Posted on 11/30/2021 12:56:48 PM PST by CondoleezzaProtege
Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the beloved musical “West Side Story” finally began to screen for awards voters over the weekend ahead of its Christmas Day release. First reactions are pouring out as the film’s official premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles gets underway. Early reactions are offering praise for Spielberg’s direction and high marks for Rachel Zegler as Maria in her film debut.
The musical premiered mere days after the death of Stephen Sondheim (who wrote the lyrics for the original production, with a book by Arthur Laurents and score by Leonard Bernstein) at the age of 91. Highest praise for the new film version came from the composer himself, who back in September dropped by “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” to talk about the most recent stage production of “Company” and, of course, Spielberg’s movie.
“It’s really terrific,” Sondheim said of the film. “Everybody go. You’ll really have a good time. And for those of you who know the show, there’s going to be some real surprises.”
Sondheim said that’s because of Pulitzer Prize-winner Tony Kushner, who has received two screenplay Oscar nominations for adapting the Spielberg films “Munich” and “Lincoln.”
Sondheim said Kushner “has done some really imaginative and surprising things with the way the songs are used in the story, and the whole thing has real sparkle to it and real energy, and it feels fresh. It’s really first-grade, and movie musicals are hard to do and this one, Spielberg and Kushner really, really nailed it.”
In addition to Zegler, this new version stars Ansel Elgort as Tony, Ariana DeBose as Anita, and David Alvarez as Bernardo. Rita Moreno, Best Supporting Actess Oscar winner for the original Best Picture-winning film, also makes a cameo appearance as Valentina.
(Excerpt) Read more at indiewire.com ...
trailer: https://youtu.be/A5GJLwWiYSg
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Dollars to doughnuts Spielberg inserted gender-deranged characters into it.
When you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet all the way...
So, how many Trans people are in it?
That was my first thought too.
I did not care for original that much.
SO REAL HARD PASS ON THIS ONE.
Yes, what is he talking about? What real surprises? Somebody is a homosexual? Somebody is transsexual? Somebody identifies in some way which would have been unthinkable when the original play and movie were made?
Maria, I just met a gender-nonbinary person named Maria...
Well, there was already at least one in the original.
I’ve seen the trailer. Lots of light-skin Hispanics. Lin Manuel Miranda was eviscerated for not having dark-skin Hispanics in his film, ‘The Heights’. He issued an apology. Will Spielberg receive the same scrutiny?
I might watch it, as long as there no singing and dancing.
Oh yeah. Nevermind.
How about doing a mash-up movie of West Side Story and The Warriors? I’d go see that one.
No thanks. I’ll stick with the original movie. Probably has homo couples in it anyway. Everything does today.
I loved the original, but I will likely pass on this remake. As other FReepers have already surmised, Spielberg likely put some wacky characters into this remake.
You’ll know when Maria bellys up to the urinal.
Some movies just shouldn’t be remade.
A real surprise would be to have a hero be a white, Christian, male and female couple.
“Some movies just shouldn’t be remade.”
Agreed. While I enjoyed much of the music in the original film I didn’t care for the rest of it. I was not a fan of the acting.
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