West Side Story
Two youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy.
- Released: 2021-12-08
- Runtime: 156 minutes
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance
- Stars: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Rita Moreno, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Corey Stoll, Brian d'Arcy James, Josh Andrés Rivera, Mike Faist, Ana Isabelle, Paloma Garcia-Lee, Maddie Ziegler, Andrea Burns, Kyle Allen, Curtiss Cook, Jamie Harris, iris menas, Sean Harrison Jones, Patrick Higgins, Julius Anthony Rubio, Ricardo Zayas, Sebastian Serra, Carlos Sánchez Falú, Jamila Velazquez, Talia Ryder, Jamiyka Jones, Michael P.J. Marston, Atif Lanier, Cameron Sawyer, Ben Cook, Gabriela Soto, Tanairi Sade Vazquez, Chryssie Whitehead, Eloise Kropp, Michael Ronca, Ilda Mason, iris menas, Tanairi Sade Vazquez, David Aviles Morales, Ricky Ubeda, Andrei Chagas, Adriel Flete, Jacob Guzman, Kelvin Delgado, Yurel Echezarreta, David Guzman, Jess LeProtto, John Michael Fiumara, Kevin Csolak, Kyle Coffman, Harrison Coll, Garett Hawe, Myles Erlick, Julian Elia, Carlos E. Gonzalez, Daniel Patrick Russell, Yesenia Ayala, Gabriela M. Soto, Juliette Feliciano Ortiz, Jeanette Delgado, Maria Alexis Rodriguez, Edriz E. Rosa Pérez, Jennifer Florentino, Melody Martí, Gaby Diaz, Isabella Ward, Leigh-Ann Esty, Lauren Leach, Brittany Pollack, Kellie Drobnick, Skye Mattox, Adriana Pierce, Jonalyn Saxer, Brianna Abruzzo, Halli Toland, Sara Esty, Mike Iveson, Annelise Cepero, Yassmin Alers, Nadia Quinn, Arianna Rosario, Natalie Toro, María Alejandra Castillo, Mannelly Gonzalez Abreu, Maya Haghighi Guliani, Tyler Myers, Jesseudi Marcelino, German M. Castillo, Ciara Calderon, Aubrey Mills, Leonardo Ro, Adrian Castillo, Luke Joseph Fuentes Duculan, Abigail R. Valdez, Navio Lopez, Victor Cruz, Erik Charlston, Clint de Ganon, Dave Phillips, Silvano Monasterios, Ric Molina, Dan Pearson, Hommy Ramos, Jose Ruiz, Jumaane Smith, Dave Noland, Roland Morales, Javier Díaz, Ron Stroman, Rene Ojeda, Feiga Martinez, Mike Massimino, Ryan Woodle, David Bean, Bert Michaels, Joe Lanza, Savannah Renée Rodriguez, Denia Brache, Lesley Bilingslea, Andy Powers, Reginald L. Barnes, Patrick Noonan, Jeff Ward, Pablo Thomas, Paul Niebanck, Ixchel Cuellar, Ricky Garcia, Oscar Antonio Rodriguez, José Ramón Rosario, Doreen Montalvo
- Director: Steven Spielberg
Comments
- WooderIce64 - 20 December 2022
Some Movies Should Never Be Remade
There should be a list of movies protected by international law from ever getting remade. West Side Story should be one of them. The original 1961 movie is one of the greatest films ever made, one of the hallmarks of cinema. It's practically perfect. It won ten Oscars. By this alone, any attempt to remake it is doomed from the start. Every single frame of this film will be picked apart and scrutinized in comparison to the beloved original. That said, it falls short in virtually every aspect. West Side Story (2021) is a good movie. It still has the heartbreakingly beautiful story. It's got the iconic songs. There's a solid cast. It's beautifully shot. But it's not the original. "West Side Story" will always refer to the 1961 film or the stage musical, never any remake, no matter who directs it. In this case, it would be none other than Steven Spielberg, one of, if not the, most lauded filmmakers in history who will take up this impossible task.
The cast was good, not great. Rachel Zegler was fine as Maria. The problem? She's not Natalie Wood. Ansel Elgort was an odd choice for Tony, but he made the best of it. This may not have been the best casting. He's way too much of a "pretty boy" to be a Jet, even if it is a musical. Richard Beymar had that James Dean-style old gangster slickness to him. Elgort's got none of that, even if he was in Baby Driver. Ariana DeBose was fantastic as Anita, definitely deserving of the Oscar she won for it. Rita Moreno appears in the movie, which was a very pleasant addition to the film. She's the only person to be in both versions.
If there is one thing this movie does exceptionally well, it's the cinematography. There's a unique blend of shots that are clearly meant for a film, and those that could feasibly be on a stage. That may sound like a mess in the making, but it finds a delicate balance that ultimately works. It's a tough balancing act, but perfectly done. Some of the shots in this movie are incredible. The filming locations for the non-stage scenes were perfectly chosen. It's those unspoiled parts of New York City/North Jersey that still maintain that gritty vibe of pre-war urban America. The Cloisters Museum also shows up, which is an underrated filming location. More movies should be made there.
As far as Spielberg's epic repertoire of films, this is a mid-tier movie at best. Even though many of his best works are adapted from other sources, they all have a feeling of originality to them. The original movies like E. T. and Raiders or adaptations like Jaws or Jurassic Park all have a feeling of originality to them, and there's this distinct cinematic magic to it. It's a pity, but it seems he's lost a lot of that luster.
