Drag queens, drug addicts, and AIDS patients are just a few of the various uncanny characters in the movie Rent. When a problem arises, the normally brooding characters break into chipper song and well-choreographed dance. Although the concept seems downright silly, Rent is a poignant film adaptation of the play that manages to capture the essence of the East Village in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Rent centers around an artist community in the Lower East Side. The artists have received an eviction notice from their landlord and are forced to find a way to pay their rent. Yet, Oddly enough, paying rent is the least of their concerns, because each character is struggling with much bigger issues in life. The majority of the period piece’s characters are infected with AIDS, in a time when the diagnosis was the equivalent of a death sentence. The New York City portrayed in the film is gritty and rough, a far cry from the gentrified, post-Giuliani city of today. In the film a single, silent shot of the New York City skyline is shown that includes the Twin Towers. This single image, only seen for a few seconds, reminds the audience of how different the world was in 1989. Rent is able to capture this former world through costume, setting and the issues each character faces.
People have been enjoying Rent on Broadway for 10 years. The decision to translate the well-loved cult-inspiring play was a risky one, but it paid off. The passion and excitement of the on-stage version of Rent translates well onto the silver screen. This is due largely to the fact that five of the seven original cast members star in the movie—although some haven’t maintained the talent seen 10 years ago.
Idina Menzel shines as Maureen, a bisexual, manipulative performer. Menzel’s voice is as good as it has ever been, and her acting ability has greatly improved since the last time she put on the role. Unfortunately, time has taken its toll on Adam Pascal, who plays the role of Roger, a musician living with AIDS. His once affecting voice has become flat and unmoving.
Rosario Dawson, one of two cast members not in the original Broadway cast, gives her best performance to date as an exotic dancer battling with a heroin addiction. Dawson’s voice is strong and clear, and she nearly steals the show in the number “Out Tonight.”
The plot in the film is far more coherent than on stage but, the darker details of plot have been dropped. The number “Contact,” which is essentially a wild, clothed orgy on stage, is not included in the film. The film loses some of the edginess that made Rent on stage so unique.
Rent is a moving story about the power of love and hope in a rapidly changing, increasingly hostile world. The numbers are catchy, fun and well performed, especially “La Vie Boheme.” The dialogue is witty and smart, and it challenges the audience to “measure your life in love.” Rent moves and inspires its audience, all the while keeping them entertained.
