I am unapologetic about my love for “West Side Story.”
I also love the original, but I acknowledge that the original 1961 film has some very dated elements.
At the same time, I was somewhat terrified by the possibility.
I hold the original in very high regard.
The original will always be there, but it hurts when you see something you care about being mutilated.
I’ve seen many films and franchises I’ve loved over the last decade or so get beaten.
But I had faith in Spielberg.
And he rewarded my faith.
This is the best Hollywood remake of all time.
I saw this movie in December 2021.
It was one of the first movies I reviewed on “Lights, Camera, Barstool.”
The juxtaposition between “West Side Story” and every movie I saw in 2021 is staggering.
It belongs in its own subcategory.
It’s a movie made by an actual filmmaker, and that’s where we’ll start.
This is my favorite Steven Spielberg movie.
He took something that I grew up on and made it better.
And damn, this movie is so well-directed.
Seriously, every shot is incredible.
Every shot feels essential.
The fact that this didn’t win Best Cinematography at the Academy Awards is a head-scratcher.
The original “West Side Story” took home a then-record ten Oscars.
Ariana Debose became the second actress to win an Oscar for portraying that role.
She’s fantastic as Anita, but she is not my favorite performance in the movie.
I feel bad for Rachel Zegler.
She’s been taking a beating on this press tour for “Snow White.”
A lot of people complained about Ansel Elgort’s performance as Tony.
I think Elgort is fine as a more reserved version of Tony.
He lacks the wide-eyed optimism that Richard Beymer brought to the role, but it’s a different character.
And he nails all the singing sequences.
Riff in “West Side Story” has always been one of my favorite characters in fiction.
I am trying to understand why this is.
You could call it hero worship.
Some kids grow up wanting to be Superman.
I grew up wanting to be Riff.
So I was nervous to see somebody else other than Russ Tamblyn taking on the role of Riff.
The Jets are all he has, and Faist nailed it.
Not to mention he is next-level cool in us.
It’s an astonishing performance.
I am aware of the fact that I tend to be critical of films.
I still contend that I haven’t changed, but the movies have.
I am somebody who abides by the belief that movies are worse than they’ve ever been.
That’s how I feel about this movie.
Musicals are not for everybody.
You do have to suspend disbelief.
The love story is slightly rushed, but Spielberg allows you to buy into this world.
You believe in these characters and are ultimately heartbroken by the tragedy.
For a movie with elaborate musical numbers and extravagant sequences, it’s human at its core.
I’ll never stop praising it.
It’s the best film of the 20s so far.
