Rent Review

“No other course, no other way, no day but today”. Embracing each and every day is a major theme in the musical based upon Jonathan Larson’s rock opera Broadway hit “Rent” in the year 2005. The Broadway musical was adapted from the opera “La Boheme” by Giacomo Puccini, and the opera was based off a book “La Vie de Boheme” written by Henry Murger in 1851. As you can see this story is an ageless classic that will continue to inspire the hearts and minds of young bohemian idealists.

The movie takes place in the East Village of New York City. The plot unfolds through catchy, upbeat songs. This musical has always been controversial in its themes and views because there are two homosexual couples and some drug use. Even in its days as an opera, this musical could never be described as “clean cut”. But there is so much more to the story. Many viewers are turned away by this, but they never see what the film is truly about. It is a story of great friendship, living with regret, loss and love. The film truly makes you fall in love with each of the characters.
Mark (Anthony Rapp) is a lonely film maker trying to get a big break. His ex-girlfriend, Maureen (Idina Menzel), who has a passion for the stage found happiness in the arms of an attorney named Joanne (Tracie Thoms). Roger (Adam Pascal), is a burned out rock star who we later find out has contracted AIDS from his deceased girlfriend. Romance begins between Roger and his neighbor Mimi (Rosario Dawson) when she reveals to him that she also has the disease. When Collins (Jesse L Martin) returns to the big city he finds the love of his life, a drag queen named Angel (Wilson Jermaine Heredia).

With such a colorful, diverse group of friends the movie is already off to an interesting start. The first half of the movie is more positive, fun and funky, while the second half dramatically shifts tone to coping with having to deal with mistakes from the past, great heartache and pain.This film mirrored life in the eighties in America. It is still relevant in the year 2009 because we still have the same problems. People still die every day of AIDS. They are forced to conform to society’s expectations. People still live in poverty, and they still are forced to live with regrets. Rent is about embracing each day and living in love. The characters have to learn to, “Forget regrets or life is yours to miss”