|
RENT the movie went in a direction I never thought it would. It made me proud to be gay, an artist and someone who values the human experience. I have never seen the stage version, but I knew the music as familiar as one can. Not without its flaws, the film's greatest strength is not the amazing vocals or its performances, but a heart that is unafraid to show itself. Everyone (even a low key Roger) powers through the material and each song does not feel outside the realm of possibility. Instead, I saw the crafting of musical numbers akin to the re-enactment of memory; we value memories of importance, life, death and rebirth, and being unafraid to put a price too high to imagine on them. The director, Chris Columbus, lets the characters sing their lives without restraint and in turn, he creates a most intimate picture of a time that is not gone of people, dying from AIDS and fighting and living despite. He shows sexuality in a way I've never seen on film meant for such larger audiences, not with acts of sex, but acts of true caring. He shows artists who are not necessarily talented proving their hearts that motivate them to become true artists. This is a film that went beyond a movie of a musical and showed the truest image I have ever seen of family and love. This became less a film where one could argue over the direction of a scene and instead became a labour of love, the exact intention that the creator, Jonathan Larson, was thinking. In that frame of mind, it was absolutely perfect and an experience that I will always remember. |
|
|
It's rare that I get to see a film twice and nicely a few weeks apart. RENT thankfully offered something that rarely happens in film. It became better. I had a chance to look at the movie from a different aspect and saw that many of the things I felt were flaws actually jumped out and gave reason. Adam Pascal as Roger made more sense in his less showy role compared to the other characters. Moody and unmoved, he juxtaposed himself to his main relationships, Mark and Mimi, who create a frustration much like I felt when Roger would not respond to help. Even the rock video look of What You Own became more plausible for me. I also got to experience the full effect of many of the songs like I Should Tell You, Another Day, and I'll Cover You (Reprise). I found myself buzzing under my skin at the powerful words and feelings that the characters sang. The biggest plus for me with this second viewing was the appreciation of Chris Columbus's way of letting the story proceed, choosing low key lighting over glossy lighting, such as Mimi's Out Tonight, and making the piece flow from scene to scene. The opening of the characters singing Seasons Of Love on a bar stage displayed that the director was not going to hide the fact that this was a play for the stage being filmed and when he took the sense of disbelief away, he unearthed the powerful emotions of the story. Gritty camera work for Santa Fe as well as the conclusion of Over The Moon displayed so well that this story is not about a higher elite or even upper class Broadway. This is a story about reality and real people who exist with the issues presented of AIDS and the treatment of persons living with the disease as well the struggle of the artist to express themselves in a money oriented society. As Todd and I entered the theatre, the usher warned us that the movie was a musical. He forgot to mention that the movie was a celebration of far greater things; the survival of the human spirit and the power that love truly holds. But I guess its hard to make that warning for people. So few movies would carry the weight of that importance. |
|
