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Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway (2008)
It says "Live on Broadway"....They LIED
While I love Rent with a passion this "officially sanctioned" DVD is majorly lacking. The final cast was not it's best. and I really don't like how they claim its the "Final performance" this DVD was made over a course of three performances and only a small portion is from the final show on 7 September 2008. They lied.
I love Will Chase and he could not have been a finer Roger. Kantor was a horrible Mark but he did work well with Will in 'What You Own' and Renee probably was the most shining element of the show. Her 'Out Tonight' was majorly fierce which was a major lacking part of the 2005 film. Tracie Thoms; the one person everyone wanted to see in the final months. Her Joanne live wasn't that great but then again her Joanne in the film wasn't great either.
Gwen Stewart in her ensemble roles and the Seasons of Love Soloist was the greatest part like always.
The filming of this looks like Mtv butchered it by making it all music video like with sixteen different bad closeups and camera angles.
Go see the Tour or amateur productions. This is not worth it. Seeing it live with your own eyes in a theater is so much better.
Rent (2005)
Rent in theatre amazing. Rent the Movie...lacking
I saw this movie four times in theaters. The first was the midnight showing at the Ziegfeld in NYC. I don't remember that night but at the point the movie was actually pretty amazing.
After sitting back and viewing it a few more times I found this to be a pretty mediocre film. I read earlier scripts of both Stephen Chobsky and Chris Columbus for this movie and they were absolutely amazing and well done and true to the nature of the story. Sadly most of it was scrapped for the PG13 rating and what we were left with was this thing.
Of what I remember the earlier scripts had the Tango as very sexual with flashbacks of both relationships Maureen had with Mark and Joanne. It did have the whole fantasy sequence that was kept. April's suicide. a poignant moment before Glory or even to be incorporated into the song. gone.
While I love the Original Broadway Cast they are not the be all end all of Rent. There honestly are so many better Marks and Maureens than Idina and Anthony. Rosario Dawson's Mimi is one reason why I now have to see this movie drunk and completely incoherent of my surroundings. She sounds like a drowning cat. Rosario and Adam had little to no chemistry. God Adam and Tamyra Grey had more chemistry than that. Hell even the Mimi he's on tour with now has more chemistry.
Adam Pascal's Roger and Jesse Martin's Collins was my number one exciting reason for even acknowledging that there was a movie coming out in 2005. The two of them were absolutely brilliant. I could gush. but I'd rather not.
Goodbye Love in its final cut ruined the movie. Skipping the whole sequence of Roger and Mark's argument and Mimi's bit was just leaving a gaping plot hole before What You Own and the whole end of the movie. and honestly Adam singing in the cliffs was just ridiculous. it looked like a cheesy music video.
The best way to see Rent is either on its current tour, bootleg audios/videos, or that "Final Broadway Performance" DVD since sadly the show no longer plays in New York City at the Nederlander as it closed in September 2008.
This is the one show that belongs on the stage not on celluloid.
The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
Eh...it was okay. Not something I'd willingly see again
I went into this movie having an urge to read the Gregory book and wanted to see what the big deal was. I love Tudor history so it was a must to see...as I thought to believe I was immediately disappointed and lost the urge to read the book. Mary Boleyn was not a virginal naive girl when she married Carey. my god she was already the whore of France by then and married Carey after the affair with Henry since he was the one who had her betrothed to Carey. Johannson did an okay job, not too thrilling.
Natalie Portman's portrayal of Anne Boleyn who was one of the most intriguing and controversial women ever was lacking. I mean the whole role fell flat. She wasn't very seductive or dominant in Anne's shoes. She seemed very submissive to Norfolk and Wiltshire more so than other portrayals.
This movie played more like a soap opera than a Tudor period piece. It was missing a lot of important pieces in the romance of Anne and Henry. And to even suggest that Elizabeth I Gloriana was even the product of rape is horrifying. And even the suggestion that Henry would even rape Anne. the shame. Henry was obsessed with Anne (which it was easy to arrest her for witchcraft and treason). when she finally submitted to him in late 1532 it was purely consensual.
Wolsey, who played a major part in the King's Great Matter was missing and he was truly missed. More, Suffolk, Katherine of Aragon and Jane Seymour were either small parts or reduced to scenery.
It seems to me that the only historically accurate moment in the movie was Anne's execution. Everything else was just shameful. Gregory the author should not be considered an historian as she claims she is. The people who made this film are not at fault for bad source material. but honestly they should have researched.