For those of you growing up in the early 90's, it was a scary thing, AIDs. It was still something to be feared, despite the medication out there. It also became the theme of something special, something that I would watch and never forget in my life. That was the broadway show, Rent. Rent was the first musical I'd seen. It was amazing, to say the least. The cast was a solid deal, strong, young, passionate. I walked away with more than a few tears in my eyes, especially upon the final song. Now, almost a decade after it debuted, Rent makes its way to the big screen and to my surprise, with almost the entire original cast, (Joanne played by Fredi Walker and Mimi played by Daphne Rubin-Vega were notably absent) I had my doubts on it being good. I mean, how old are these people now? Sure, they could pull off young back then, but you'd be surprised how quickly one ages in terms of looks when you push the 40's. I was wrong. During the movie, I never thought too much about their age. In the beginning, it bothered me a little but after "Light my Candle" I stopped giving it thought. But as these people aged, so have their experience. The veterns came off so strong that I found myself crying more so than the first time I saw the musical. By Life Support, I was already in tears and so were my friends, who had never seen the musical. There are things in the movie that are 10X more powerful than the musical. Ok, before I start bawling again, I must comment on the music. Columbus has changed the ordering and taken out a few songs at that. No more sexually charged "Contact" no jolly "Christmas Bells." And the most important alteration was the move of the Seasons of Love from the end to the beginning. But somehow, it feels like it belongs there, like a powerful introduction to something that just doesn't stop pounding at you until you cry in submission. Powerful changes were the circle of Life Support, slowly fading away, one by one. And to watch Angel die over again was just a harrowing experience. The two new members, Rosario Dawson (Mimi) and Tracie Thoms (Joanne) do a decent job. I found myself enjoying Dawson's rendition of "Out Tonight" more than I did Rubin's, which is scary because I am a staunch fan of Rubin. Like...maul the crowd to get her autograph fan (not that I did...*sweats*). Thoms, on the other hand, tries to hold her own in Seasons of Love but pales in comparison to the voice of the original Joanne. Her rendition of Tango: Maureen and all the other songs are ok, but I still miss Walker's voice. I like the appearance of this Joanne though. It's good. But 1. you need a liberal mind otherwise you'll miss important messages. and 2. be warned, I did NOT need to see Idina's white arse on my screen. NO. That was troubling. Another word of caution. This movie will shock your brain and force you to think while your brain is still recovering. Then it will take your brain outside of your head and beat you with it until you cry like a baby.
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