West Side Story

I'm admittedly not a huge Broadway buff or musical fan. 

Less because I don't like musicals, but more because it has never been my medium of choice for storytelling.

Preface aside, I realize that I pretty much love most musicals that I've either seen live (e.g. Book of Mormon) or on TV/movies (e.g. last year's Hamilton). 

West Side Story - the actual "story" of it - is a play that I have almost no familiarity with aside from recognizing a handful of songs. It's framed off Romeo and Juliet - something so obvious that I was slightly embarrassed when my wife had to explain that to me - and for better or worse, it brings along all the "extra"-ness of that Shakespeare story.

It has been previously adapted into a film before, but never quite with as much fanfare and focus as something like having Steven Spielberg as the director gets you.

All that plays into what is arguably my "first" experience with West Side Story - both this specific movie and the story itself - and I find that nearly all my issues that I have with it are related to the story (something Spielberg didn't change much at all) rather than his execution and the production values. 

It's that story that, even though I get that it's very "Broadway", I just have to roll my eyes at most aspects of it. It's at its best when it focuses on the plight of immigrants in America and the conflict that stems from it, and at its worst when it has Maria and Tony crashing into each other at such an insane speed that it's laughable. I used the word "extra" before because that's all I could think about when Tony sees Maria one damn time and is all the sudden singing about her name being the only one he'll say for the rest of his life. Now...I know that this is the way the play is designed. I get it. It still bothers me personally when a lot of seemingly smart characters act really dumb - which it feels like everyone in West Side Story does at some point - but if you're someone who holds this play close to their hearts or where my grievances with the story don't really matter at all, then you'll likely find zero issues with this fantastic interpretation. 

"Hey, I just met you. And this is crazy.
But here's my number, please have my babies!"

And truthfully, this is a fantastic adaptation. It's not something that will change your mind about musicals if you're not a fan in any way, shape, or form, but it's truly a slice of movie magic...somehow, someway capturing that "X factor" that make it stand out. It's what was missing for me in In the Heights earlier this year and it likely comes down to Steven Spielberg himself. There's just something about West Side Story that makes it feel like you're watching a timeless classic...something that didn't come out this weekend, but rather something that came out 20, 30 years ago and has stood the tests of time. I attribute almost all of that to the production values that encapsulate nearly everything. For being a period piece, this slice of New York City "back in the day" feels real and lived in. There's plenty of greenscreen backgrounds that are so effective at transporting us back in time to a smaller New York skyline that I half believed they were real. The film also has tons of color in all the right ways, using certain hues for one group and different ones for another without being obnoxious. Perhaps most effective though is the camera work. It's past just simple cinematography here - though that's a strength too - but the motion with which Spielberg pushes his camera along through both quiet moments and huge dance numbers. In this realm, it feels like a "signature" piece from him, equal parts blockbuster and bombastic musical. 

The cast is the other element that pushes this into greatness and I would argue this is one of the best casted films of the year. Ansel Elgort as Tony is effective with his suave lanky frame and the chemistry between him and Rachel Zegler's Maria is definitely there. Again, the story pretty much forces them to fall in love after breathing each other's air for about 2 milliseconds, but they almost make you believe that speed. Beyond them as the leads, I found Ariana DeBose to be the "MVP" as Anita. She's fiery and feisty and has some of the best dancing and musical numbers in the whole film, while also having some of the best emotional moments. There's not a weak link in the rest of the cast and there's no awkward forcing of certain people to sing (e.g. I'm not sure Corey Stoll can sing) but those three stars I mention shined brightest. 

So much wonderful color!

West Side Story is an easy recommendation both because it's Spielberg's next film - which is always an event in and of itself - but also because it's a movie that has that "special something". Even if I can't quite put the best finger on what that "something" is, I can narrow in on the fact that it's because of Spielberg and the production values coupled with an exciting and moving (but flawed, IMO) play that has stood the test of time on its own. 

CONS

• Again, my complaints are story based more than anything
• Dear Lord do Tony and Maria fall in love fast
• Why are all these characters (except maybe Anita) making awful decisions?
• Some moments are slower than others, and add to the film's 2.5 hour runtime

PROS

• Has a distinct "X factor" that makes it feel like movie magic
• Production values are off the charts
• Bright, colorful costumes and backgrounds
• CGI backgrounds are incredible and feel like "old" NYC
• Fantastic, spinning, jumping choreography
• Kinetic camera use that's never distracting and very Spielberg-esque
• Cast is pitch perfect. Literally
• Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as Tony and Maria, respectively, are magnetic leads that have strong chemistry
• Ariana DeBose is MVP otherwise for her fiery and entertaining portrayal of Anita

Rath's Review Score | 8.5/10