Review of Rent (2005) by Maryj — 30 Nov 2005

I've never seen the stage musical, but LOVED this movie! I just loved the concept of taking the traditional musical format and adding a modern twist to it. The music was great - I bought the CD right after seeing the movie and it's been on constant rotation ever since! It's got your standard melodic anthems that stick to your head as well as some more experimental fare such as the Tango number and Maureen's protest performance piece.

The performances were all great, yes even Rosario Dawson! I loved how the relationship between Tom and Angel was portrayed - it was definitely the emotional cornerstone of the movie for me. Were there flaws? Sure, it's Christopher Columbus afterall.

He isn't exactly subtle, but I think like Phantom of the Opera, the original material is so good that the director would've had to really try to make it bad. In the end, it's how you connect with the characters and your taste in the music (and musicials) that will determine whether you will enjoy this movie.

I for one loved it! Of course, I also love musicals in general, I'm a bleeding heart liberal and I love New York in all its flavors, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.