Finally got to see the long awaited Spielberg remake of West Side Story yesterday. It did not disappoint. Spielberg remained true to the original with a few artistic licenses that were very reasonable. The choreography was superb. I can't tell you how many times I had tears in my eyes throughout. Bernstein's music was a fresh as ever and seem like it could have been written yesterday. And who is this guy Stephen Sondheim? 
Lyrics that are both perfect and intelligible. How refreshing. Casting unknowns is always risky but Spielberg knows future starts when he sees them. Maria, Tony and Bernardo were all excellent. Rachel Zegler was a treat. She can really sing so no need for Marni Nixon-like dubbing here. Here's a tape that Spielberg heard 3 years ago when she was a complete unknown. Apparently 30,000 girls tried out for the part. Spielberg had her picked on day 1 and never waivered.
Her mother was Columbian and her father was Polish. New Jersey kid!! Raised in Clifton NJ. Disney figured it out as well. Her next gig is Snow White in a new remake (Can you still call them Dwarfs? I guess we'll find out). I'm also pretty sure we haven't seen the last of Ansel Elgort (Tony) or David Alvarez (Bernardo) either.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was the reinvented role of Rita Moreno. I mean, how many Oscars is an EGOT winner allowed to win? (Moreno was also an Executive producer on WSS)
Surprisingly, it only did 10M on its opening weekend which is considered a box-office flop despite it's mostly excellent reviews. This is discussed at length in a wonderful editorial by Peggy Noonan. It says much more about the fact that the future of the Big Screen has been changed forever than it has to say about the movie itself.
www.wsj.com
All in all, I was so relieved that Spielberg really did justice to what is arguably the greatest American Musical of all time. This is particularly relevant because the recent Broadway revival was ruined by a progressive interpretation that just sucked and was considered a complete disaster. So happy the pandemic closed that production last year before it tortured anyone any longer.
Go see WSS. It is thoroughly enjoyable.
Lyrics that are both perfect and intelligible. How refreshing. Casting unknowns is always risky but Spielberg knows future starts when he sees them. Maria, Tony and Bernardo were all excellent. Rachel Zegler was a treat. She can really sing so no need for Marni Nixon-like dubbing here. Here's a tape that Spielberg heard 3 years ago when she was a complete unknown. Apparently 30,000 girls tried out for the part. Spielberg had her picked on day 1 and never waivered.Her mother was Columbian and her father was Polish. New Jersey kid!! Raised in Clifton NJ. Disney figured it out as well. Her next gig is Snow White in a new remake (Can you still call them Dwarfs? I guess we'll find out). I'm also pretty sure we haven't seen the last of Ansel Elgort (Tony) or David Alvarez (Bernardo) either.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was the reinvented role of Rita Moreno. I mean, how many Oscars is an EGOT winner allowed to win? (Moreno was also an Executive producer on WSS)
Surprisingly, it only did 10M on its opening weekend which is considered a box-office flop despite it's mostly excellent reviews. This is discussed at length in a wonderful editorial by Peggy Noonan. It says much more about the fact that the future of the Big Screen has been changed forever than it has to say about the movie itself.
Opinion | ‘West Side Story’ and the Decline of the Movie Theater
The remake is wonderful. Its poor performance at the box office suggests streaming is here to stay.
www.wsj.com
All in all, I was so relieved that Spielberg really did justice to what is arguably the greatest American Musical of all time. This is particularly relevant because the recent Broadway revival was ruined by a progressive interpretation that just sucked and was considered a complete disaster. So happy the pandemic closed that production last year before it tortured anyone any longer.
Go see WSS. It is thoroughly enjoyable.
