Steven Spielberg's WEST SIDE STORY - News & Discussion Thread- Page 87

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 3/23/22 at 8:36am

Also-has she even thanked the Academy for turning around so quickly and inviting her??? 

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 3/23/22 at 11:25am

This is all so phenomenally stupid. Nominees and presenters get a pair of tickets. The studios have the option to buy more. For whatever reason, they opted not to buy a ticket to have her attend. Maybe it's because of her Snow White schedule, maybe it's COVID related, maybe it's because Ariana has become the face of the film and they didn't need Rachel to promote the movie. To go from not invited by the studio to become a presenter just show the power of whiny, interminable entitled Twitter mobs. Let's not forget, this Twitter mob didn't even have this much power to get people to see the movie when it was out.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/23/22 at 11:31am

Or someone else cancelled and she was next on the list?   Or someone cancelled and they were "swayed" to choose her.  This MIGHT have nothing to do with anything on social media.   

 

 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 3/23/22 at 6:24pm

Just noticed that they added the Spanish dialogue to the closed captions on Disney Plus. Untranslated, of course, but at least it doesn't just say "speaking Spanish" anymore. It also gives people the opportunity to look up the translation if they want to.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 3/23/22 at 7:37pm

[Trish2]

Posted: 3/23/22 at 8:25pm

It's quite astonishing to think Rachel has fueled any of this. The PR firms are working overtime--and this was an attention-getting stunt from the beginning. It worked. To think Zegler would post anything like that without professional guidance given her new Disney film association borders on the absurd. In addition, DeBose and her team have been campaigning on social media, oh so delicately, for her Oscar win since she began rehearsals.

[John Adams]

Posted: 3/24/22 at 9:29am

Trish2 said: "It's quite astonishing to think Rachel has fueled any of this. The PR firms are working overtime--and this was an attention-getting stunt from the beginning. It worked. To think Zegler would post anything like that without professional guidance given her new Disney film association borders on the absurd. In addition, DeBose and her team have been campaigning on social media, oh so delicately, for her Oscar win since she began rehearsals."

"Showbiz. It's... just... shoooow-biiiz."

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 3/24/22 at 12:31pm

Trish2 said: "It's quite astonishing to think Rachel has fueled any of this. The PR firms are working overtime--and this was an attention-getting stunt from the beginning. It worked. To think Zegler would post anything like that without professional guidance given her new Disney film association borders on the absurd. In addition, DeBose and her team have been campaigning on social media, oh so delicately, for her Oscar win since she began rehearsals."

This is all so silly - the wasted energy of it all...SMDH

The end result is the correct one. I am glad that she will grace the Oscar stage as a presenter this Sunday. She deserves all her flowers. She has a bright future ahead of her. 

 

Updated On: 3/24/22 at 12:31 PM

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 4/18/22 at 10:43am

Melissa25 said: 
I was also very glad that we watched David Alvarez in American Rust on Showtime over the past few months and were excited to see him act in a completely different style. He is very good in both.

I just finally started watching American Rust. I was quite taken aback with David Alvarez - I have to say that he's a very brave actor. I wasn't expecting what I saw from him on this particular show. 

 

[The Other One]

Posted: 4/18/22 at 11:39am

Yes, I had seen American Rust last fall, not long before I saw West Side Story, and for a guy who was recently coaxed back into acting after a long lay-off there is nothing tentative about his choices or, apparently, abilities.  He deserves a bright and active future.

[degrassifan]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 2:31am

I found out recently that the marketing launch campaign for West Side Story was originally going to begin in March 2020, which aligns with when the Vanity Fair exclusive feature and film stills were released. The first trailer was originally attached to the Mulan live-action remake, which was set to be released at the end of March. What stopped them from launching was COVID. I now wonder had COVID not happened, what the original trailer would’ve been. Also, it was before the Ansel allegations, so I wonder if the original launch was going to center on him and Rachel, or if the teaser we ended up getting was what they intended all along. Also can’t help but wonder how well this movie would’ve done in a pre-COVID world. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 8:46am

You sure got a lot of “can’t help wondering” free time there, fella.  Time for go outside for a walk.  Grab an apple.  

[degrassifan]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 8:18pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "You sure got a lot of “can’t help wondering” free time there, fella. Time for go outside for a walk. Grab an apple. "

Yeah probably. Just felt like sharing something interesting that I found out and was thinking out loud. Oh well! 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 9:02pm

To be fair, you made that comment at 2:30 am. Musing online is probably a lot safer than going for a walk (to grab apples?) at 2:30 in the morning.

[dyemery]

Posted: 6/1/22 at 10:43pm

I'm I the only one who wished Gaten Matarazzo played Tony instead of Ansel Elgort? WWS21 was one of my favorite flicks of last year and Elgort was the most glaring thing holding the movie back from being almost absolutely perfect.

Even if Tony was and never will be a standout in any version of the musical, you at least need an actor who radiates chemistry with Maria that makes you feel like he loves her as much as she love him. I haven't seen the original 1961 film in it's entirety, but from the clips I've seen, I can say I definitely feel the chemistry between the two WAY more than the remake.

It's honestly a similar problem I had with Spielberg's last film, Ready Player One, where the lead was the weakest link and dragged the movie down wholesale. They are talented young male actors who are directed to be the most bland people imaginable that people will relate to because they are SO...DAMN...PURTY. Unlike Ready Player One, Tony is a better written character that's not an obvious scene stealer (especially in comparison to Anita and Riff), but you can see someone making something of it. Instead, Spielberg went with Elgort due to meeting him earlier and, on paper, seeming like a good enough choice for Tony. He's a good actor, singer and dancer. However, even if you aren't going to steal the show, there's gotta be something more in terms of the performance and singing to match with the quality that the rest of the film is going for (and succeeding). Plus, you have to feel the young love blooming between the two of them to make you understand them even if you don't agree with it. I feel like Albert Broccoli with Sam Neill when he auditioned to play James Bond in The Living Daylights, where everyone else around him were impressed and could imagine on paper why he'd be a perfect fit for the character, except for Albert (who he didn't feel was right for the part despite other's opinions).

So, in my opinion, I believe Gaten would've been a better choice for the role. He's someone you wouldn't conventionally expect to play Tony but has the acting/vocal range to pull it off. You can believe he's a messy street kid who has a genuine heart that he wears on his sleeves and is unapologetic about it. And with someone like Spielberg at the helm and Rachel Zegler as his romantic lead, they all could've made the romance more believable and had the character stand out more in a way that would've put him on par with his talented co-stars.

That's why I think Gaten should've been Tony over Ansel and would've made an almost flawless film even better. 

Updated On: 6/1/22 at 10:43 PM

[ATerrifyingAndImposingFigure]

Posted: 6/1/22 at 11:06pm

I like Gatten, but he’s a Baby John, not a Tony. And he’s certainly not a good fit for this version of Tony, a rougher and tougher ex convict who can hold his own against Riff and Bernardo and once beat someone so badly he came close to murdering them.

[dyemery]

Posted: 6/2/22 at 12:22am

Well, I can say that Ansel Elgort definitely didn't feel like a rough and tough ex convict. He's tall enough to fend for himself...so what?

Again, Ansel is good casting on paper, but he didn't feel believable as either an ex convict or a romantic lead. Looks wise, he's basically every Tony we've seen (a non-threatening and good looking white guy), even with the expanded background.

Even if Gaten didn't pull those aspects off, I still feel like he'd been a good romantic lead opposite Zegler's Maria with both being around the same age plus radiating charm and charisma to unbearable degrees (which I feel is WAY more important to pull off more than anything else).

Updated On: 6/2/22 at 12:22 AM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/2/22 at 7:49am

I love Gaten but romantic lead he is not, and there is nothing wrong with that.  On screen opposite Zegler’s Maria, he’d come across as her childhood friend who has had a crush on her his whole life.  The Eddie Ryan character in FUNNY GIRL.  

[Globefan]

Posted: 6/2/22 at 9:23am

Antonio Cipriano would be a much better Tony. 

[babyjunegem]

Posted: 6/2/22 at 9:27am

dyemery said: "I'm I the only one who wished Gaten Matarazzo played Tony instead of Ansel Elgort? WWS21 was one of my favorite flicks of last year and Elgort was the most glaring thing holding the movie back from being almost absolutely perfect.

Even if Tony was and never will be a standout in any version of the musical, you at least need an actor who radiates chemistry with Maria that makes you feel like he loves her as much as she love him. I haven't seen the original 1961 film in it's entirety, but from the clips I've seen, I can say I definitely feel the chemistry between the two WAY more than the remake.

It's honestly a similar problem I had with Spielberg's last film, Ready Player One, where the lead was the weakest link and dragged the movie down wholesale. They are talented young male actors who are directed to be the most bland people imaginable that people will relate to because they are SO...DAMN...PURTY. Unlike Ready Player One, Tony is a better written character that's not an obvious scene stealer (especially in comparison to Anita and Riff), but you can see someone making something of it. Instead, Spielberg went with Elgort due to meeting him earlier and, on paper, seeming like a good enough choice for Tony. He's a good actor, singer and dancer. However, even if you aren't going to steal the show, there's gotta be something more in terms of the performance and singing to match with the quality that the rest of the film is going for (and succeeding). Plus, you have to feel the young love blooming between the two of them to make you understand them even if you don't agree with it. I feel like Albert Broccoli with Sam Neill when he auditioned to play James Bond in The Living Daylights, where everyone else around him were impressed and could imagine on paper why he'd be a perfect fit for the character, except for Albert (who he didn't feel was right for the part despite other's opinions).

So, in my opinion, I believe Gaten would've been a better choice for the role.He's someone you wouldn't conventionally expect to play Tony but has the acting/vocal range to pull it off. You can believe he's a messy street kid who has a genuine heart that he wears on his sleeves and is unapologetic about it. And with someone like Spielberg at the helm and Rachel Zegler as his romantic lead, they all could've made the romance more believable and had the character stand out more in a way that would've put him on par with his talented co-stars.

That's why I think Gaten should've been Tony over Ansel and would've made an almost flawless film even better.

"

I see what you're saying, but I strongly disagree. Gaten is talented, but would not work in this role. After sitting with Spielberg's version for months, it's become increasingly clear that despite Ansel being miscast, the Tony/Maria love story falters because Spielberg and Kushner do not believe in it. Spielberg is absolutely TERRIBLE at directing romance. He doesn't understand how to establish chemistry through framing. He never lingers on faces or bodies or hands. It was bound to fail regardless.

It's bizarre that directors have such a terrible record of casting Tonys. I've said it for months now, but Mike Faist was the ideal choice here. He was the most magnetic man on screen. His electrifying presence could've done wonders for Tony and Maria. There's a reason why he's the male breakout star here.

Kind of reminds me of how Warren Beatty had electrifying chemistry with Natalie Wood in Splendor in the Grass yet he is denied for West Side Story. That one change could've killed even a whisper for a remake.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 6/2/22 at 5:11pm

babyjunegem said: "dyemery said: "I'm I the only one who wished Gaten Matarazzo played Tony instead of Ansel Elgort? WWS21 was one of my favorite flicks of last year and Elgort was the most glaring thing holding the movie back from being almost absolutely perfect.

Even if Tony was and never will be a standout in any version of the musical, you at least need an actor who radiates chemistry with Maria that makes you feel like he loves her as much as she love him. I haven't seen the original 1961 film in it's entirety, but from the clips I've seen, I can say I definitely feel the chemistry between the two WAY more than the remake.

It's honestly a similar problem I had with Spielberg's last film, Ready Player One, where the lead was the weakest link and dragged the movie down wholesale. They are talented young male actors who are directed to be the most bland people imaginable that people will relate to because they are SO...DAMN...PURTY. Unlike Ready Player One, Tony is a better written character that's not an obvious scene stealer (especially in comparison to Anita and Riff), but you can see someone making something of it. Instead, Spielberg went with Elgort due to meeting him earlier and, on paper, seeming like a good enough choice for Tony. He's a good actor, singer and dancer. However, even if you aren't going to steal the show, there's gotta be something more in terms of the performance and singing to match with the quality that the rest of the film is going for (and succeeding). Plus, you have to feel the young love blooming between the two of them to make you understand them even if you don't agree with it. I feel like Albert Broccoli with Sam Neill when he auditioned to play James Bond in The Living Daylights, where everyone else around him were impressed and could imagine on paper why he'd be a perfect fit for the character, except for Albert (who he didn't feel was right for the part despite other's opinions).

So, in my opinion, I believe Gaten would've been a better choice for the role.He's someone you wouldn't conventionally expect to play Tony but has the acting/vocal range to pull it off. You can believe he's a messy street kid who has a genuine heart that he wears on his sleeves and is unapologetic about it. And with someone like Spielberg at the helm and Rachel Zegler as his romantic lead, they all could've made the romance more believable and had the character stand out more in a way that would've put him on par with his talented co-stars.

That's why I think Gaten should've been Tony over Ansel and would've made an almost flawless film even better.

"

I see what you're saying, but I strongly disagree. Gaten is talented, but would not work in this role. After sitting with Spielberg's version for months, it's become increasingly clear that despite Ansel being miscast, the Tony/Maria love story falters because Spielberg and Kushner do not believe in it. Spielberg is absolutely TERRIBLE at directing romance. He doesn't understand how to establish chemistry through framing. He never lingers on faces or bodies or hands. It was bound to fail regardless.

It's bizarre that directors have such a terrible record of casting Tonys. I've said it for months now, but Mike Faist was the ideal choice here. He was the most magnetic man on screen. His electrifying presence could've done wonders for Tony and Maria. There's a reason why he's the male breakout star here.

Kind of reminds me of how Warren Beatty had electrifying chemistry with Natalie Wood in Splendor in the Grass yet he is denied for West Side Story. That one change could've killed even a whisper for a remake."

I agree, I wish Wise and Robbins would've been brave enough to cast Beatty opposite Wood even though they also co-starred in Splendor because there chemistry was just off-the-charts, 

As for Gaten Matarazzo as "Tony" - that would have been a disaster - he's not a Tony, not by a long shot or any stretch of the imagination, 

Where Spielberg and Kushner failed WSS was in the Tony/Maria romance. Their scene after the rumble in Maria's bedroom was not only severely cut but taking "Somewhere" away from them was a huge mistake.

In the original text Tony was truly repentant and remorseful for what happened and says so - something that doesn't exist at all in Kushner's rewrite. Tony just tells Maria that he wanted to see her one last time before he turns himself to the police. 

So, for first time viewers of WSS it now comes off that Maria shamelessly and callously just goes to bed with her brother's unremorseful and unrepentant murderer. 

Updated On: 6/2/22 at 05:11 PM

[ATerrifyingAndImposingFigure]

Posted: 6/2/22 at 5:14pm

He was very clearly remorseful, as you just said, he was going to turn himself into the police.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 6/2/22 at 5:15pm

ATerrifyingAndImposingFigure said: "He was very clearly remorseful, as you just said, he was going to turn himself into the police."

It doesn't come off that way, at least not to me. And taking Somewhere away from them was a huge disservice to their storyline. 

[ATerrifyingAndImposingFigure]

Posted: 6/2/22 at 5:20pm

I can’t fathom how a man bawling and saying he’s turning himself in doesn’t come across as remorseful. Why would he ever do that if he wasn’t repentant? That doesn’t make a lick of sense.

[babyjunegem]

Posted: 6/2/22 at 6:27pm

CarlosAlberto said: "babyjunegem said: "dyemery said: "I'm I the only one who wished Gaten Matarazzo played Tony instead of Ansel Elgort? WWS21 was one of my favorite flicks of last year and Elgort was the most glaring thing holding the movie back from being almost absolutely perfect.

Even if Tony was and never will be a standout in any version of the musical, you at least need an actor who radiates chemistry with Maria that makes you feel like he loves her as much as she love him. I haven't seen the original 1961 film in it's entirety, but from the clips I've seen, I can say I definitely feel the chemistry between the two WAY more than the remake.

It's honestly a similar problem I had with Spielberg's last film, Ready Player One, where the lead was the weakest link and dragged the movie down wholesale. They are talented young male actors who are directed to be the most bland people imaginable that people will relate to because they are SO...DAMN...PURTY. Unlike Ready Player One, Tony is a better written character that's not an obvious scene stealer (especially in comparison to Anita and Riff), but you can see someone making something of it. Instead, Spielberg went with Elgort due to meeting him earlier and, on paper, seeming like a good enough choice for Tony. He's a good actor, singer and dancer. However, even if you aren't going to steal the show, there's gotta be something more in terms of the performance and singing to match with the quality that the rest of the film is going for (and succeeding). Plus, you have to feel the young love blooming between the two of them to make you understand them even if you don't agree with it. I feel like Albert Broccoli with Sam Neill when he auditioned to play James Bond in The Living Daylights, where everyone else around him were impressed and could imagine on paper why he'd be a perfect fit for the character, except for Albert (who he didn't feel was right for the part despite other's opinions).

So, in my opinion, I believe Gaten would've been a better choice for the role.He's someone you wouldn't conventionally expect to play Tony but has the acting/vocal range to pull it off. You can believe he's a messy street kid who has a genuine heart that he wears on his sleeves and is unapologetic about it. And with someone like Spielberg at the helm and Rachel Zegler as his romantic lead, they all could've made the romance more believable and had the character stand out more in a way that would've put him on par with his talented co-stars.

That's why I think Gaten should've been Tony over Ansel and would've made an almost flawless film even better.

"

I see what you're saying, but I strongly disagree. Gaten is talented, but would not work in this role. After sitting with Spielberg's version for months, it's become increasingly clear that despite Ansel being miscast, the Tony/Maria love story falters because Spielberg and Kushner do not believe in it. Spielberg is absolutely TERRIBLE at directing romance. He doesn't understand how to establish chemistry through framing. He never lingers on faces or bodies or hands. It was bound to fail regardless.

It's bizarre that directors have such a terrible record of casting Tonys. I've said it for months now, but Mike Faist was the ideal choice here. He was the most magnetic man on screen. His electrifying presence could've done wonders for Tony and Maria. There's a reason why he's the male breakout star here.

Kind of reminds me of how Warren Beatty had electrifying chemistry with Natalie Wood in Splendor in the Grass yet he is denied for West Side Story. That one change could've killed even a whisper for a remake."

I agree, I wish Wise and Robbins would've been brave enough to cast Beatty opposite Wood even though they also co-starred in Splendor because there chemistry was just off-the-charts,

As for Gaten Matarazzo as "Tony" - that would have been a disaster - he's not a Tony, not by a long shot or any stretch of the imagination,

Where Spielberg and Kushner failed WSS was in the Tony/Maria romance. Their scene after the rumble in Maria's bedroom was not only severely cut but taking "Somewhere" away from them was a huge mistake.

In the original text Tony was truly repentant and remorseful for what happened and says so - something that doesn't exist at all in Kushner's rewrite. Tony just tells Maria that he wanted to see her one last time before he turns himself to the police.

So, for first time viewers of WSS it now comes off that Maria shamelessly and callously just goes to bed with her brother's unremorseful and unrepentant murderer."

Agreed. Taking away "Somewhere" from Tony/Maria was catastrophic, especially when we know that Rachel would've sung the hell out of the song. 

In the 61 film we actually get a shot of Tony showing remorse right over Bernardo's body. None of that in Spielberg's. To go even further, it's clear that S&K don't care for Bernardo as a character either.