West Side Story 2021

 

just saw the new and not so improved west side story at the BAM. That it is on its way to bombsville was evident to me by it not showing in the big theatre, a sure sign indeed. Look I'm a child of the 61 version, and where that one soared and thrilled, this one pretty much just lays there. Maybe if I never saw the original one this one would have had jolted me more. The colors looked dull and faded, I want the brightness that the original had and sure it was sweet to see 90 year old Rita Moreno, its always sweet to see Rita, but this new Anita does not compare to her anita. I could take each number apart but why bother. Don't look to this west side to sweep the Oscars, lets just leave it at that.

it really frizzled for me. The dance numbers didn't reach the thrill of the original Robbins choreography. I simply don't understand all the ga ga over this. Is it a political thing? The dance at the gym and america can't be compared to the originals. Spielberg's idea of making it different was have america done in the streets. I prefer the artificiality thank you. And the sex is just not there like in the original, these dancers and I don't care if they are "politically correct" they just fade. And giving some of the jets girls compassion?? Also bad is the cool number, where is tucker smith when we need him, and the officer krupke bit also stunk.
I can't either. Its as if the "critics" are bending over backwards not to offend spielberg. Some of them are peppering their reviews with criticisms but not enough for me. Maybe I saw a different movie. Also bugging me are people praising it without even seeing it yet. I went to the BAM expecting it to be showing in the big stadium seating theatre, but it wasn't. It was showing in the smaller upstairs theatre (there are 4 theatres in the complex) I surmise that it did open in the big theatre the first week but it did so poorly that they yanked it and replaced it with nightmare alley, which should bomb also. Yes part of west sides boxoffice problems is the pandemic but it is failing to get the younger audience who as we know are not letting the death march get in the way of their fun, ie the santa drunk parties is a good example of that. At the showing I was at there were maybe 20 of us and from what I saw most were older people. My problems with this film are vast but I went hoping I would love it. I didn't. In fact I almost walked out which I have rarely done. The excuses for this mess from critics and viewers alike range from how great that they used actual latinos and latinas in it, to its new awareness of urban gentrification, and what poverty does to young people. I also thought it looked crummy and they were stuck with dealing with the fantastic opening of the original that blew me away as a 15 year old. The opening in the newer version looks like it takes place in Berlin after the war, the urban destruction thing hit over our heads and if that wasn't enough there's a big billboard announcing the development of Lincoln Center being build where all the rubble stands. I get it steven I get it. The homoeroticism of the piece is pretty much gone, we can't have that in 2021. In fact the whole film has been pretty much de-sexed, with the exception of anita and bernardo who moon and coo all over the place. In fact Bernardo's machismo is pushed up several notches, he's a tough boxer in this version. Then there is the easy dissing of Natalie Wood and the dubbing of her's and others singing and how great the new Maria is. Hey leave my Natalie alone. I left the theatre thinking this should never have been remade. I've seen the original maybe 10 or more times, this one was barely seen by me once.  another note of note is that the gun dealer who sells riff a gun, (not in the original) is black. The only black character in the movie is a black gangster. you go steven.