Rent Review Part II
Nov. 25th, 2005 12:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
logisticsladI'm feeling better now. More spoilers to follow...
I totally identified with Mark, the Jewish filmmaker who grapples with whether making money for his work is actually selling out. During the film, Mark is the only character not currently in a relationship and he is trying to protect himself by being watching others rather than participating (I sure remember this feeling from my teens), but his ex Maureen turns the tables on him and gives him the means to reconnect with everyone. He so owns the climactic number "La Vie Boheme" and I loved him and Joanne in "The Tango Maureen"
Angel and Collins are simply adorable together. Their falling in love duet "I'll Cover You" is so sweet and so evocative of their love and respect for each other. Though, my favorite Collins moment was his freewheeling rendition of "Santa Fe" on the subway. I found myself tearing up again at Angel's funeral as the friends all shared their loving memories.
I am in love with Maureen! Well, actually, I'm in love with all of them, but Maureen (played by Indina Menzel from Wicked) shares many traits with my sweetie, and I totally go for hot, smart, and talented bi women! Her performance art piece was hilarious and her relationship with Joanne worked for me, especially their struggle about respecting each other's personalities and not trying to change each other. I loved how she mooned Benny and her line about her and Joanne being "Sisters... We're close" was just perfect.
As I said before, Roger reminded me a lot of my friend Jack. The specifics are quite different, but the emotional resonance is striking. Roger has an incredible solo "One Song Glory" about wanting to achieve his artistic dream before he dies and Jack pursued his theatre dreams and earned an MFA. Roger is full of romantic baggage which Mimi inspires him to work through, and Jack did something similar. Mimi is quite a piece of work - sexy, troubled, fiercely independent, yet vulnerable, she is a woman who knows what she wants and goes after it full blast. Despite his initial protests, Roger never had a chance.
I felt that Benny was the least developed character. He left the group to marry rich and has taken on the corporate value system, yet is still attracted to the Bohemian lifestyle. He is a reflection of Mark's worst fears on selling out. He takes up with Mimi, and it's not really explained why (although given that one would have to be stone cold dead to not see how hot she is, reasons may not be needed). I think it is because he wants to recapture some of the free spirits of his youth, an early midlife crisis as it were.
Making "Seasons of Love" the opening number really worked for me. It framed the story nicely, introduced us to all of the characters, and reassured the audience that the filmmakers had not forgotten that this had originally been a play. The rebellious, counterculture message of this film reminded me at times of Fame, Hair, and Rocky Horror. It pushes the boundaries of showing various sexual orientations on screen, and has characters that feel completely real to me. I loved it!!! Go see it!!! It reminds us that love can make a difference.
I totally identified with Mark, the Jewish filmmaker who grapples with whether making money for his work is actually selling out. During the film, Mark is the only character not currently in a relationship and he is trying to protect himself by being watching others rather than participating (I sure remember this feeling from my teens), but his ex Maureen turns the tables on him and gives him the means to reconnect with everyone. He so owns the climactic number "La Vie Boheme" and I loved him and Joanne in "The Tango Maureen"
Angel and Collins are simply adorable together. Their falling in love duet "I'll Cover You" is so sweet and so evocative of their love and respect for each other. Though, my favorite Collins moment was his freewheeling rendition of "Santa Fe" on the subway. I found myself tearing up again at Angel's funeral as the friends all shared their loving memories.
I am in love with Maureen! Well, actually, I'm in love with all of them, but Maureen (played by Indina Menzel from Wicked) shares many traits with my sweetie, and I totally go for hot, smart, and talented bi women! Her performance art piece was hilarious and her relationship with Joanne worked for me, especially their struggle about respecting each other's personalities and not trying to change each other. I loved how she mooned Benny and her line about her and Joanne being "Sisters... We're close" was just perfect.
As I said before, Roger reminded me a lot of my friend Jack. The specifics are quite different, but the emotional resonance is striking. Roger has an incredible solo "One Song Glory" about wanting to achieve his artistic dream before he dies and Jack pursued his theatre dreams and earned an MFA. Roger is full of romantic baggage which Mimi inspires him to work through, and Jack did something similar. Mimi is quite a piece of work - sexy, troubled, fiercely independent, yet vulnerable, she is a woman who knows what she wants and goes after it full blast. Despite his initial protests, Roger never had a chance.
I felt that Benny was the least developed character. He left the group to marry rich and has taken on the corporate value system, yet is still attracted to the Bohemian lifestyle. He is a reflection of Mark's worst fears on selling out. He takes up with Mimi, and it's not really explained why (although given that one would have to be stone cold dead to not see how hot she is, reasons may not be needed). I think it is because he wants to recapture some of the free spirits of his youth, an early midlife crisis as it were.
Making "Seasons of Love" the opening number really worked for me. It framed the story nicely, introduced us to all of the characters, and reassured the audience that the filmmakers had not forgotten that this had originally been a play. The rebellious, counterculture message of this film reminded me at times of Fame, Hair, and Rocky Horror. It pushes the boundaries of showing various sexual orientations on screen, and has characters that feel completely real to me. I loved it!!! Go see it!!! It reminds us that love can make a difference.
