Review: Rent
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 7:13PM 
Based on the hit Broadway musical, Rent follows the lives of a group of Bohemians through the course of one year as they struggle through relationships, drugs, AIDS, and even life itself. Set in the East Village of New York City, the film is shown through the use of a hand-held camera and music. It documents a variety of different characters ranging from a starving musician to a computer age philosophy teacher. The film highlights the characters’ different sexual orientations and quirky personalities in order to present the idea that being different and unconventional is okay. This film documents the lives of the friends and the many twists and turns they venture through in order to remain unique, themselves and most importantly, alive.
Keeping with the Broadway hit, the film is accompanied by song and dance as it focuses on the main character, Mark, who follows important events of his friends’ lives including protests, a café get together, subway rides, and life-support meetings through his video camera. Throughout the course of the film the audience is shown the realities of what it is like to live in a society where being poor is the norm and being unique is frowned upon. We see this explored through the seven main characters in the film, as they go through their own struggles. Mark Cohen is trying to get his film career going as he documents the lives of his friends. Roger Davis must deal with his AIDS while trying to find love and write his one true song. Mimi Marquez attempts to get off drugs while struggling to make a living as a dancer. Tom Collins, who is tired of teaching a group of uninterested students computer age philosophy, wants to move to Santa Fe. Angel Dumott Schunard, the cross dresser, is fighting her own disease while she tries to start her own line of fashion. Maureen Johnson sings and protests against the injustice of moving people out of their apartments in order to make way for a new multimedia studio and Joanne Jefferson attempts to keep her girlfriend Maureen from flirting with other men and women. Director Chris Columbus attempts to portray the message that you do not need money in order to have close friends nor do you need to act “normal” in order to be happy. This message is repeated many times throughout the course of the film.
Columbus has done a remarkable job in presenting his message by offering different personality views for the audience to look through. Because of the film’s many controversial topics, it would be hard for many to understand and grasp its true meaning if the audience can only look through the eyes of one character. By allowing other characters with varying personalities to be presented, the audience is able to understand this message better because they are given more of a choice. Although it may have been unnecessary to include as many characters as the director did, in the end, the message is still clear. Being different is not a bad thing and being poor does not make a difference in the realm of friendship and happiness. In my opinion, this message was clearly stated numerous times throughout the film and the director conveyed it wonderfully.
I thoroughly enjoyed this film and the way it was presented. The characters were both intriguing and memorable, allowing for the audience to develop a special bond as the film progressed. I do feel, however, that the list of “main” characters could have been shortened from seven to five to reduce a sense of confusion the audience could have developed between characters and their individual storylines. I loved the use of songs to emphasize the meaning of the message as well as highlight key events and the songs themselves were easy to listen to and well suited for their scenes they were shown in. The camera work was also well done as it switched from hand-held to stationary in order to capture the essence of Mark being the one filming. However, this film deals with certain subject matter that many may find obscene and/or vulgar. These people, I regrettably must say, should not watch this film simply because I do not think they will be able to grasp the true meaning it conveys. All others who may not be offended or have an interest in musicals should definitely see this film. With friendship, love, music and more, Rent is a wonderful movie to watch again and again.
Reader Comments (3)
I haven't seen this film (except for the clip you showed in class!) but I know it and the live musical were big hits. I think I'll "rent" it!
Good review. Editing comments: "whilst" is rather British in diction - I'd go with while.
You use the word "portray" where I think convey would be better. Some sentences are awkward.
Overall though, a nice job, good energy in your writing.
I knew this musical was about more than people paying their rent! This is a good review; I like your writing.
To add to Moira's comments: I wonder about your "computer aged philosophy teacher." Aged by computers? The same age as a computer? I think what you mean is "computer age philosophy teacher." Just not sure if you are talking about the age of the person or the age the person is living in.
Also, take out "that I strongly feel that they" at the end of the review
Good job!
Thanks Moira and Ian, those suggestions were really helpful! :)