Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway (2008) Reviews

• No Movie Like This Movie

  Colorscheme2008-09-28

  Twelve years after Rent debuted on Broadway and swept across the consciousness of multiple generations (I'm in X), the curtain closed a final time in the theater on 41st St. That night was a culmination of Larson's realized, unrealized dream, witnessed by his parents and sister, and celebrated by the lucky hundreds in attendance that night. After the disappointment of Christopher Columbus's noble attempt, we finally have a definitive version of the musical to remember it by. This is it. This is the one. All I could think, through laughter and tears, was "How much money did they spend to make that Hollywood version when all they needed to do was THIS? Set up a camera crew in the Nederlander theater and capture the show as it was intended to be seen." Roger never sings from atop a butte here. :) I'm sure there will be a selection of fans who were never able to see the show on Broadway or on tour who first loved the Columbus film and it's soundtrack (it's a great soundtrack, after all) and won't understand this Filmed on Broadway version without the context of being there. But, if you've never seen either version I suggest starting here. And for those of us who have seen it live, once or many times, here it is in a time capsule. I appreciate the closeups. In the movie theater today, I wanted the crew to pull back a bit and show us the entire stage and staging more often. That's my only gripe and why I rate it a 9 out of 10. Then, I think about it on the small screen in your living room and how tiny the stage would look at that size and understand. This version is meant to take the experience home. The bricks of the wall at the back of the stage, up where Mimi comes out to play? You can see their texture. I imagined the hands of every girl who played Mimi caressing their surfaces and thought, "We've never seen that before, not so close." The overlapping chorus of Angel buying Collins his coat, Roger introducing Mimi to Mark, and Joanne talking to Maureen on the phone has never been clearer, thanks to the camera cuts. The close-up of Angel as she's leaving the stage in death was beautiful. The best testament to how well this transported me came afterward. My girlfriend and I walked out of the local cineplex fully immersed in Manhattan. It was jarring to see the trees of the suburbs and not the towers, noise, people, and cabs of the Theatre District. I drove away expecting the City's traffic, maybe a bridge, but we suddenly found ourselves in our hometown. So sad. I was hoping to stop at Grimaldi's.

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• On behalf of those of us who never had the chance to see it on Broadway, THANK YOU!!

  Katie_B882010-02-27

  This has to be one of the best DVDs I own. Having not even heard of Rent until the movie came out, I never really knew the story until 2005. It was a great idea to do the movie and an even better idea to release the final Broadway show on DVD. It is making it possible for those of us who only learned of Rent late in the game or for those of us who were too young when it came out or for those of us who don't live in or visit New York to see this amazing piece of theatre. The cast did a great job and Jonathan's beautifully written story will live on in this performance. This story is the heartwarming tale of eight friends, with various issues, including some main ones of living in poverty and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The music is incredible and it's not all "showtunes" but rather, it is a combination of various styles, including rock, gospel and pop. It makes a statement and it warms your heart. It takes a couple watches of Rent to fully understand the story but once you do, you're captured in its magic for life.

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• Beautiful

  stardoggie1232008-10-11

  In a word, beautiful. Now, I must admit I'm biased, given that I've seen RENT on Broadway eight times and can pretty much recite it in my sleep, but by any standards, I think this film is pretty amazing. I came into the whole RENT world fairly late, first falling in love with the 2005 movie and then, after seeing the show, realizing how truly horrible the 2005 movie was. RENT filmed live on Broadway seemed to me like a 'haha, in your face' to Chris Columbus. The perfect simplicity of this movie overshadowed Columbus' mangled, depressing version that was just all wrong. Although I still missed the thrill of seeing the show live, of applauding along with the rest of the theatre when Mimi begins 'Out Tonight' or when Angel enters for 'Today 4 U,' this movie is pretty much the best you can get without actually seeing the show on Broadway. You see things you might miss live, the faded 'Only the good die young' emblazoned on the back of Roger's jacket, or the look of peaceful satisfaction that crosses Angel's face when Mark finally refers to her as 'she.' All in all, the solos and duets were amazingly done and gave you a whole new perspective on the show. The one thing I wished the movie had focused more on was the ensemble numbers. For big numbers like 'La Vie Boheme' or 'Christmas Bells,' seeing everyone doing everything at once is kind of the point. When the camera zoomed in on individuals during these scenes, they lost a bit of their impact for me. However, having seen those numbers live previously, it was nothing that bothered me too much. Overall, though, it was fabulous. As long as RENT is closed and I can't see it at the Nederlander, I'm perfectly happy with watching this version at home.

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• Everyone should watch this.

  eddax2009-05-27

  It's kinda sad that my favorite theater production has closed on Broadway after a 12-year run, even if I would never have gone and watched it there anyway. This movie was the final performance, captured on film. I think it's unavoidable that I would draw comparisons between this cast and the casts of the touring troupe I watched in Singapore and the original cast whose album I've played over and over. And also unavoidable that I would think this cast doesn't quite compare, simply because it's a much more spiritual experience to watch Rent live, and because I'm so familiar with the original cast recording. Most of the cast I was fine with, but I thought Renee Goldsberry, who played Mimi, was a bit too feral and not vulnerable enough, and Justin Johnston, who played Angel, wasn't feminine enough. There was also a bit too much energy in the air, which is understandable, since it was the last performance, but while it worked for the faster numbers, it made the emotional scenes a bit too dramatic. But I quibble, the actors perform well and the director knows the production intimately enough to have the cameras capture all the right angles to best highlight each scene. And this is Rent - I went through the same emotional roller-coaster as when I first watched it. And while this isn't quite the same as watching it live, it comes pretty darn close. Everyone should watch this.

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• My favorite rock opera, in it's entirety

  I_Love_Spielberg2009-04-09

  RENT is an updated version of "La Boheme" about a group of bohemian artists striving for their art while facing the dangers of paying the rent, poverty, illness, and the AIDS epidemic. My first introduction to RENT was through the Chris Columbus film. I thought it was wonderful, and even since I saw that version, I've wanted to see the stage production. But seeing as where I live, it was impossible. Then learning that it was closing on Broadway, it broke my heart even more. But then, I learned that the final performance was going to be filmed. I was so happy, that I wanted to see it, but other things got in the way. After a while, I thought I would never see it, until it came out on DVD on February 3rd. I rented it, and I saw it, and I loved it. It feels so good to see the stage production that it's all I watch now. I won't even disregard Columbus' film, but there's something about this one that just stayed with me. Plus, I, of course, cried like a baby watching. Please see this.

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