No Day But Today

First off, I don't go to movies much. It's taken more than a year for me to see the film of Rent. My brother-in-law gave us tickets to Rent in Seattle as a wedding gift, and while we enjoyed it, we couldn't see what all the hype was about. Maybe it wasn't a great production, but I had a hard time getting into it. It seemed too long - at least some of the songs seemed too long - and I had problems understanding many of the lyrics. The film completely changed my outlook on Rent.

We finally had a movie night last Saturday in our living room, this time with my husband at my side and our preschooler on my lap. The opening sequence, with everyone in the neighborhood lighting their eviction notices on fire and tossing them out the window, was one of those moments where a filmmaker makes the most of the the medium. Another amazing reinterpretation was having Mark hit his head on the concrete floor in the middle of Tango Maureen, and suddenly hallucinate -- with dozens of dancers suddenly doing the tango, including Maureen in red. Fabulous.

This week, I've been listening to the soundtracks. Comparing as hundreds of Rentheads have done before me. I realize I'm late to the table, and have nothing real to add to it. My own personal impression, though, is that I applaud the cutting the director and writers did. For example, suddenly "Out Tonight" makes sense (why did Rodger let her sing that whole song and then push her out? Because she didn't come in until the last verse, after she came home from work! On stage, doing a pole-dance routine on the scaffolding of the set, it seemed odd to me. But hey, pole-dancing in a room full of pole dancers and their paying customers, that's her work, that's her character. It finally clicked.) Cutting out most of "Goodbye Love" works well -- we don't need to hear the argument in words, we've seen it enough between the action 'til he leaves, and the visuals of "What You Own" do an excellent job of telling the story. The setting of "Take Me Or Leave Me" in their own ENGAGEMENT PARTY, I loved.

Okay, this is why I'm not a reviewer. I have a hard time putting my own thoughts and impressions into words. Basic point -- I usually appreciate a stage show more than a film, but Rent is a fabulous exception. At least, so far: now I really want to see the live show again for comparison. The chance comes in May.