Based on Puccini's classic opera La Boheme, Jonathan Larson's revolutionary rock opera Rent tells the story of a group of bohemians struggling to live and pay their rent in the gritty background of New York's East Village. "Measuring their lives in love," these starving artists strive for success and acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness and the AIDS epidemic. One of the longest running shows on Broadway, Rent was the winner of the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Obie Award, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, four Tony Awards and three Drama Desk awards.

I think its almost better to go into the movie not knowing that much about the Broadway Musical than it is to be a huge fan of the hit play. I find most times when you are a fan of a stage performance it is never really that good for you when they make a movie of it. On stage there is a magic that is almost impossible to catch on film, it is why we rarely see Shakespearean movies and other famous plays made now days. Most mainstream movie audiences don’t have the imagination it takes to see a play in your mind and not worry about special effects and explosions. I knew a little bit about Rent even though I have never been privy to seeing it on stage, so the movie worked for me but I think I would prefer it on stage. The movie is fantastic at drawing you and the music is beautifully done but for me I could almost sense the missing magic of the Broadway version even though I have never seen it performed any other way. But the most important thing is the movie is a Rock Opera and so the music is what the movie will live and die by and the music was marvelous. Sure the movie has more to offer like dealing with the issue of aids, love, and life all wrapped in a musical shell and topped with some wit and humor but if the music wasn’t as good as it was the movie would have not worked. You can almost see yourself humming a lot of the songs after words and that’s a great tribute to what the movie was trying to achieve.

As with all musical ensemble casts there are some performances you love, some that are just ok for you and others that you just don’t care for at all. Ironically one of the performances I didn’t care for was by Idina Menzel who plays Maureen in the movie as well as on stage. Its ironic that this is the role that she would be most famous for and what Rent would be famous for and it’s the performance I liked the least. I just loved Rosario Dawson as Mimi and Adam Pascal as Roger and their dynamic was the best of all the couples. They had almost a tortured love that leapt off the screen for me. Wilson Jermaine Heredia who plays Angel was the humor and wit of the movie. He was the one that always had me cracking up and smiling even though he becomes the tragedy of the movie. Taye Diggs is the other actor I didn’t care for in the movie as none of his musical numbers seem to grab me as it was like he was only half trying and he was so understated. But the music as a whole rocks and that’s what important, while there were a few numbers and singers I didn’t like they all still came together in the end to make a good movie and a great tribute to the Broadway Musical.
4 stars out of 5