Rent

Title: Rent
Country: United States of America
Language: English
Year: 2005
Cast:

• Anthony Rapp
• Adam Pascal
• Rosario Dawson
• Jesse L. Martin
• Wilson Jermaine Heredia
• Idina Menzel
• Tracie Thoms
• Taye Diggs

SYNOPSIS

Rent (Soundtrack) - Seasons of Love
Rent (Soundtrack) - La Vie Boheme

Set in New York city's gritty East Village, it tells the story of a group of bohemians struggling to live and pay their rent. "Measuring their lives in love," these starving artists strive for success and acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness and the AIDS epidemic.

The revolutionary rock opera RENT is based on Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer and Tony Award winning musical, one of the longest running shows on Broadway.

REVIEW

Rent (Soundtrack) - Another Day
Rent (Soundtrack) - Light My Candle

I love musicals and Rent is one of my favorite musicals so I'm really glad that there was a movie adaptation. What makes this particular adaptation extra special is that the original 1998 Broadway cast, save for one, is also the movie cast. There are certainly some differences, for instance the singing messages left on answering machines in the musical is not included in the movie, but overall I'm extremely satisfied with the movie.

I like watching theater productions but movies, or rather movie DVDs, address the limitations of watching a musical or play in the theater such as you can get better seats since movie tickets are cheaper, and you can watch the movie any time you feel like watching it if you have the DVD. In addition, the theater stage is bare and you need to imagine the setting and the location whereas in movies, the sets are more elaborate.

Most people who are not familiar with musicals may find it strange to see the characters suddenly bursting out into a song. But once you get used to it, you'd actually listen more closely to the song lyrics than the dialogues and sometimes  judge musicals based on music composition, and even choreography when applicable, as opposed to the plot.

Anyway, the musical's plot is quite serious because it talks about poverty, HIV and AIDS, drugs, and homosexuality. The social issues discussed in the movie are still relevant today although the musical, and consequently the movie, is set in the 1980s.

I like the characters in the musical because although they are struggling with a lot of issues and health problems, they remain hopeful for the future and they try to live their fullest every day.

I love all the actors in the movie and they have great chemistry together, which is not surprising considering that the majority have worked together as part of the original Broadway cast. Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Jesse L. Martin, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Idina Menzel, Tracie Thoms, and Taye Diggs are all good singers and actors. I was pleasantly surprised with Rosario Dawson because I didn't know she could sing.

I love all the songs in the musical but if I have to pick some favorites, it would have to be Seasons of Love, Light My Candle, Life Support, Out Tonight, Another Day, Will I?, and La Vie Boheme.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes,
How do you measure... measure a year?

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Rent