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This post was found to be inappropriate by the moderators and has been removed.Spielberg’s “West Side Story” should be a big player at the box office and probably awards season if it hits right.
The new West Side Story is still gonna have a whole lot to live up to given the reputation of the much-lauded 1961 version (which won Best Picture). Plus, there’s still this whole stigma of “this is a story that’s been told on the big screen countless times before” that we’ve seen affected A Star is Born at last year’s Oscars and also seems to be affecting Little Women this year. While West Side Story hasn’t been done on the big screen a lot, the inspiration behind it, Romeo & Juliet, has.
ReplyCopy URLI think I wouldn’t be behind the idea of a remake if it wasn’t for the fact that’s it’s a musical. It’s intriguing to see how that story would unfold with songs and Glenn Close deserves to have her signature Broadway role on-screen. Fingers crossed!
Similarly I wouldn’t really want to see new “All About Eve” but the musical “Applause” might be fun.
ReplyCopy URLWhen I watched clips on Glenn on YouTube, I thought it was a overly dramatic mess. Not in a good way. She needs to tone it down for the film. Also, the music was not good. If Glenn wants an Oscar, she simply should just play a European Royal who ruled centuries ago.
This is the point of the character.
ReplyCopy URLwatch I May Destroy You
I do think Tim Burton could do well with this project (ala. Sweeney Todd). But otherwise, I say no.
I disagree. When Burton did Sweeney Todd he seemed far more interested in making the film in his own image rather than making a film that really felt true to the show. Some of it works, but a lot doesn’t. Especially the music. Burton butchered that score by cutting out tons of music, whether it’s parts of songs or entire numbers. The fact that he cast actors who couldn’t sing for such vocally challenging roles didn’t help matters either. Helena Bonham Carter’s singing in particular was like nails on chalkboard.
ReplyCopy URLI disagree. When Burton did Sweeney Todd he seemed far more interested in making the film in his own image rather than making a film that really felt true to the show. Some of it works, but a lot doesn’t. Especially the music. Burton butchered that score by cutting out tons of music, whether it’s parts of songs or entire numbers. The fact that he cast actors who couldn’t sing for such vocally challenging roles didn’t help matters either. Helena Bonham Carter’s singing in particular was like nails on chalkboard.
I disagree. Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd is in my opinion one of the best stage-to-screen musical adaptations of the 21st century. While yes, the singing in it isn’t the best you’ll ever hear, I think it actually works to the benefit of their characters.
ReplyCopy URLI disagree. Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd is in my opinion one of the best stage-to-screen musical adaptations of the 21st century. While yes, the singing in it isn’t the best you’ll ever hear, I think it actually works to the benefit of their characters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMkcGRSBZI4&list=FLWaIC0i0TlBXruiAwh_SgPw&index=15&t=0s
Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, and while some songs don’t actually require great singing, I think that it’s almost always better to have a good singer rather than a poor one, especially for a score as epic and difficult as Sweeney Todd. I find Len Cariou’s majestic baritone in the original production to be much creepier Depp’s snarling talk singing. I don’t think Burton’s film is bad, I just don’t think it’s a good adaptation. The only part about it that I really dislike is Bonham Carter, who I usually think is great. Depp’s singing isn’t good by any means, but his actual acting is. I found Bonham Carter to be inexpressive while talking, and inexpressive and tone deaf while singing. She’s a truly jarring contrast to every other Lovett I’ve ever seen, as the role is usually highly energetic and cheery to contrast Todd’s somber and tortured demeanor. I thought changing that’s dynamic was highly detrimental to the story.
ReplyCopy URLWell, Stephen Sondheim himself has admitted in interviews both during and since the release of the film how he couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out. @3:11
I’m aware. Sondheim’s an unenviable genius, but I don’t think it’s an uncommon saying among his fans to find his feelings on his own work to be a bit questionable. I understand why he didn’t exactly mind what they did to his score, but I still find it to be a bastardized version of his beautiful and haunting original music and lyrics. I get why he cut some numbers so that he could move the story along faster, and I could possibly forgive that if he really delivered on the numbers left in, but the poor vocals and edits ruin them. I like Burton, even if he hasn’t done much of particular value in a while. Some of his choices actually worked well, particular the imagine spot for By the Sea, a song that wouldn’t work on film in the way it’s performed on the stage (although Bonham Carter’s singing once again detracts from the experience). But what he did to Sweeney’s score was dreadful. Just listen to the original productions version of A Little Priest (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I96RZh8108o) and his version (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G34NgaxcK9M). The difference in quality is incredible.
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