Rent...the movie.

OK....Saw Rent tonight. Hmmmm.
I love this show SO much, despite its flaws and sometimes horrible lyrics...( "It was bad, I got mad" or "Think twice before you poo-poo it", or my favourite, "Who do you think you are, barging in on me and my guitar")
Is Chris Columbus the right director for this movie-musical?
NO.
Am I glad I went to see it?
YES.
It is like stepping into a ten year time portal, and being back in college...Rent was such an affirmation of being different in a time WAY before Queer as Folk or Will and Grace.
I remember screaming along the lyrics to the show in defiance..."To faggots, lezzies, dykes, cross-dressers too". With so little voices crying out the fuck you, we are who we are, Rent was a gateway to self-confidence for me...and many others.
I wanted to cry about 6 times towards the last part of the film (the second act).
Now...what were the downfalls of this movie? Well...
Some cast members from the origional were just...well...not suited for this movie.
It felt like someone who didn't understand musicals was directing this film...
I hated the transitions...some of the conventions were corny too.
Why not just let it be a rock opera?
In my order of recent movie musicals, here is my ranking score...
1) Chicago
2) Rent
3) Evita
4) Phantom
YES, I thought that Phantom was FAR worse than Evita.
I am looking forward to The Producers, though.
And now, it seems, that I might be traveling to NYC on Monday to audition for Rent. We shall see...if I can work it out. I haven't been seen by them in about 9 years...and then, Bernie told me "You're just too cute for this show".
Well...here's to hoping that 10 years have taken some of the cuteness off.
More to follow.
Film at Eleven.