"West Side Story" is that rare beast, a remake that improves on a classic original. Plus, reviews for "Being the Ricardos" and "Don't Look Up". (Don't.)
Ty — Wow, what a masterful review of WSS! I’m not back to theaters yet, but wonder if I can wait until it starts streaming. And BTW, IMHO there is no one else writing about film today the way you do — with the intelligence, cultural experience and context, and the sheer outstanding WRITING CHOPS you bring to it. Kudos!
I saw WWS yesterday and afterwards thought of you. My husband Don gave it 5 stars but I was not as impressed. Here’s what I thought:
What I liked:
1) Rita Moreno singing Somewhere.
2) The clearer immigrant theme
3) Tony’s backstory, his anger, his desire to be different….
4) Tony’s spoken language — I thought the occasional grammar errors were just right.
5) The urban renewal that displaces immigrant families.
The police came across well, didn’t they? Were they tougher on the immigrants? They seemed like Andy of Mayberry cops.
What I didn’t like:
1) A loss of characters like Anybody who snuck in and out but were not clear.
2) Was Chino’s motive clear to you? Why does he shoot Tony? Were he and Bernardo best friends? He was so namby-pamby. And he had only just met Maria, so she was not “his.”
3) Anita wasn't clear enough to me either. It could be that Spielberg decided to spend more time on the urban renewal stuff so some character stuff had to be reduced. Anyway, I wanted more about Anita.
4) Maria was Puerto Rican enough for me but she still looks and acts like a Disney heroine.
I want a Maria with more character, more spine, more backstory and more grit. She just seems fluffy until she meets Tony. She takes a BIG risk in falling in love with him — and then taking him to her bed is beyond risky — an act which I found unbelievable for a Puerto Rican catholic virgin in 1957. Not being a virgin was a girl’s #1 sin right? Even in Oakland where I was raised.
5) Rita Moreno — I liked the idea of using her but she looks like Jane Fonda. What the hell did she do to her skin and nose? Did she even speak Spanish in the movie?
6) I especially did not like the moment when Tony's and Valentina’s faces were reflected in the floor of her shop. Too corny maybe given the rest of the movie?
Question:
Why wasn’t the Spanish dubbed? It made me feel that what they were saying wasn’t important. Or did the director assume that the audience would be Spanish-speaking and understand? Maybe the entire movie should have been subtitled — both the English and Spanish?
Ty — Wow, what a masterful review of WSS! I’m not back to theaters yet, but wonder if I can wait until it starts streaming. And BTW, IMHO there is no one else writing about film today the way you do — with the intelligence, cultural experience and context, and the sheer outstanding WRITING CHOPS you bring to it. Kudos!
Hi Ty,
I saw WWS yesterday and afterwards thought of you. My husband Don gave it 5 stars but I was not as impressed. Here’s what I thought:
What I liked:
1) Rita Moreno singing Somewhere.
2) The clearer immigrant theme
3) Tony’s backstory, his anger, his desire to be different….
4) Tony’s spoken language — I thought the occasional grammar errors were just right.
5) The urban renewal that displaces immigrant families.
The police came across well, didn’t they? Were they tougher on the immigrants? They seemed like Andy of Mayberry cops.
What I didn’t like:
1) A loss of characters like Anybody who snuck in and out but were not clear.
2) Was Chino’s motive clear to you? Why does he shoot Tony? Were he and Bernardo best friends? He was so namby-pamby. And he had only just met Maria, so she was not “his.”
3) Anita wasn't clear enough to me either. It could be that Spielberg decided to spend more time on the urban renewal stuff so some character stuff had to be reduced. Anyway, I wanted more about Anita.
4) Maria was Puerto Rican enough for me but she still looks and acts like a Disney heroine.
I want a Maria with more character, more spine, more backstory and more grit. She just seems fluffy until she meets Tony. She takes a BIG risk in falling in love with him — and then taking him to her bed is beyond risky — an act which I found unbelievable for a Puerto Rican catholic virgin in 1957. Not being a virgin was a girl’s #1 sin right? Even in Oakland where I was raised.
5) Rita Moreno — I liked the idea of using her but she looks like Jane Fonda. What the hell did she do to her skin and nose? Did she even speak Spanish in the movie?
6) I especially did not like the moment when Tony's and Valentina’s faces were reflected in the floor of her shop. Too corny maybe given the rest of the movie?
Question:
Why wasn’t the Spanish dubbed? It made me feel that what they were saying wasn’t important. Or did the director assume that the audience would be Spanish-speaking and understand? Maybe the entire movie should have been subtitled — both the English and Spanish?