RENT -- Chris Columbus, dir

©2005
studio: Sony Pictures
production company: Rent Productions LLC, 1492 Pictures, Revolution Studios, Tribeca Productions
dir: Chirs Columbus
cast: Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Rosario Dawson, Jesse L. Martin, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Idina Menzel, Tracie Thoms, Taye Diggs, Julia Roth, Porscha Radcliffe, Stephen Payne, Darryl Chan, Ken Clark, R.C. Ormond
screenplay: Stephen Chbosky, from the musical by Jonathan Larson

This is the film version of the Pulitzer and Tony Award winning musical about Bohemians in the East Village of New York City struggling with life, love and AIDS, and the impacts they have on America.

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I was not at all familiar with this musical, other than that it was the show to see at a time while I was working in New York. I knew that a film had been made, but wasn't even aware that it was a Chris Columbus film.

I enjoyed watching this, to a point, and did feel that I got caught up in the lives of this group of friends, and I attribute that mostly to Columbus because I don't think I would otherwise be able to identify with any of these people.

I enjoy musicals, and I got a great sense of these people singing because the music was "in" them and that this was the best way to express themselves. However, I felt that much of the music was very similar in sound, so it tended to feel redundant.

The performances were incredible, and made these characters to be real people, but I still had trouble with their situation. Is it really possible that that they could have been living in a large loft in New York and not have paid rent for a year? And, once thrown out, break in and become "squatters" and thus have a right to be there? Implausible.

And though I've praised the acting work, I will admit that I had trouble seeing Anthony Rapp as the filmmaker who won't sell out, and thus living this "bohemian" lifestyle. He struck me as constantly being too preppy. He never looked "hungry".

Still, this was a wonderful film and worth a viewing.