Steven Spielberg, arguably the greatest filmmaker of our time, loved the original 1961 “West Side Story” movie as a child and had an increasing desire to re-make it as he become older. He has dedicated the film to his father who loved the musical and introduced him to it. I was 13 when the original film came out. I loved it and wore the grooves off the record! Spielberg gave himself quite a challenge – re-making what may be the greatest movie musical of them all! – but he pulls it off!
I LOVED this film, and it will be my favorite picture of the year. (It’s an absolute MUST-SEE!) It was an intense emotional experience which will remain with me for quite some time. Some think that there was no need to re-make the great original movie, but revivals of musicals in the live theatre take place all the time, so why not? Furthermore, there are millions of movie-goers that probably never saw the original, since it was made 60 years ago. After seeing this film, they may become fans of the musical genre, which is not very popular now with people under 50.
The plot, inspired by Romeo and Juliet, is probably familiar to everyone. Tony (Ansel Elgort), a prior member of “The Jets” who wants to leave them behind, and Maria (Rachel Zegler), the sister of Bernardo, the leader of “The Sharks”, have fallen in love at first sight. Maria lives with Bernardo and his girlfriend, Anita (Ariana DeBose). The “Jets” leader, Riff (Mike Faist), hates Bernardo and the Puerto Rican “Sharks,” and the feeling is mutual! The “Sharks” and the “Jets” have been viciously fighting over their turf. What could possibly go wrong?
The script is very similar to the original, but up-dated in some important ways, such as putting more emphasis on the immigrant perspective. The choreography (Justin Peck) and the score, conducted by Dudamel, are superb. DeBose (fantastic dancing) and Faist deserve AA nominations. Rita Moreno (the iconic original Anita) has a nice part as Tony’s maternal figure, Valentina. If you loved the original, you will love this one, too – and especially if you never saw the original, you shouldn’t miss this one! It needs to be seen in the theater because the sound system needs to be first-rate.
Steven Spielberg, arguably the greatest filmmaker of our time, loved the original 1961 "West Side Story" movie as a child and had an increasing desire to re-make it as he become older. He has dedicated the film to his father who loved the musical and introduced him to it. I was 13 when the original film came out. I loved it and wore the grooves off the record! Spielberg gave himself quite a challenge – re-making what may be the greatest movie musical of them all! – but he pulls it off! I LOVED this film, and it will be my favorite picture of the year. (It's an absolute MUST-SEE!) It was an intense emotional experience which will remain with me for quite some time. Some think that there was no need to re-make the great original movie, but revivals of musicals in the live theatre take place all the time, so why not? Furthermore, there are millions of movie-goers that probably never saw the original, since it was made 60 years ago. After seeing this film, they may become fans of the musical genre, which is not very popular now with people under 50. The plot, inspired by Romeo and Juliet, is probably familiar to everyone. Tony (Ansel Elgort), a prior member of "The Jets" who wants to leave them behind, and Maria (Rachel Zegler), the sister of Bernardo, the leader of "The Sharks", have fallen in love at first sight. Maria lives with Bernardo and his girlfriend, Anita (Ariana DeBose). The "Jets" leader, Riff (Mike Faist), hates Bernardo and the Puerto Rican "Sharks," and the feeling is mutual! The "Sharks" and the "Jets" have been viciously fighting over their turf. What could possibly go wrong? The script is very similar to the original, but up-dated in some important ways, such as putting more emphasis on the immigrant perspective. The choreography (Justin Peck) and the score, conducted by Dudamel, are superb. DeBose (fantastic dancing) and Faist deserve AA nominations. Rita Moreno (the iconic original Anita) has a nice part as Tony's maternal figure, Valentina. If you loved the original, you will love this one, too – and especially if you never saw the original, you shouldn't miss this one! It needs to be seen in the theater because the sound system needs to be first-rate.
West Side Story: Magical Musical
West Side Story: Magical Musical
2021-12-28
David
90
9
Phenomenal Dancing by DeBose!
User Rating : No Ratings Yet !
9
