West Side Story
Release date: Dec. 10, 2021
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring Ansel Elgort, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Rita Moreno, Rachel Zegler
Currently available on Disney+ and HBO Max
The Plot
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.
What I Liked About This Remake of West Side Story
* All the original stuff they didn’t mess with – the music, the book, the lyrics
* All the visual elements – the setting, the costumes, the camera work, the editing, and, of course, the directing
* Ansel Elgort’s looks and voice
* Rachel Zegler’s looks and voice
* That Rita Moreno was in it
What I Didn’t Like
That Tony kills Maria’s brother and Maria is okay with it. This is just impossible to believe. (It didn’t happen in Romeo and Juliet.)
Critical Reception
* “There’s so much beauty in this West Side Story. It merges things that have truly shaped pop culture, from the graceful precision of Spielberg – who has always had a musical director’s eye in terms of how he choreographs his scenes – to the masterful songwriting of Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein to the brilliant writing of Tony Kushner to the immigrant experience in this country. It grabs you from the very beginning and takes you there. Somehow, someday, somewhere.” (Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com)
* “A rich and famous artist spends a hundred million dollars to revive a corpse with the blood of young people. The creature is still alive, but barely, and the infusion leaves it deader than when it started.” (Richard Brody, The New Yorker)
* “It’s a dazzling display of filmmaking craft that also feels raw, unsettled, and alive. Rather than embalming a classic with homage or aggressively reinventing it, Spielberg, Kushner, Peck, and their collaborators… have rediscovered its breathing, thrilling essence.” (A.O. Scott, The New York Times)
Interesting
* The film was very expensive to make ($300 million) and had a weak start, grossing only $10.6 million in its first week. It will be interesting to see if it can break even.
* Elgort did not attend the Academy Awards. Possible reason: After the movie was in the can, he was accused of some sort sexual misconduct by a young woman with whom he purportedly had an affair. He may have decided to keep a low profile for a while.
You can watch the trailer here.
