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Rent

It’s hard to be objective about the recent musical-turned-movie event Rent. It is at least, for this reviewer, who spent many long hours making a fool of herself in her high school bedroom singing along to every word on the original cast recording.

Rent is the story of seven friends who find love and compassion in the midst of their early nineties East Village squalor. Four of these seven characters are HIV positive, two are lesbians, one is a junky, one is a marijuana smoking college professor, and one spends a whole year writing a song that doesn’t even really turn out that good. There are moments of Rent that are silly, there are moments that don’t make sense, and there are moments where everything seems a little Disneyworld for characters living in a drug infested ghetto. That said, there is something else about Rent – a driving life force that vibrates and tingles, a message of not taking loved ones for granted, of truly taking advantage of every day you’re alive. And if you really let yourself be drawn into the story and ignore that little sarcastic critical voice in the back of your head, you might just find yourself wanting to stand up and cheer.

The movie Rent is a pretty straightforward adaptation of the play. The original cast are pitch perfect in the roles they created and newcomers Rosario Dawson and Tracie Thoms fit amazingly well into the diverse ensemble. Director Chris Columbus adds a few visual flourishes - a love song in the snow, an Arizona panoramic as backdrop for a blockbuster song (ala The Backstreet Boys) – but for the most part the film keeps in tact the authenticity of the stage version.

There are Rentheads and there are those who prefer their film-going experiences to be without musical accompaniment and elaborate dance numbers. My recommendation to the latter is to steer clear of this particular film. But if you have always secretly had a penchant for life in song, make sure not to miss Rent.

Written by: Jennifer O'Reilly

Reviewers Rating: 9
Reader's Rating: 7.24
Reader's Votes: 8

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