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intereact!Actors: Rod Arrants, Darryl Chan, Eleanor Columbus, Clarke P.Devereux, and Darryl Edwards
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Retail Price (not our price): $19.94
Release Date: 2006-02-21
Theatrical Release Date: 2005-11-23
Studio: Sony Pictures
Run Time: 135 minutes
Format: Array
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Discs: 2
Editorial Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
1) Amazon.com
Rent, the show that in 1996 gave voice to a Broadway generation, has finally become an energetic, passionate, and touching movie musical. Based loosely on Puccini's La Bohème, it focuses on the year in the life of a group of friends in New York's East Village--"bohemians" who live carefree lives of art, music, sex, and drugs. Well, carefree until Mark, an aspiring filmmaker (Anthony Rapp), and Roger, an aspiring songwriter (Adam Pascal), find out they owe a year's rent to Benny (Taye Diggs), a former friend who had promised them free residence when he married the landlord's daughter. Roger has also attracted the attention of his downstairs neighbor, Mimi (Rosario Dawson), while Mark's former girlfriend, Maureen (Idina Menzel), has found a new romance in a lawyer named Joanne (Tracie Thoms). Philosophy professor Tom (Jesse L. Martin) finds his soul mate in drag queen Angel (Wilson Jermaine Heredia). But because this is the late-'80s, the threat of AIDS is always present. The remarkable thing about Rent the movie is that nearly 10 years after the show debuted on Broadway, six of the eight principals return in the roles they originated. They're a bit older than would be ideal for their characters, but they do have the advantage of having learned the show directly from creator Jonathan Larson (who died of an aortic aneurysm while the show was in previews), plus they started young--we're not exactly talking Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford here. Alongside a polished performance like Rapp's--sometimes observer-commentator, sometimes participant in two of the score's showstoppers, "The Tango Maureen" and "La Vie Boheme"--the two new additions (Thoms in place of Fredi Walker, Dawson in place of the edgier Daphne Rubin-Vega) slip comfortably into the ensemble; the pivotal Dawson makes a seductive case as Mimi when she tempts Roger in the mesmerizing "Light My Candle" or burns up the stage of the Catscratch Club in "Out Tonight." Moviegoers who have an aversion to people who break into song while walking down the street probably won't have their minds changed by Rent (even if they are singing rock songs), and the gritty subject matter and lack of big-name stars make it unlikely to cross over to general audiences the way Chicago did. But fans of musicals should find "Seasons of Love" as stirring as ever, and the show's passionate admirers--the "Rentheads"--probably couldn't have wished for a more sympathetic director than Rent fan Chris Columbus, or a more faithful representation of the show they love. --David HoriuchiOn the DVD Three powerful musical numbers cut from the final film are the highlight of the two-disc DVD. In the aftermath of the funeral scene, Anthony Rapp sings "Halloween," and he, Adam Pascal, and Rosario Dawson share "Goodbye Love" (both songs were in the stage version). Then in an alternate ending, the cast finishes "No Day But Today" on the bare stage on which the film began. There are worthwhile arguments for why these scenes were cut or replaced, so it's fortunate that the DVD lets us see these at all. Those musical numbers have optional commentary by director Chris Columbus, Rapp, and Pascal (two other cut scenes have no commentary), including one funny moment in which Rapp explains in great detail the technical challenge of shooting "Halloween" only to have Columbus say, "Yeah, but I don't know if that's the take we used." The three also provide commentary on the film itself, with Columbus discussing various decisions, criticizing the critics, and marveling "I still don't know how we got the PG-13," and Rapp and Pascal occasionally recalling differences in the stage version. The other whopper of a feature is No Day But Today, a nearly two-hour documentary that uses video clips, still photographs, and interviews with family and friends to celebrate the short life of Jonathan Larson and his creation. Topics include his early interest in musical theater ("I want to write the Hair for the '90s."), the support of Stephen Sondheim, the impact of the AIDS epidemic, the long and difficult road of Rent (casting the show, Larson learning to collaborate, the transfer to a Broadway stage, and the Rentheads), and Larson's tragic death. The last 20 minutes covers the making of the film, director Chris Columbus, the decision to rely on most of the original cast (the only two principals who didn't appear in the movie, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Fredi Walker-Browne, are interviewed in earlier segments, but only mentioned in passing here), recording sessions, and location shooting. If the movie of Rent was a tribute to Jonathan Larson, the DVD is all that and more, a moving and incredibly detailed look at an extraordinary talent whom the world lost far too soon. --David HoriuchiMore Rent Movie soundtrack Original Broadway cast recording Anthony Rapp's Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical "Rent"
Customer Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5
1) RENT IS MY LIFE! [Rating: 5 out of 5]
Rent is the most amazing and touching movie I have ever seen in my entire life! The songs, the characters and the story are all completely real. The songs are catchy, the characters are colorful, and the story is beautiful. This is the most beautiful movie I have ever seen and it is AMAZING!2) Incredible strong points; major flaws [Rating: 3 out of 5]
The musical RENT is a film adaptation of a Broadway play. I've recently seen a pretty dang good Chicago production of it. It's got no shortage of heart, lots of energy, and lots of laughs and tears. It's also got some weaknesses that are precariously close to being its death blow. Its flaws don't kill it, but they come close.The performances are absolutely amazing. I don't have a single critical thing to say about any of the actors.Musically, I know this music has made the global rounds and it's huge. I don't think there's anything bad to say about the musical score either.But looking critically at RENT, both as a story and as a film, reveals glaring flaws that keep me personally from falling head-over-heels in love with it and becoming a full-fledged RENT-head. This story has some problems that are both unfortunate and major, paradoxically leaving me with a sense of disingenuousness. Which doesn't make sense considering its origin, where it came from, Larson. I shouldn't be able to call 'BS' on RENT and be justified, and yet I can.RENT assumes rather than earns its authenticity.RENT has an unflinching, unapologetic self-centeredness that both serves it and cripples it. It has devoted so much focus and effort into being Gen-X'y, bohemian, and anti-establishment, that it has overlooked having a genuine identity of its own. Its uniqueness is stereotypical. It's confined to its freedom. Its portrayal of village artists and photographers is obvious, clunky, one-dimensional, cliché. The film is far too self-congratulatory to even consider noticing this.RENT is trying (plaintively?) to make its characters' last year on Earth a celebration, but the thing is, I feel like a terrible situation of tremendous gravity, urgency, and despair has been turned into something of a 3-ring circus. On some level I feel like I have to question how seriously this was meant to be taken. Only its origin saves it from being creatively bankrupt. The exact same story coming from any Hollywood writer would rightfully get burned at the stake. Ultimately, these decisions ARE Larson's prerogative. I guess that being homeless and your imminent AIDS-related death doesn't automatically require an uptight documentary-style treatment.RENT's excessive prettiness is also a big detriment to the film's authenticity, honestly. These people are awfully beautiful to be homeless AIDS victims. These are all designer characters. Their appearance is a deliberate, calculated, manicured image designed to make the idea more digestible. I rather suspect some watch this so they can feel like they've adopted some of the suffering of an underprivileged group of people. Do those individuals spend any actual time with the homeless? Who's to say. This mentality has infected other visual aspects of the film, too. Everything is so manicured and staged it becomes false. Everything is designer and Hollywood and perfect, including--nay, ESPECIALLY the abandoned buildings and alleys. The cinematography is a technical masterpiece and everything happens much too perfectly for me to believe in the world of RENT. It's not to be unexpected in a musical, but the nature of the subject matter changes the game quite a bit. Would I apply that equally to all films everywhere? Unfortunately, we're in the territory of art criticism here and it's subjective--and context matters, so no. For instance, Chicago has all the exact same traits, but they work for the film it instead of against it. And, say, a maverick cop out to kick some butt lacking authenticity is an entirely different ball game than being fake about THIS.The entire scene with Sarah Silverman is the epitome of what I'm talking about. It fails to be the stark contrast with the rest of the film that it's trying to be. Furthermore, the entire subplot is an absurd non sequitur, but that's beside the point. It's trying to contrast how perfectly neat and tidy this corporate world is with how free and loose the world of the rest of the film is, but the entire film is actually neat and tidy--the spontaneity and freedom are artificial. I don't buy it.But thanks to the performances, damn, RENT sure does have a fire in its britches.In a way, it is simultaneously justified and questionable to call this film fakey, as it is just Jonathon Larson's feelings on the subject rendered in musical form. It really has an energy to it, no denying that. It really challenges you to drop your hangups and relax and enjoy the ride.I'm not a RENT-head, nor do I hate it. I don't think it's mediocre, canned, or kitsch. I don't think it's amazing or enlightening. Calling it pretentious isn't exactly fair, though there is a pretentiousness to it. I do, however, feel confident in saying both that it has flaws and has something to it.So, how you feel about RENT will always come down to how deeply you connect to the characters and how much you're feeling the music. Is it an electrifying, heartbreaking celebration of life and love, or is it a mockery? Both cases could be made. My bottom line opinion: RENT is successful in spite of itself. The actors work harder than they should have to to sell a story that's working against them, confined by excessively stiff character molds--and they are so good, they pull it off. What's strong is incredibly strong. But to pretend its flaws didn't exist would be, for me, an intellectual suicide.3) Seasons of Love [Rating: 4 out of 5]
The musical "Rent" was a phenomenon in the '90s. It served as an interesting period piece- all about the '80s and the destructive rise of AIDS. Its creator's premature death added luster to the updating of "La Boheme." The movie version of "Rent" is fascinating, considering it was directed by Chris Columbus of Home Alone&Harry Potter fame. Columbus sanitizes the drug use&promiscuity issues,making them sugar-coated and almost family-friendly. Columbus also renders such controversial issues as homosexuality normal,daring in a mainstream film."Rent" opens simply. On a bare stage,the cast sings the powerful "Seasons of Love." There are three parallel stories going on,making it more layered than the original La Boheme. Taye Diggs stars as an evil developer who wants to destroy an artists' collective to make way for corporate power. Maureen (Idina Menzel) is a performance artist,in a conflicted relationship with her girlfriend (Tracie Thoms) Jesse L. Martin stars as a gay philosopher whose life is saved by a drag queen named Angel. Adam Pascal stars as an aspiring songwriter,Roger,who encounters a stripper named Mimi (Rosario Dawson) Anthony Rapp stars as an aspiring filmmaker capturing the drama of life- from Maureen's protest to the support groups for those suffering from AIDS. There are musical highlights along the way,such as the hilarious "Tango Maureen",the hedonistic "La Vie Boheme" and the joyous ode to the Southwest,"Santa Fe." One of the best scenes is when Pascal is briefly in Santa Fe,among the canyons&before the St. Francis Cathedral (it is spectacular)The story is complicated. Roger&Mimi deal with her heroin addiction,they break up&later reconcile. Maureen&her girlfriend have a lavish engagement,a falling-out,but they soon reconcile. The only couple that doesn't split is the professor&Angel. However,Angel dies from AIDS (while Mimi is miraculously healed of it) It's the gay couple that lasts--again,daring for a mainstream film. Homosexuality is presented in a normal way; Angel's gender ambiguity is treated as a fact of life,being called both "he"&"she" at his funeral."Rent" has catchy songs,spectacular production&a strong cast. Underneath its flashy&romantic facade,it's a thought-provoking musical. Rent is worth paying!4) Awesome Musical for ALL [Rating: 5 out of 5]
Saw this with a friend and had to buy it. Not only is the musical well done, with the majority of the Original Broadway Cast, but it has tons of extra features and deleted scenes.5) A Rock Opera for all tastes [Rating: 4 out of 5]
The music ranges from true rock 'n roll songs to excellent Broadway musical numbers. So if you're not enjoying what they're singing at any given moment, just wait a bit and the tempo/mood will change soon enough. Best scenes: 'Light My Candle' and 'Tango Maureen'. The cast is perfect - most are from the Broadway production. New to the cast is Rosario Dawson, who may just be the most enticing East Village denizen you'll ever encounter. A bit slow at times, but a nice visual balance between gentrified NYC and the real nitty gritty of the bohemian scene.