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

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

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.

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."

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.

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 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!

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

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

Antonio Cipriano would be a much better Tony.

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 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.

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.