Monday, December 06, 2021
WEST SIDE STORY
Steven Spielberg's new version of West Side Story, set on the streets of New York, was previewed in an unusually good hour-long special on ABC. West Side Story is a truly great musical and by all appearances this should be a great film. The music is by Leonard Bernstein, with lyrics by Steven Sondheim. Tony Kushner wrote the screenplay for this version. Arthur Laurents wrote the book for the original stage version. The story is adapted from Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet.
The actors are young, and many have not worked before in films. Rachel Zegler, (the new Maria) was last seen in her High School musical. The excerpts shown demonstrate prodigious new talent through out the cast. Rita Moreno (Anita in the 1961 film version) has a role; and many roles are cast with actors whose ethnicity and background matches their characters.
Although I have not seen Spielberg's film version, yet, I've seen the original version of the story, which was missing the music, and set in Italy, but was beautifully written, and very powerful emotionally.
CAST:
Ansel Elgort as Tony
Rachel Zegler as María
Ariana DeBose as Anita
David Alvarez as Bernardo
Rita Moreno as Valentina
Brian d'Arcy James as Officer Krupke
Corey Stoll as Lieutenant Schrank
Mike Faist as Riff
Josh Andrés Rivera as Chino
Iris Menas as Anybodys
David Aviles Morales as Aníbal
Sebastian Serra as Braulio
Ricardo Zayas as Chago
Carlos E. Gonzalez as Chucho
Ricky Ubeda as Flaco
Andrei Chagas as Jochi
Adriel Flete as Julito
Jacob Guzman as Junior
Labels: Arthur Laurents, film, Leonard Bernstein, musical, Rachel Zegler, Rita Moreno, Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare, Steven Sondheim, Steven Spielberg, theater, Tony Kushner, West Side Story
Thursday, July 05, 2007
BLACK SNAKE MOAN
Black Snake Moan is a very powerful picture.
It's a blues musical, the second (Hustle & Flow, a hip-hop/rap musical, was the first) in a series of films by Craig Brewer that may redesign, redefine, and revolutionize the movie-musical.
Don't take it literally. It's not a sexual exploitation or a race relations film. It's a fable or a fairy tale or a metaphor or a provocation or a love story. It sits right on the edge of a cliff... of disaster, tragedy, sorrow, human shame, guilt... or redemption.
(I've always kind of wondered what it means when someone says some project is -- or should be -- edgy. This film is the embodiment of edgy.)
The acting, by Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, and Justin Timberlake is terrific. And the music is excellent: it's a blues musical. The extra features on the DVD are very interesting.
"Black Snake Moan" is the name of a song by Blind Lemon Jefferson, one of the great, legendary blues singers. But it's fair to read other meanings into the title.
Labels: Black Snake Moan, Blind Lemon Jefferson, blues, Christina Ricci, Craig Brewer, Justin Timberlake, musical, Samuel L. Jackson
Sunday, June 24, 2007
DREAMGIRLS
Excellent singing, interesting story. Lots of great acting, including an Oscar winning performance from Jennifer Hudson.
I was bored.
Here are some personal notes on Dreamgirls:
The biggest problem I had was the Jamie Foxx character. From the hints in the plot, he's got to be a charismatic operator. But the part was underwritten, and the performance too low-key. All his showmanship, his salesmanship, and his flagrant criminal activities were offscreen. His love scenes were tepid.
Originally a Broadway show, the film is full of show-stoppers -- extraordinary songs, full of emotion, belted at high volume. Live, they could be spectacular. On screen, they simply stopped the show.
It's the atmospheric, highly musical story of a "fictional" singing group from Motown that makes it big... And the people they leave behind.
I think you've just got to be in the mood to enjoy this one.
Labels: Dreamgirls, Jennifer Hudson, musical
