"How can you connect in an age where strangers, landlords, lovers, your own blood cells betray?" In Jonathan Larson's hit Broadway musical-turned-movie Rent, seven friends seek to answer that question in HIV-positive New York City. The answer they find: "love."
The plot relies mostly on the character development of its ensemble cast. There's Roger the struggling songwriter, Mark the renegade filmmaker, Mimi the drug-addicted stripper, Collins the gay philosophy professor, Angel the transvestite street drummer, Maureen the exhibitionistic performance artist, and Joanne her lawyer lover. Their stories weave together one Christmas Eve as they fight eviction from their apartment building in the East Village. Over the next year, their friendship is tested by jealousy, betrayal and loss. In the process, they find that the risk of authentically engaging one another in love is worth the pain.
Rent is a thematic treasure trove. It stresses the importance of authentic relationships that go well beyond the surface. Everyone has baggage, but when we can bear with one another and "cover" each other with love, life is worth living. This theme is aptly expressed in many scenes, but one of the most compelling is in Roger's struggle to let himself love Mimi. A year prior, he'd lost his girlfriend April to AIDS and had been waiting for the virus to take him as well. Mimi challenges him to stop dying and start living, to "give into love or live in fear." It's a fitting testament to essential Truth of the power of love to "drive out fear." (1 John 4:18).
Artistically, the movie is beautiful. The lighting, the imagery, the cinematography... perfect. I wasn't terribly pleased with the re-writing of some of the dialogue, though. Much of the dialogue was taken directly from original song lyrics, which made conversations sound sing-songish and odd. It was a bit jarring for someone like me who has the entire show memorized to hear the many places where songs were mangled to fit onto the big screen. They also entirely cut out some of my favorite songs, including "You Okay Honey?," "Christmas Bells," "Happy New Year," and "Halloween." I also didn't like the added scene of Joanne and Maureen's engagement party. Oh well. Some things will just have to be better on stage.
It was incredible to be able to see the characters' faces the way one can only through cinema. Of the eight principle players, six were original Broadway cast members. Each one brought an intimacy to his or her character that can only be cultivated over 10 years. The only two non-original cast members were Tracie Thoms (Joanne) and Rosario Dawson (Mimi). As Thoms was a virtual unknown, I wasn't too concerned about her performance. She was magnificent, by the way, especially in that little black dress in the "Tango Maureen." Wow. I was, however, entirely skeptical of Dawson's abilities. In fact, I was prepared to hate her. I didn't, though. I actually loved her and thought she just about stole the show.
I would advise discretion in viewing this movie. Everything shown can be seen on primetime television nowadays, but drug use, language, and sexuality are fairly prominent. However, I felt it was largely shown in good taste and I didn't mind viewing even the most explicit scenes in mature mixed company.
Rent exceeded my already high expectations, leaving my friends and I in awe. It's a powerful show that could very well transform the box office the way it did Broadway several years ago. At least I hope so.
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