Rating: 9.2
So there’s clearly nothing that Steven Spielberg can’t do, as his first attempt at making a musical resulted in one of the best musical movies in years! It’s utter perfection and stunningly good! I absolutely loved it and would argue it’s the best version of this classic musical that has ever been produced! Not only that, but it’s Spielberg’s best and most lively film in years! (Which really says something considering his excellent filmography). Only Spielberg could create something magical, charming, and dazzling! We truly don’t get movies like this anymore — it feels right out of classic Hollywood! I thought every aspect was just crafted with such perfection, I cannot believe how good it turned out, and that I loved it way more than the original!
Where do I even begin with this? It just excels in every area! It’s the “Jaws” of musicals… no one knows how to place or move a camera quite like Spielberg and I’m in awe of the choices he made in this film! You don’t see this level of filmmaking anymore, honestly one could study this movie from a directing and screenwriting perspective; it’s that well done! You can really tell Spielberg poured his heart and soul into making this, so many sequences are just stunning! Five minutes not the film I was convinced that this is a prime example of what the magic of cinema is; from the technical aspects to the story and the musical sequences.
The opening shot alone is awesome, it feels like Spielberg is really taking us on a journey! I loved so many of the visual choices! There’s a lot more movement in the camera work (with shots that had my jaw dropping) and it looks absolutely gorgeous. The blocking and choreography of musical sequences was perfect, and I really thought the use of colour was ingenious; very effectively and purposefully used in the film. Lighting was also a huge standout to me, with shadows and lens flares really accentuating moments in the film. For example, the “love at first sight” moment is a perfect blend of lighting, colour, and blocking to create such a perfect sequence of events. I also really loved a shot in the “Maria” sequence that shot Tony from a high angle and we saw the reflection of yellow lights and the dark blue evening sky in a puddle below him, it was just dazzling to look at. It’s just such a vibrant and beautiful-looking film! All the choices made to change certain aspects of musical numbers were inspired, I especially loved how they staged “America” and “Cool” this time around!
Speaking of which, the musical sequences are, of course, wonderful! They really capture the joy of an old Hollywood/Broadway musical but in a modern film context and with modern technology. I loved that the music and lyrics themselves were preserved exactly as they were written in 1957. You just can’t beat Leonard Bernstein’s breathtaking score (and it sounded so good here!) as well as Stephen Sondheim’s brilliant lyrics. And the sequences themselves were executed to pure perfection, from the dancing to how they were staged, to even the amazing singing put on display here!
The casting was one of the most incredible things this movie has going for it. No one knows how to cast like Spielberg! Everyone was perfect! Rachel Zegler did a wonderful job as Maria, she was so charming and really excellent in her musical numbers, especially considering this is really her first major acting role. I did feel that she didn’t really sell Maria’s forgiveness decision near the end however which made the result itself feel somewhat silly and unnatural. Ansel Elgort is good as Tony, but truly best in the musical sequences as boy can he ever sing! To me, there were two major standouts in the film however and those were Mike Faist and Ariana DeBose. My god did these two ever steal every single scene they were in!
Tony Kushner’s script was also stunningly well written. He really captured the spirit of the source material and brought it to life once again, while giving us a sort of fresh take on it. It expands and improves the story in fantastic ways, adding in a bit more of a stronger social commentary, and is more aggressive in this respect than the original which really works! I loved how he also explored and fleshed out each character, really focusing on their flaws and insecurities and how this lead them all to make unfortunate choices that end in tragedy. He fleshed out conflicts that had fallen flat in the original, however still couldn’t crack making the central romance more convincing. It still feels somewhat flat and forced to me, but that’s kind of the nature of it as it’s very much a “Romeo and Juliet” situation. I had hoped that they would be able to fix it here, but it honestly didn’t take me out of the movie at all. I also loved the new buildup to the rumble, as well as that momentous fight itself, it was intense as hell, which really threw me off guard as I didn’t expect that in a musical. I was just left incredibly impressed with the creative choices made to update the story.
I loved this movie! It features some truly masterful filmmaking and excels in every area. I was dazzled by the film and I really thought Spielberg did such a good job with his first musical! So much of this movie is outstanding and needs to be seen on the big screen! I highly recommend it, it is a near-perfect, very classic Hollywood film! I love this resurgence of musicals this year from “In the Heights” to “Tick, Tick… BOOM!”, “Cyrano” and now this — which may be the best one yet! If you love musicals or are just a cinephile in general, you can’t miss this!
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IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
RT Audience Score: 95%
Metacritic Score: 87
CinemaScore: A
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20th Century Studios
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Screenplay by Tony Kushner
Based on the stage play by Arthur Laurents & Jerome Robbins
Music by Leonard Bernstein and Songs by Stephen Sondheim
Cast: Rachel Zegler, Ansel Elgort, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Rita Moreno, Brian d’Arcy James, Corey Stoll
Runtime: 2hr 36min
Rating: PG
Crime, Drama, Musical, Romance
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Love at first sight strikes when young Tony spots Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. Their burgeoning romance helps to fuel the fire between the warring Jets and Sharks -- two rival gangs vying for control of the streets.
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Fun Fact: This film marks the first time Steven Spielberg has directed a musical. Spielberg previously developed a semi-autobiographical musical film titled "Reel to Reel" in the early 1980s, but the project was eventually abandoned.
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