I decided to make this post due to Andrew's musical blogathon tomorrow, and I decided on Rent. The stage version was a smashing success, having won four tonys and gaining huge fans. But the film version was a critical failure and didn't do well with it's fans, except for me. I love Rent, and the film was what caused me to become a huge fan of it. It is about a group of eight friends living in New York in the late 80's, who are dealing with poverty, AIDS, drugs, homlessness, and other problems, but find love and friendship with each other in the course of one year. The director decided to keep nearly all the original cast members in the film (Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs, Jesse.L Martin, Wilson Jermain Heredia), but added two new ones, Rosario Dawson as Mimi and Traci Thoms as Joanne. All of the cast members do great work, but I thought Dawson, Menzel, and Thoms were especially great. The film is really entertaining and I think it works, although the "bursting out into song isn't realistic" thing sometimes becomes too noticeable and sometimes it lacks the soul of the original production. But the music is flawless. There are so many great songs and so many that I love! I don't think I could choose a favorite, but I love La Vie Boheme, Light My Candle, Out Tonight, Take Me Or Leave Me, I'll Cover You, I love them all. So, if you have seen it or heard of the musical, please tell me your thoughts.
5 comments:
Though I don't love the movie, the movie cast recording is much superior to the actual broadway version (Dawson is a much better Mimi).
I love the music! I haven't seen the stage or movie version though.
Andrew: I think the Broadway version and the film best each other in a lot of ways. Dawson might be a better singer, but I think Daphne Rubin Vega has better presence during the songs. Still, both versions are great to me.
Robert: You should see the film. It's worth watching for any Rent fan. I saw the stage version once, but I was sitting so high up that I couldn't see hardly anything that was happening.
It's been FOREVER since I saw this, but I remember the ending was very sad, espeically when Angel succumbs.
Yes, the last 45 minutes or so is very sad, but the very ending is somewhat hopeful.
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