Cindy Prascik's Review of West Side Story

 

My dear, neglected reader(s), the weekend just passed saw a major new release in cinemas that was very much of interest to me (The Batman), and a brand new Sebastian Stan movie that I could have screened in the comfort and safety of my own home (Fresh). Instead I elected to watch the remake of West Side Story, which, at the very least, is new to a couple streaming services this week...in other words, no longer a twrnty-dollar rental. Twenty-dollar rentals are the hill on which I've chosen to die.

Spoiler level here will be mild, I suppose, though I can't imagine anyone doesn't know how this plays out by now.

Against a backdrop of racially-motivated gang violence and neighborhood gentrification, a young Puerto Rican girl and a Polish-American boy fall in love.

I am of the...vintage...where everything I've ever loved is being remade into something I don't understand by people younger than I can remember. I try not to be bitter about it and, generally, I don't hate remakes for the sake of it. (Just don't get me started on The Crow.) That being said, I'm a big fan of the original West Side Story, and I wasn't sure how to feel about it being remade. It seems somewhat cemented in its time. I'm happy to report this is neither destruction nor fawning copy of the original. It also isn't some "woke" reimagining. The show's message endures, without this new version feeling the need to beat anyone over the head with it.

WSS-2021 is two and a half hours long, but it doesn't feel bloated or slow. The better and more interesting musical numbers all occur in the first half, and there's nothing for it, but I never was checking the time incessantly or waiting for the movie to end. With one notable exception (more on that later), vocal performances are solid and acting is okay-ish. The dancing is exceptional, with choreography is reminiscent of the original, but somehow busier and, thus - to someone with two left feet, anyway - all the more fascinating. Bonus points for eliminating that chicken-walk thing (which I've always hated) from the mambo!

On the minus side, I don't think Ansel Elgort was hired for his voice. He's not a bad singer, but he's not a particularly good singer, either. The 1961 version used voice doubles for some of the leads, and may have had the right idea. Staging sucks the life right out of some formerly dynamic numbers (notably, America), and many of the exteriors have the same awful green-screen effect that plagued In the Heights. Also, not that it could be helped, but no one in this move is George Chakiris, and that's never less than a shame.

West Side Story runs 156 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some strong violence, strong language, thematic content, suggestive material, and brief smoking."

I definitely don't get the awards love for any of it, but the remake of West Side Story is a decent effort, and if its recognition keeps people making movie musicals, I'm all for it. Of a possible nine Weasleys, West Side Story gets seven.

West Side Story is now streaming on Disney+ and the HBO family of channels.

Fangirl points: Brian d'Arcy James! Corey Stoll!

Oh, and, for the record, I did start Fresh and realized about 30 minutes in that — no matter how much I love Sebastian Stan — I can no longer be a person who watches everything he does. Hard pass.

MOVIE REVIEW: WEST SIDE STORY

 

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.

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Rita Moreno, Corey Stoll

Release Date: November 19, 2021

Genre: Crime, Drama, Musical, Romance

Rated PG-13 for some strong violence, strong language, thematic content, suggestive material and brief smoking.

Runtime: 2h 36m

Review:

Steven Spielberg's West Side Story isn't really necessary in the grand scheme of things since the 1961 Robert Wise film is considered cinematic royalty.  Perhaps Spielberg is one of the few directors around who could pull off the amazing feat of delivering a vibrant and relevant refresh of this story. The film pulsates with a palatable verve from it's opening frame.  Each shot is meticulously constructed and composed which displays the amount of care that went into this production.  The songs are instantly recognizable but the choreography and costuming are just breathtaking to behold in terms of size and scope.  Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler lead the cast as the star crossed lovers.  Zegler, in her big screen debut, is perfect from the moment she hits the screen with a voice that's sure to leave an impression.  There's an air of authenticity in her performance that bleeds through the screen. Elgort though feels like a weak spot in the cast with his performance and voice coming off flat for large portions of time.  Zegler and Elgort don't share that spark of onscreen chemistry you'd expect from the central couple and in a lesser film it'd probably sink the whole production.  It's a testament to the film that it really doesn't matter in the long run since the supporting cast more than makes up for it.  Mike Faist turn as Riff is a kinetic punch of charismatic juvenile delinquency making him the most interesting person onscreen for a large portion of the film.  David Alvarez is equally strong as Riff's rival Bernardo.  Alvarez reeks of masculinity and machismo which fits perfectly with the character.  Ariana DeBose, who takes on Rita Moreno's role from the original film, manages to leave a huge impression with her energetic and ultimately tragic turn with the centerpiece being her performance of America.  Spielberg's West Side Story is a rare cinematic feat especially for a remake, it's engrossing, uplifting, timely and moving in the best way.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: FIRST MAN

On the heels of their six-time Academy Award®-winning smash, La La Land, Oscar®-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for Universal Pictures’ First Man, the riveting story of NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the years 1961-1969. A visceral, first-person account, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie will explore the sacrifices and the cost—on Armstrong and on the nation—of one of the most dangerous missions in history. 

Director: Damien Chazelle

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Ciarán Hinds, Christopher Abbott, Patrick Fugit, Lukas Haas

Release Date: October 12, 2018

Genres: Biography , Drama , History

Rated PG-13 for some thematic content involving peril, and brief strong language

Runtime: 2h 21 min

Review:

First Man is an incredible achievement on multiple levels.  Damien Chazelle’s film is a technical achievement as it puts you in the ships and modules on a visceral and claustrophobic level.  All of the flight sequences are just trilling but that shouldn’t come as a surprise considering Chazelle’s talent.  The quieter moments, there are plenty, are just as engaging thanks to a pair of wonderful performances from Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy.  Gosling’s turn is understated but you can sense the simmering emotions behind his eyes.  Neil Armstrong is always guarded but driven by past pain as portrayed by Gosling.  Claire Foy is just as strong throughout; so much so that you wished the film spent a bit more time with her but the film is focused on Neil.  It’s an introspective yet epic tale about the man who achieved such a landmark moment in human history.  The flag controversy is thoroughly overblown as the film couldn’t display American achievement anymore than it already does.  First Man is an engaging character study that tries to get us into this pioneer’s headspace and does it with class.

A-

Cindy Prascik's Review of Marvel's Ant-Man

Dearest Blog, today it was off to the cinema to tick off another item on the "Superhero Movies I Have to Get Through Before They'll Give Me Another Batman" list. On the docket: Marvel's Ant-Man.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

An ex-con looking for a new path finds good things really do come in small packages.

(Sooooooooooo...anybody else get a li'l misty every time that Star Wars trailer runs? Just me, then?)

Somehow Ant-Man never seemed to generate the kind of excitement Marvel's gotta be pretty used to by now. Sure, there's a built-in audience that's always going to be wound up about a genre picture, but to me Ant-Man just doesn't sell itself to the random box-office walkup like Captain America or Thor.

My own anticipation was far greater when it was flying under the "Written & Directed by Edgar Wright" flag, but I'm pleased to report Ant-Man is a thoroughly enjoyable movie, and much of it still feels quite "Wright," if you'll pardon the terrible pun. (Wright retains writing and producing credits.)

As fits the Marvel brand, Ant-Man is mostly light, and often wanders into flat-out hilarious territory.

It's got a lot more going for it than you might think, but the humor is, by far, its best attribute. The movie's got some sweet effects, too, though I did grow a little tired of the big bugs/tiny person sequences. (We get it, he's an ANT man!) Ant-Man mostly moves along at a good clip and is smart enough not to wear out its welcome, but it occasionally it tries too hard to explain itself, and I could feel the crowd around me getting restless at times.

Some of the Avengers references started to feel a little bit Agents-of-S.H.I.E.L.D. desperate, too: "Guys, this might not be as good as our other stuff..better throw in an Iron Man joke so people remember that's us too!" If you're a Paul Rudd fan--and I can't imagine there's anyone who isn't--you'll be delighted at how perfectly he fits into Ant-Man's tiny boots.

I was a little nervous, but I needn't have worried; Rudd is ideally suited to the character and the movie. The supporting cast is pretty terrific from top to bottom, too, though I'm still not sold on Evangeline Lilly. If pressed to say my favorite part of the film, it'd have to be the trio of Michael Pena, Tip "T.I." Harris, and David Dastmalchian (or, as I call him, "that crazy guy from The Dark Knight who did the Wendy's commercial"), who provide laugh-out-loud moments every time they're onscreen.

Ant-Man clocks in at 117 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sci-fi action violence."

I think the lone other patron who waited out the credits with me put it best when he said, "Well...I liked that better than Age of Ultron!"

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Ant-Man gets eight.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: ANTMAN

The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man.” Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

Director: Peyton Reed 

Cast: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Matt Gerald, Corey Stoll

Release Date: Jul 17, 2015 RealD 3D

Runtime: 1 hr. 55 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Family

Review:

I have no issue saying that I expect the worse when I heard Antman was announced to the docket of Marvel films being made.  First of all, the concept is one of those ridiculous conceits that probably play better on the page than in real life.  Secondly, there’s all the behind the scenes drama with Edgar Wright leaving the project and Peyton Reed coming and having to rewrite part of the script with Paul Rudd.  It just seemed ready made for a disaster, so was it?  No, it’s a fun movie that’s hilarious in parts and enjoyable throughout.  The sillier part of the concept is pulled off with impressive ease and Paul Rudd fits the role perfectly.   A solid supporting cast, anchored by a very engaged Michael Douglas, makes for an all around good time.  It’s the type of Marvel film you come to expect and it doesn’t throw any major curveballs.  There are a few Marvel universe bits thrown in and it’s not as shoehorned as they’ve been in other film.  Minor issues like Evangeline Lilly’s wig and Corey Stoll mustache twirling villainy, I still half expected his toupee from The Strain to pop up, are digestible.  Antman is a solid entry to the ever expanding universe and worth seeing for impressive action set pieces and a surprisingly sharp script, be sure to stick around for the two stingers at the end.

B  

TV SHOW REVIEW: House of Cards

Francis Underwood is Majority Whip. He has his hands on every secret in politics - and is willing to betray them all to become President.


Cast: Kevin Spacey, Michael Gill, Robin Wright, Kate Mara, Michael Kelly, Corey Stoll

Executive Producers: David Fincher, Kevin Spacey, Eric Roth, Joshua Donen, Dana Brunetti, Andrew Davies, Michael Dobbs, John Melfi, Beau Willimon


Netflix’s decision to give original programming a shot was something that could have gone very badly. It could have been some cheaply produced muck with low rent actors. The decision to remake the British series House of Cards, after outbidding the cable networks, with A-list talent in front and behind the camera was a master stroke. With David Fincher at the helm for the first 2 episodes, allowing him to establish is distinctive style, gives the series instant legitimacy. The cast instantly shows you they are on their A game with an incredibly magnetic performance by Kevin Spacey at its center. The supporting cast such as a luminous Robin Wright textures the world being presented. Robin Wright’s performance as Underwood’s wife is just as interesting and complex as Spacey’s, a lesser actress could have faded into the background. Kate Mara continues to leave a noticeable impression even when working with some grade A talent. Other supporting players like Corey Stoll and Michael Kelly round out an impressive cast. The story and characters are all incredibly rich giving all these actors so much to work with throughout. Its plot feels like a MacBeth, King Lear hybrid blended into a modern day Washington all of it handled in an incredibly watchable and engrossing manner. Season 1 only failing speaks to effectiveness, the finale leaves you wishing you could watch season 2 instantly, a real triumph for Netflix.

A

Netflix Streaming Exclusive with all 13 episodes available