Here's my Rent story. Back in the late 90s, when Rent was touring, I REALLY wanted to see it. I'm a theatre nerd. Ex-Theatre Design Major. (You know, before I embraced my geek.) Blah blah blah. Short story is, I didn't get to see it. Ever. And I was a little ticked off about that.
Then the movie comes out. And I'm like "Ooh. Like the play, but cheaper and more accessible." But I didn't see it in the theatre. Or when it finally came out on DVD. No, I waited till yesterday. And I will say right now I AM GLAD I DID NOT WASTE A SINGLE FUCKING DIME ON THIS CRAP.
Now. There is this whole problem with taking a stage play/musical and adapting it to film. Nine times out of ten, it doesn't work. And I think that may be Rent's problem here. Maybe? Hopefully? (I'm trying to give it a shred of hope.)
Here's the thing. I like the story. I think it's a fantastic story. Take the story out of the context of a musical and it would have made a great film. But as a film musical? Bleck. The songs were incredibly too cheesy. After the opening song, and the next song came on, I had too many instances of laughing at inappropriate times. Adam Pascal's voice was toooo much. Actually, every time he sang, my husband (who has a creepy talent of being able to emulate damn near any male singer's voice) would break out into the song Pascal did in School of Rock- which did not help my inability to keep a straight face.
I don't know. I hope the actual stage version is better, although that wouldn't help me with the lyric issues. What's funny is I've come across folks who are SO into this film, quoting shit like it's some mantra for life. You can find 'em on the IMDB boards...but take caution...the imdb folks, as I've said before, are angry folk.
I give it 1 nana, and only because I like Taye Diggs.