Low ‘Rent’

Penthouse Talent Directed to the Basement
By Rebecca Redshaw

There’s nothing wrong with the talent in Rent. To a person, they sing wonderfully, act well, and look good (although some of the cast is a little long in the tooth for this youthful struggle to survive).

I looked forward to seeing Rent. I wanted to love Rent. I especially wanted to give Rent a glowing review because it’s message is dear to my heart – struggling artists being true to themselves and their crafts.

And there were things I loved about Rent, Wilson Jermaine Heredia’s sensitive portrayal of Angel, the transvestite, the openness of the lesbian relationship, [Tracie Thoms and Idina Menzel], even the struggle with addiction [Rosario Dawson] and the desperate consequences that result from needles and powder. For goodness sakes, Jesse L. Martin, wonderful as Thomas Collins, even took a bullet to be in this movie (all you Law & Order junkies know what I’m talkin’ about).

But as a movie, this musical is a flashback to the Jets and the Sharks dancing in the streets of New York. That worked in 1961, but movie audiences became far more sophisticated over the years (no, really) and the reason musicals shot for the screen went by the wayside, until recently, is because people weren’t willing to suspend their disbelief. They demanded reality.

A few musicals worked since West Side Story, but only because the music was either partly based in reality i.e. Victor Victoria or totally immersed in fantasy i.e. Evita.

Fear not toe tapping sing-a-long fans! Creative, brilliant directors like Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge) and Rob Marshall (Chicago) found ways to wave the magic of the musical to the screen without relying on the stage format that director Chris Columbus stumbles through with this movie.

Seeing a film is different than seeing a stage play. Both are different than reading a book, yet we constantly compare art forms. All have value, but to think they are interchangeable without making artistic concessions is not only unbelievable, it’s unforgivable.

Die hard Rent fans will have already seen the movie by the time this review hits the wire. Enjoy it. I didn’t