No Day But Today

[dangermousie]

I saw Rent tonight.

Wow, wow, wow, wow. I laughed, I cried, I got choked up and sometimes, I forgot to breathe at how beautiful it was. It is definitely one of my Top 5 movies of the year.

It just really so full of emotion and energy and sheer joy of being alive and in love and feeling anything really. For a movie that has a large chunk of its characters living under the death sentence (for 1989) of AIDS, it's remarkably hopeful and beautiful.

And the singing and the music? Unbelievable. The word "soaring" it totally cliche and overused, but it fits here. The funny thing is, I came to Rent with really fresh eyes. I have never seen the musical on Broadway, nor have I even heard the soundtrack before walking into the theater. When it was first on Bway, I was going through a snob phase, so I went "How dare they do a modern version of La Boheme? Yuck" and stayed away. Boy, how wrong I was. I am completely won over and bowled over.

The cast has amazing chemistry with each other. Not just the couples, but as friends. And I was so happy to see that most of the cast is Original Bway cast. Totally deserved. They knocked my socks off. Also, I now totally understand elvensapphire's thing for Adam Pascal (whoa, baby! He is attractive but when he opened his mouth for his first solo song, I meted into a puddle) and have the world's hugest girlcrush on Rosario Dawson.

I also loved what it had to say on love and tolerance. It wasn't preachy in that "oh yes, gay people are just like us" way that sets my teeth on edge. No, it just showed three couples, three couples in love, in lust, in relationships. And the fact that one was gay, one was lesbian and one straight really made no difference. They love each other, the end.

So, what is the plot, ask the 5 people who don't know.

OK: This movie "documents" a year in the life of a group of Grenwich Village bohemians in 1989. There is Mark, a documentary maker, who still has a thing for his ex, a free-spirited performance artist Maureen, who left him for Joanne, a lawyer. There is Collins, who just moved back to NYC, and who meets the love of his life, Angel, after being mugged. Both Collins and Angel have AIDS. And there is Roger, a musician, who also has AIDS and who is a recovering junkie. He attracts thr attention of his beautiful neighbor Mimi, a dancer at an exotic club who is also HIV+. He is reluctant to get involved, but slowly...

Oh, and then there is a little matter of rent, that is demanded by their landlord Benny.

If you want to see more pictures, go to this LJ entry of mine. Oh, and go see the movie!

Comments

[katranna.livejournal.com]

Haha, glad you liked it... but when have there been "gay people are just like us" movies since the 80s?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

All those lovely "heroine's best friend is this completely asexual gay guy, but isn't he cute" themes in movies....

[katranna.livejournal.com]

Oh, those... Ick. Yeah, those are horrible and demeaning.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

And do you notice how they never EVER date (let alone kiss) anyone. They don't even talk much about men being hot or what not. It's basically just picking out the girls' accesssories and "dishing" about heroine's love life. Ugh.

[minerva-fan.livejournal.com]

Thank you for sharing the sweet, sweet Rent-ish Lurve! Fey and I gathered our pennies and went see it yesterday--my sweetie hasn't stopped listening to the soundtrack since. (I've owned the original Bway cast album for a couple of years.) Having seen the play twice, I was prepared for anything. I must admit, the changes they made for the movie adaptation were a little jarring at first (much of the spoken dialogue in the film was sung in the play), but I quickly stopped playing the "oh, how they've changed my musical" game and just fell in love with this version. The actors were great, the music was great, the locations were great--just a wonderfully satisfying adaptation. I'm still weeping over what Hollywood did to Camelot and Man of La Mancha, so this means a lot to me.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I honestly had no idea what to expect, but I love musicals so was interested. And I was completely won over. The music is out of this world. Now I need the sountrack (and some Rent icons).

I love the soundtrack for Man of La Mancha (the show) but I heard horrible things about the movie...

[elvensapphire.livejournal.com]

The soundtrack for Man of La Mancha is awesome - the movie, however, is not. I've never even been able to sit all the way through it. And Camelot got ruined. Hence why RENT is such an amazing rarity among stage shows-turned-films.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It's funny, because I like Camelot-the-musical-movie, because I saw ir before I knew it was based on a stage musical. So I had a really different approach to it. But when i did listen to the stage version, I was astounded how different in tone it was.

[elvensapphire.livejournal.com]

Hearing the Julie Andrews soundtrack first ruins it a bit. I wish I'd seen the movie without knowing the background/music of the show. But I do love Richard Harris regardless. He was actually a very good Arthur (and a good Dumbledore, but that's another story!). :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I adore Richard Harris. He was the best of the Camelot cast.

[syliasyliasylia.livejournal.com]

I glad you liked the movie. I saw the musical some years ago and I loved it, I want to see the movie but I don't know when it's going to come out here :(. In the meantime I'm listening to my RENT soundtrack cd. "Seasons of Love" is one of my all time favorite musical songs!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It's funny, because I loved SoL song, but it wasn't my favorite because there were some that totally took my breath away...

I want to see it again!

[elvensapphire.livejournal.com]

I keep butting in on other people's comments here. :D But, while Seasons is the most famous song from the show, and it is beautiful, I agree with you - it's not my absolute favorite. It's hard to distance myself from it because I've sung it twice in choirs and I've known it longer than I've known the rest of the show, but some of Jonathan's other songs are seriously underrated because Seasons is so popular. I honestly don't know which song I'd say is my favorite (although "Another Day" would probably be the one I would lean towards).

Jonathan Larson's only other surviving musical, which they pieced together from music/a rough story he'd written even before he did RENT has a couple of really beautiful songs in it, too. It's funny because you can almost here an echo of what Rent became in them, but they still stand on their own. It's sad that he didn't get to gift the world with anything else, because I imagine he still had more to give.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, maybe I sould seek that other musical.

I think my favorite either One Song Glory or Another Day. Probably OSG.

[elvensapphire.livejournal.com]

I am so, so glad that you loved it. I had a feeling you might (especially after I saw how beautiful it turned out), but it's wonderful to hear that people are going into it with fresh eyes and being as swept away as those of us who were familiar with it. The actors did such an incredible job, and I think the direction/cinematography was amazing as well. It's one of those films that I wish everyone could see and take into their hearts, because it has a gorgeous message about life and love, which it manages somehow to get across without being cliché or preachy. Absolutely breathtaking.

Do you want me to send you a link to the soundtrack? I will.

And the Adam love seems to be spreading! *winks* The minute he began "One Song Glory" on the roof, I about died. Since Roger is angsty and more of a quiet type, I loved how much Adam managed to just convey in a glance or the expression on his face. He plays Roger with a kind of sensitive grace that I wasn't expecting, having never been able to see the show. Not to mention Rosario - she steals every scene she's in, and she has the perfect balance of sexy and innocent for Mimi's character.

This entry makes me happy. :) There are very few stories that can make me laugh, cry, break my heart, and inspire me at the same time, but this is one of them.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Icon!!!!

The minute he began "One Song Glory" on the roof, I about died.

I think that was the moment I just went "whoa!" Because before that, I thought "hmmm, nice singer, attractive enough, blah blah blah." And then he started singing OSG and I was on the floor :P

And yeah, Rosario as Mimi is euqally marvelous. She just has this contagious enthusiasm that muted Roger needs. Of course, he has the steadiness that she needs in return.

[elvensapphire.livejournal.com]

*nods* One Song Glory is the moment he grabs you. From the first chords of the guitar onwards, Roger becomes a complete, angsty, and utterly gorgeous character.

She just has this contagious enthusiasm that muted Roger needs. Of course, he has the steadiness that she needs in return. That was something I loved about the two of them, and the chemistry they had. It's funny, because simply by listening to the soundtrack (the Broadway soundtrack in particular, simply because it's more complete as it has more of the "dialogue" in it, as much of it was originally sung), I always got the impression that Roger had only turned steady and sullen because of what happened to April. (The film left out the detail given quickly in the show by Mark, "Close on Roger, his girlfriend April left a note saying 'we've got AIDS,' before slitting her wrists in the bathroom.") I always assumed that he'd been wild and unsteady and only became strong because of April's death and his own journey through rehab, but watching the film you see that Roger (at least the way Adam played him), was always a center of comfort/strength in a way. Yes, maybe he was more open/talkative/reckless when he was involved with April (and drugs, unfortunately), but you see in the scene where she gets her test results that he always had a deep, compassionate soul - it perhaps gets heightened and developed due to his emotional trauma, but Mimi isn't the first that he displays it to. And there are echoes of that steadiness whenever he interacts with other people: be it Mark, Collins, or the entire Life Support group. He only loses his head with Benny (understandably) and with Mimi's self-destruction. I honestly don't know if that's Roger, or if it's the way Adam played Roger, having never been able to see the show, but it made him a much more compelling character for me once I saw the film. Because let's face it, before I could actually see him, I loved him based on the voice and looks alone. But the movie really made me fall for the whole of his character.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

From the first chords of the guitar onwards, Roger becomes a complete, angsty, and utterly gorgeous character.


Only yes. I went "wow" and my heart just...I think it's my favorite song in the whole wonderful soundtrack (and that's quite a feat, considering it has Out Tonight and Another Day in it).

That was something I loved about the two of them, and the chemistry they had

Oh yes. He would just take such good care of her *melts* And she makes him grin like a kid, which is equally wonderful. I actually love the fact that Roger is a bit older than Mimi. It makes sense in the context of his character. He's already been bruised pretty badly by life and she still has the utter recklessness of complete youth. And they do have sizzling chemistry. I love that even when he is rejecting her, he is devouring her with his eyes. And who can blame him? I would consider switching my sexual orientation for Mimi. She is burningly alive.

center of comfort/strength in a way. Yes, maybe he was more open/talkative/reckless when he was involved with April (and drugs, unfortunately), but you see in the scene where she gets her test results that he always had a deep, compassionate soul - it perhaps gets heightened and developed due to his emotional trauma, but Mimi isn't the first that he displays it to

Oh yes. And that is what I love most about him. I think the emotional trauma made him quieter and more withdrawn (I think in some ways being attracted to Mimi, even when he is still resisting draws him out a bit. He leaves the house etc). And it certainly made him unwilling to compromise on self-destruction: which is why he tries to help Mimi, but past a certain point just walks off because he sees he can't help her and he won't be codependent again. He paid a really hard high price for self-control and knowledge, but he did learn a lot. I do think the caring was always there, you are right. And he struggles with allowing himself to feel, understandably so, considering what happened earlier.

[elvensapphire.livejournal.com]

I think it's my favorite song in the whole wonderful soundtrack (and that's quite a feat, considering it has Out Tonight and Another Day in it) I can never decide between those three!!! :D

And she makes him grin like a kid, which is equally wonderful. It's so amazing to see how she just lights him up. He begins so sullen and quiet (I adore the sequence in "Will I?" that transitions from him sitting in the loft to heading to the Life Support group), and when he is confronted with Mimi, who is so alive , he doesn't quite know what to do. He tries to shy her off ("I should tell you, I'm disaster"), but she counters his every move and they can't help but fall into each other, baggage and all.

I would consider switching my sexual orientation for Mimi. She is burningly alive. And she does have the best ass below 14th Street. Or any street for that matter.

I think the emotional trauma made him quieter and more withdrawn ...he tries to help Mimi, but past a certain point just walks off because he sees he can't help her and he won't be codependent again. He paid a really hard high price for self-control and knowledge, but he did learn a lot. He has learned and suffered so much that he emotionally shuts down because I don't think he can bear to watch it happen all over again. He tries so hard to save Mimi and she still spirals away from him. It's heartwrenching, because you know he cares and that it's killing him to watch her destroy herself, but he can only support her so far before he falls apart again. Chris Columbus cut the song "Goodbye Love" in half (it's in its entirety on the soundtrack), which is the only thing I'm still struggling with, because the second half is a confrontation between Mark and Roger regarding emotions, shutting down, and walking away - which is overheard by Mimi and is what leads her to go into rehab, although without Roger she can't hold herself to what she promises. She suddenly can't fight to be alive without him, and being without her is what makes him realize he needs to fight. And thus why the sap that I am loves the story so much.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Have I mentioned I love your Rent posts? Because it totally made my morning to see this.

when he is confronted with Mimi, who is so alive , he doesn't quite know what to do. He tries to shy her off

I love that their interactions bring him out of his shell. You get the impression that he's just been sitting in the apartment and not going out at all and that Mark has tried to draw him outside in the past and couldn't, as his invitations have a tinge of resignation in them. But I think Mimi, even when he is trying to resist her as hard as he can, makes something come alive in him again (I love his line in I Should Tell You "I should tell you I forgot to smile until your candle burned my skin").

And she does have the best ass below 14th Street. Or any street for that
matter.

Heee. I love how she wiggles in at him and he both doesn't know where to look and can't look away. Poor Roger :P I do like that she is the agressive one, because let's face it, that was the only way Roger was ever going to get involved.

he emotionally shuts down because I don't think he can bear to watch it happen all over again

Yes, exactly. I got that in the movie even without the second half of Without You (though since it's on the Movie Album, does it mean it was filmed and will be in the deleted scenes? Please....)

It's heartwrenching, because you know he cares and that it's killing him to watch her destroy herself, but he can only support her so far before he falls apart again

Exactly. And I do love that he knows that. I love, love, love the scene in the alley where she goes to get her drugs and he just begs and pleads and you can't hear a word, and you can't even see his face but you can tell through his posture and gestures of how much of himself he is putting in this and then she still refuses and he just walks away. And it's heartbreaking and understandable at the same time. (Oh, and how much do I love him holding her when she is shivering in withdrawal, coaxing her through. It's probably my favorite Roger/Mimi scene and it's completely mute). Guuuuh.

She suddenly can't fight to be alive without him, and being without her is what makes him realize he needs to fight

Oh yes. Yes indeedy. You always put everything so well!

[elvensapphire.livejournal.com]

You get the impression that he's just been sitting in the apartment and not going out at all and that Mark has tried to draw him outside in the past and couldn't, as his invitations have a tinge of resignation in them. Yes! Mark tries, he really does, but here's the thing about Mark - he's essentiall very sweet and almost timid, until "What You Own" hits him. And thus he's easy to walk on (look at Maureen with him). He loves Roger, they are best friends, but Mark isn't enough to draw Roger out. So instead Mark has to sit by the sideline and just hope that maybe someday the Roger he knew will come back. But it takes Mimi, who is so much more vivacious than Mark is to bring Roger back to life.

A bit of a tangent about Mark. I love Mark because of his subtlety, the way he's learned to deal with everything he sees around him. It's painful for him, too but he hides it with more dexterity than Roger does - Mark's angst doesn't always lay on the surface. The lyrics in the second half of "Goodbye Love" always get me here - "You're always preaching not to be numb...you pretend to create and observe when you really detach from feeling alive!" and Mark's simple, heartbreaking response of, "Perhaps it's because I'm the one of us to survive!" He's facing the prospect of losing every single person he loves, in one way or another, and so he buries himself. And yes, thank goodness, this scene (along with the deleted "Halloween" which IMO is the best bit of character we get from Mark and it makes me sad it was cut) will be on the DVD. I wish Chris Columbus would edit them back in, but rumour has it they'll just be in bonus features. At least we will get to see them.


I love, love, love the scene in the alley where she goes to get her drugs and he just begs and pleads and you can't hear a word, and you can't even see his face but you can tell through his posture and gestures of how much of himself he is putting in this and then she still refuses and he just walks away. That scene is when I start to cry. He's so angry, his gestures are so hurt, and yet there's a moment when he grabs her shoulders and you know he just wants to hold her close, but instead he forces himself to push her away. And in this case, the fact that there's no sound only adds to the emotion. (That's why I love the mutness of the "ruminations" scene in ROTS.) You don't always need words to understand what's happening. It's really beautiful, even in how awful and wrenching it is to watch.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps it's because I'm the one of us to survive!"

Oh yes. It was then that it hit me that he is the only one without AIDS if you don't count Maureen and Joanne and that he will have to see all his loved ones die and it's horrible.

I am so glad that scene has been filmed and will be on DVD.

That scene is when I start to cry. He's so angry, his gestures are so hurt, and yet there's a moment when he grabs her shoulders and you know he just wants to hold her close, but instead he forces himself to push her away.

Oh yes. I started crying then too. Because it's his will and his mind against his heart and he doesn't want to give in and start yet another destructive cycle but you see it's killing him. Guuuh.

[elvensapphire.livejournal.com]

I have a question that I honestly cannot find the answer to ANYWHERE and it's driving me nuts, so I'll ask your opinion: Benny. HIV+ or no? Because I would tend to say no, but there are people who've debated it. But obviously, he's not close to Mark like the others are after what's transpired, so it's not the same comparison. Just something I have never figured out.

Mark is watching every one of his friends waste away from disease, and he loses the woman he loves (and I do think he deeply, truly loves her) to someone else. Although I think a fondness and kindred spirit grows between Mark and Joanne that helps to patch that a little, I'm sure it still has to hurt him.

I am so, so glad they filmed it, too. They say that both scenes were cut because they were "too emotional" to handle on screen directly after the funeral sequence...Which obviously, having not seen the scenes, I can't agree or disagree with.

Because it's his will and his mind against his heart and he doesn't want to give in and start yet another destructive cycle but you see it's killing him. *nods* And it's something so compelling and attractive about his personality and his spirit. He has to choose, but I think he really has to discover himself first. He's been lost for too long, going from the wild rock and roll life of being with April, to suddenly plunging into angsty despair, to suddenly being in love again, that I think he honestly doesn't know who he is or what he wants. That's why it's essential that he get out on his own and "find his song" - which, he discovers, was Mimi from the beginning. *melts a little bit*

[ayn-rand-fan-13.livejournal.com]

Oh, that sounds great. I can't wait to see it.
I think I've seen La Boheme, though, so I sort of remember what happens at the end.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I saw La Boheme (Baz's version) on Bway. This is a bit different though.

[jesus-freak1234.livejournal.com]

Wow, I liked the musical a lot better. :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Haven't seen the stage version, so can't compare. But I really did love the movie.

[lpmufinfiend.livejournal.com]

My folks and youngest older sister went to see it today. I was told both that it was awful, and that I would love it. "Oh, honey, it was *horribly* long!" and seconds later, "Oh, but all the lively, colorful music and people and ambiance... made it wretched, I think, but you'd lap it right up."

I'm waiting till it comes out on DVD, but I'm totally going to see it. Don't see much Broadway, but what I've seen, I've loved. Yours is one opinion I trust, so I'll be watching it soon...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I was told both that it was awful, and that I would love it.

ROFL. It's not that long btw. A bit over 2 hours.

Yours is one opinion I trust, so I'll be watching it soon...

Wow, thank you. I hope you like!