movies: rent

Sometimes you go to see a movie even when the critics have panned it, and you're rewarded with something good...

Sometimes the critics know what they are talking about...

Rent was, unfortunately, one of the latter...

I know... there will be people after my blood for saying that, but it just didn't work for me. I like my musicals with some actual plot between songs... not back to back to back to back songs taking the place of dialogue... especially when some of those "songs" are basically sung dialogue.

And I would have preferred a little more set up to how these people do or don't know each other... I mean Mimi dated Benny who used to live with Mark and Roger, but Roger doesn't know Mimi... and Mimi knows Angel, but Roger and Mark don't, yet Mark never bats an eyelid when Angel takes off "her" wig...

I mean, c'mon... boho and openminded is one thing... but even if he already knew that Tom only has a thing for drag queens... it's still a stretch...

It wasn't all bad... I'm very fond of the opening song, Seasons of Love... and for reasons I can't explain, I already knew the song and a lot of the words... I'm thinking I must have seen a documentary about the stage show at some point... that's the only thing I can think of that would explain it...

And there were some moments that made me smile, including the Tango Maureen number and the La Vie Boheme song in the restaurant, as well as whatever the song the two lesbians sing to each other at their party.

But I didn't connect with any of the characters... I didn't feel particularly involved in their stories and lives for the most part... whether that was the music distancing me from the emotions, or what, I don't know, but it didn't connect me to the movie.

There weren't even any stand out performances for me... I mean everyone was good, solid... and seeing that the only two lead cast members who didn't reprise their stage roles for this film were Rosario Dawson as Mimi and Tracie Thoms as Joanne, you would kind of hope that they knew what they were doing. But nobody stood out as being exceptional... of course on the other hand, that also meant that nobody stood out as being bad... which is a good thing I guess.

And there wasn't even any real eye candy... Wilson Jermaine Heredia was kinda cute when he wasn't wearing a skirt, and Anthony Rapp had a couple of nerdaliscious moments... but there wasn't anyone I just enjoyed watching every time they appeared.

I'm not sure if there were problems with the original story, or with Chris Columbus's directing, or just taking something that is so completely stage based and converting it to a movie, or some combination of all three, but while Rent had some nice moments, it just didn't grab me.

yani's rating: 1 bohemian out of 5