[Theatre Fan3]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 9:57am

Did anybody see a "Dedicated to Stephen Sondheim" credit at their screening?  I sat thru all the end credits until the screen went black and the house lights came up and didn't see one.  I was at an IMAX screening. I thought that I had read somewhere that the studio was sending out an updated version of the film that included that after Sondheim passed away.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 10:26am

Theatre Fan3 said: "Did anybody see a "Dedicated to Stephen Sondheim" credit at their screening? I sat thru all the end credits until the screen went black and the house lights came up and didn't see one. I was at an IMAX screening. I thought that I had read somewhere that the studio was sending out an updated version of the film that included that after Sondheim passed away."

It may have simply been too late. By the time he died, this movie was in the proverbial can. It was already being screened for audiences, and the New York premier was less than a week away. Adding a credit is more difficult than just putting one in. It costs money, someone has to be hired to do it, it alters the timing of other credits, and all of that takes time.

[Theatre Fan3]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 10:37am

jimmycurry01 said: "Theatre Fan3 said: "Did anybody see a "Dedicated to Stephen Sondheim" credit at their screening? I sat thru all the end credits until the screen went black and the house lights came up and didn't see one. I was at an IMAX screening. I thought that I had read somewhere that the studio was sending out an updated version of the film that included that after Sondheim passed away."

It may have simply been too late. By the time he died, this movie was in the proverbial can. It was already being screened for audiences, and the New York premier was less than a week away. Adding a credit is more difficult than just putting one in. It costs money, someone has to be hired to do it, it alters the timing of other credits, and all of that takes time."

Film are now distributed to theaters in a digital format either via satellite or hard drive ... it's no longer a matter of having to make changes to 35mm (or 70mm) film prints.  I used to work at a theater and there were several occasions when a studio would send out an additional digital file to be added to the feature playlist.  This is not that difficult to do these days.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 10:43am

Theatre Fan3 said: "jimmycurry01 said: "Theatre Fan3 said: "Did anybody see a "Dedicated to Stephen Sondheim" credit at their screening? I sat thru all the end credits until the screen went black and the house lights came up and didn't see one. I was at an IMAX screening. I thought that I had read somewhere that the studio was sending out an updated version of the film that included that after Sondheim passed away."

It may have simply been too late. By the time he died, this movie was in the proverbial can. It was already being screened for audiences, and the New York premier was less than a week away. Adding a credit is more difficult than just putting one in. It costs money, someone has to be hired to do it, it alters the timing of other credits, and all of that takes time."

Film are now distributed to theaters in a digital format either via satellite or hard drive ... it's no longer a matter of having to make changes to 35mm (or 70mm) film prints. I used to work at a theater and there were several occasions when a studio would send out an additional digital file to be added to the feature playlist. This is not that difficult to do these days."

Yeah, that's why I used the term proverbial. In any case, wanting to do that days before the premiere, securing the money to alter a film that is considered done and in the can, contracting the company that does your credits to fix it, having someone alter the timing of the credits to fix it, and making the change would certainly take time-longer than the literal days before the premiere. If they had a few weeks, sure, but not days.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 10:52am

jimmycurry01 said: "Theatre Fan3 said: "jimmycurry01 said: "Theatre Fan3 said: "Did anybody see a "Dedicated to Stephen Sondheim" credit at their screening? I sat thru all the end credits until the screen went black and the house lights came up and didn't see one. I was at an IMAX screening. I thought that I had read somewhere that the studio was sending out an updated version of the film that included that after Sondheim passed away."

It may have simply been too late. By the time he died, this movie was in the proverbial can. It was already being screened for audiences, and the New York premier was less than a week away. Adding a credit is more difficult than just putting one in. It costs money, someone has to be hired to do it, it alters the timing of other credits, and all of that takes time."

Film are now distributed to theaters in a digital format either via satellite or hard drive ... it's no longer a matter of having to make changes to 35mm (or 70mm) film prints. I used to work at a theater and there were several occasions when a studio would send out an additional digital file to be added to the feature playlist. This is not that difficult to do these days."

Yeah, that's why I used the term proverbial. In any case, wanting to do that days before the premiere, securing the money to alter a film that is considered done and in the can, contracting the company that does your credits to fix it, having someone alter the timing of the credits to fix it, and making the change would certainly take time-longer than the literal days before the premiere. If they had a few weeks, sure, but not days."

Additionally, I would certainly expect something when it makes it to home release.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 11:27am

Box Office: Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ Debuts to $10M-Plus – The Hollywood Reporter

[Dollypop]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 12:13pm

TaffyDavenport said: "Box Office: Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ Debuts to $10M-Plus – The Hollywood Reporter"

 

Certainly that's good news but at the showing I attended there were only about 12 of us in the theater. (No trouble social distancing!)

 

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 12:23pm

Nitpick:

I missed Anita having a small scene with Tony and Maria where she finds out they've been hanging out before the rumble. The "You better be home in 15 minutes." one. I think it's a necessary scene for Boy Like That/I Have a Love to be even more meaningful. Cause it's more "YOU'RE STILL WITH HIM?!" as apposed to "You're with HIM?!"  Also it gives Anita a share of being a cog in the machine. She lets the two of them together slide and ultimately Tony kills Bernardo. I just think that little scene gives more to the snowball effect of the third act. 

And it's also like she's given Maria the benefit of the doubt before. So at the end when she's attacked it makes her go "I've put up with enough of this. I'm done doing these favors where I ultimately lose."

Anyone else feel similar?

Updated On: 12/11/21 at 12:23 PM

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 12:35pm

Dollypop said: "TaffyDavenport said: "Box Office: Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ Debuts to $10M-Plus – The Hollywood Reporter"



Certainly that's good news but at the showing I attended there were only about 12 of us in the theater. (No trouble social distancing!)

"

Even though it will be No. 1 at the box office, it's not particularly good news, since they had hoped for at least $13 million. The headline calls it "worrisome."

[Dollypop]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 12:37pm

mailhandler777 said: "Dollypop said: "babyjunegem said: "Saw the film last night and my first thought was that Ansel should have been dubbed. I think that his performance was held back by his lack of vocal prowess. His performance wasn't bad per se, and the critics are overdoing it a bit. However, he absolutely cannot handle the vocal demands of the role.If someone dubbed for him, he'd have freed up himself to truly embody the part.

This just highlights how difficult a role Tony is to cast. Directors have gotten it wrong in the past. If you really want a Tony that sticks the landing, you need a character actor with leading man appeal and a great voice. In that sense, Mike Faist would have been an inspired choice. I find it baffling that Bobby Conte Thornton wasn't in consideration."

I have to disagree. I felt Ansel's vocals were excellent. His singing was exactly right for the character he was playing. If anything, his height was a disadvantage to his characterization and he LOOKED Polish!

"

Pretty sure he is Polish and there is literally a line in the movie about his height. My bad he is Russian."

 

I just read that Rachel is the one who's Polish! Mom's Columbian. Dad's Polish.

 

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 1:13pm

The Other One said: "Ansel is being complained about by people who look for something to complain about. While I don't think either of the two outstanding films of West Side Story is better than the other, one vast improvement in the Spielberg film is that it has a well-cast Tony. Ansel has better chemistry with Rachel's Maria than any other pairing of the couple I have seen.

I can't wait until the dust settles and these unnecessary and inaccurate critiques fall by the wayside."

I wasn't looking for anything to complain about. Compared to everyone else I found him to be the weakest. Simple as that.

[Huss417]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 1:40pm

Deadline article.

‘West Side Story’ Isn’t Kicking Up With $10M+ Opening: What That Means Right Now During Another Pandemic Holiday

https://deadline.com/2021/12/west-side-story-opening-weekend-1234888675/

I loved it and hoping Christmas week it might improve with the Box Office.

[NameGreg]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 3:30pm

Absolutely loved it. Kushner’s script and Spielberg’s direction are absolutely towering achievements. Everything in this worked. Zegler, Alavarez, and Moreno deserve nominations and DeBose and Faist deserve wins. Elgort is also excellent, I feel like the controversy surrounding him has caused people to mute themselves when they liked his work. Everyone single cast member is stellar, there’s too many smaller roles to properly single them out. Hopefully the great word of mouth and holiday season can give this legs at the box office, it definitely wouldn’t have had this issue in a non pandemic year. Still, even if it doesn’t recover financially, the inevitable awards love will make up for it. Spielberg very likely could, and absolutely should get his next Oscar for this. And fingers crossed Kushner can get his first.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 3:59pm

I loved how Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner invested ''West Side Story'' with more historical context and added layers of depth to each of the principals.

And what an incredible cast! I had read those radiant ''A star is born'' notices for Rachel Zegler and rave reviews for Ariana DeBose, and they both lived up to my lofty expectations. And the dazzling David Alvarez (as Bernardo) and the fierce Mike Faist (as Riff) oughta be up for Oscars, too.

However, the real revelation to me was Ansel Elgort, who deserves much more kudos. Tony is usually the sturdy, straight-arrow good guy, and it's a thankless role. But Kushner's script gave him more grit and gravitas with a backstory about having spent prison time for nearly killing a guy. This version also gave Tony more agency, especially in the reimagined ''Cool,'' featuring him and Riff. Plus, Elgort sings like an angel. But ultimately, ''West Side Story'' rises or falls on its love story, and i believed wholeheartedly that this Tony and Maria were gaga for each other.

Bravo for ''West Side Story''! ''I feel like running and dancing for joy!''
 

Updated On: 12/11/21 at 03:59 PM

[SpiritualGangster]

Posted: 12/11/21 at 4:26pm

Count me in as someone who really thought Elgort gave a fantastic performance in this. His "Something's Coming" was charming, his "Cool" truly was "Cool", his "Maria" - - - heartwarming and romantic. 

IMO he was not a weak link in this. 

He deserves to be recognized for what he brought to this character. His Tony was tough, but tender and charming...you could see why "Maria" would fall head over heels in love with this guy.