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Rent
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Starring: Anthony Rapp
Genre:
Musical
Run Time: 135
min.
Release Date:
November 2005
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
Musicals aren't my forte —
although I did enjoy CHICAGO and MOULIN ROUGE — so I was
hesitant to check out RENT. But after reading about its notable
comparisons to La Boehme, and how consumption was replaced by
HIV/AIDS, I was intrigued enough to pick up a copy and find out what
director Chris Columbus (what an unfortunate name) did with it.
I guess I should've stuck with my original movie-musical instincts.
Rent is exactly what it claims to be, a musical; and perhaps a
bit too much of one. At every opportunity — whether it seems justifiable
or not — the cast breaks out into song. I know, I know. It's a musical.
What did I expect? Maybe I've been spoiled by the two aforementioned
postmodern musicals. They told a story through both a good narrative and
songs. And they didn't force feed the audience musical number after
musical number after musical number. Let me explain further...
This is the modern parable about bohemians living in New York's East
Village. They're either all struggling artists, lovers, or victims of
the HIV epidemic ...or, sometimes, they're all three (depending on which
character you choose to follow). They all live in a substandard building
and are having trouble paying the rent (begin opening chorus here).
Anthony Rapp stars as Mark Cohen, a failed movie-maker who's coming to
terms with the loss of his overtly sexy — and apparently bisexual —
girlfriend Maureen (Idina Menzel,
ENCHANTED). He's also been filming
all of his friends lives and it is this that gives most of the movie its
emotional weight. Adam Pascal plays Roger, Mark's
roommate. Roger is dealing with his HIV status by remaining a shut-in
after having lost a girlfriend to AIDS. But then Mimi (Rosario Dawson,
DEATH PROOF) moves in downstairs and Roger is tempted to fall in love
again. But his HIV status and his broken heart keep them apart ...in
addition to the fact that Mimi is a drug addict and is HIV positive,
too. Jesse L. Martin plays Tom Collins (ha-ha), an out of work MIT
instructor who returns to the Village to find his friends
self-destructing and, amazingly, to find love in the arms of another HIV
positive man, Angel (played by an excellent Wilson Jermaine Heredia
DESCENT).
It is Angel — I think — that is supposed to represent the glue that
holds these ragtag bohemians together, but we see so little of him (up
until the hospital scenes where he's dying) that this aspect was nearly
lost on me.
There are some decent film moments. Some of the more memorable ones (for
me) were during the opening when the power to the building they're all
living in is shut off and everyone burns something to stay warm, then
throws the burning embers out the windows of this multi-story structure
(nice imagery). I also liked the scenes involving the HIV support group
that showed its members gradually disappearing, a reminder to viewers
that HIV tends to be fatal to a huge percentage of those that become
infected.
But the songs just couldn't hold the movie together. Most of them had
the exact same tempo (with the exception of maybe one or two) and
blurred or blended together, making me not really care what they were
singing about. And with a musical so packed full of songs, that's pretty
bad.
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Image from Rent
DVD cost: $14.99
Purchase:
BestPrices.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
The DVD release features
an alternate ending based on the stage production, with all of the
characters save for Angel are singing the finale on-stage. Angel
eventually joins the group to finish the song.
Movie Quote: "You
always said how lucky you were that we were all friends."
Other Actors/Actresses
from Rent
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