MEOW!
Measure your life in love...
--Jonathan Larson
Like with most of the musicals that I discover, the first time I discovered RENT was by watching the movie musical. Oh, how I remember it like it was...six years ago. I went to see it at the Showcase Cinemas in East Hartford with my dad, mom, and sister Emmy Rossum. And like most of the movie musicals that I discover for the first time, I freakin' loved it. I got addicted to the music, and while I didn't entirely comprehend on what was going on, I still enjoyed it just the same. As time passed, I was able to fully appreciate Jonathan Larson's profoundly wonderful book and score, especially when viewing a recording of RENT's final performance on Broadway in a movie theater for my birthday. Talk about one of the great all-time birthday gifts.
So, what do I think of RENT today when I compare it to yesteryear?
Well, the keyword in that question is 'today.' Despite this musical taking place in-between 1989 and 1990, and despite taking inspiration from La Boheme, an opera written by Giacomo Puccini all the way in the 1800s, RENT has a certain timelessness to where you can still relate to these characters and their personal situations today. Underneath all of that rock-n-roll is that good ol' heart-n-soul that makes everything feel alive and real. Musicals such as RENT is like that one shooting star that falls gently into your hands, and once you make a wish, you never know what's going to happen, but somehow...you feel better than you have ever felt before. I thank Jonathan Larson for teaching me that there's "No Day But Today," and that we should all measure our lives in love no matter where we go.
It's also fortunate to write that RENT as a movie musical, although not perfect, remains faithful to Jonathan Larson's work of art. The music remains profound and honest to life itself, while most of the original Broadway cast members (with the excellent exceptions of Rosario Dawson as Mimi Marquez and Tracie Thoms as Joanne Jefferson) have returned to reprise their respective roles. Also worth noting Stephen Chbosky--who was responsible for The many, many, MANY Perks of Being a Wallflower--and he mostly does a great job of adapting what is essentially a rock opera, and presenting it to a mass audience of moviegoers.
As someone who has watched a taped recording of the stage production, however, it's sometimes awkward watching the sung lines be spoken until it suddenly becomes a sung-through musical again. Chris Columbus' shots are sometimes too dimly lit as well, particularly during "Light My Candle." If this film was shown at drive-ins, there would be moments where you'd think the projection system was broken. As much as Idina Menzel is exceptional in this film (and in life, in general), her performance of "Over the Moon" goes on longer than it should, and loses some of the momentum that it had before. Most of all, dadgum it! I wish they'd kept in "Halloween" and the rest of "Goodbye Love." If they said it was 'too emotionally draining' for its test audiences, then I think the film has done its job. It would've made the emotional impact that much stronger!
With that said, however, the emotional impact remains thanks to the amazing songs written by Jonathan Larson. The simplicity of "Will I?" and its canon is undeniably beautiful, "Without You" will instantly make you think about the people in your life, the reprise to "I'll Cover You" is as heartbreaking as anything you will find in Les Miserables, and "No Day But Today" just sells the film by itself. RENT is not a downer, however; "Santa Fe" is, in some ways, reminiscent of Gene Kelly's "Singin' in the Rain" routine (Guess what film I'm reviewing next?), only it's set inside the grittiness of a subway and not under similar drops of water. And "La Vie Boheme" will make you want to go to Friendly's late at night, put some tables together, and almost get kicked out by the manager and his staff. It would be worth it.
Every performance in this film is incredible. I will forever associate Anthony Rapp as Mark Cohen, Adam Pascal as Roger Davis (Even as Huey Calhoun, he would still be Roger), Rosario Dawson as Mimi Marquez, Jesse L. Martin as Tom Collins, Idina Menzel as...well, I'll still associate her as Maureen Johnson, Tracie Thoms as Joanne Jefferson, Taye Diggs as Benjamin Coffin III, and of course, Wilson Jermaine Heredia as Angel Dumott Schunard. They will be forever known as the 2005 RENT-heads.
Oh, and did I mention Vanellope Von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) is in this film? Yeah, it's pretty schweet.
Despite some of its critical troubles, RENT succeeds as a movie musical paying homage to Jonathan Larson's wonderful book and score. Pay your RENT and discover that there is no day but today. Out of five overdue payments, I give this movie musical...
Until next time,
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
and MEOW, of course!
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