Rebecca's dream of owning a cat is one step closer to coming true. This morning we visited what could well be our first ever cat at her current foster home. We sat in with her and played a little bit, imagining what she'd be like in our home. Still a lot to discuss and think about but it starting to feel a lot more real now.
After dinner we settled into the new version of West Side Story that Spielberg recently put out. We saw the original about two years ago so the story is quite fresh in our minds. For what it's worth, it is one of the best 'remake' of a film I've seen. A lot of remakes get bogged down in the idea of being a legacy piece, they give too much gravitas to moments because it's close to a lot of people's hearts. While this West Side Story is a little more po-faced, it is apparent that Spielberg has a sincere love for the original - it has quality and doesn't feel like a soulless cash grab. That said, it doesn't top the original by a long shot. While the production design is spectacular, the film gets besotted with it's own look at times. The same is true for the camera work which is appealing but a little flashy at times. These wouldn't be problems normally, but in West Side Story these elements often obstruct what should be the star of the show: the dancing. The '61 film was initially directed by Jerome Robbins, the Broadway show's choreographer, he did what is now some of the most cherished dance sequences from the original file. Because Spielberg is a film maker through and through his vision would've likely struggled to conjour the same energy we fell in love with back in the day. That is the secret sauce that's missing here, but as I said it isn't completely charmless or without merit. The remixed storylines and songs mostly benefit the pacing, and the final hour still packs it's punch. Just not sure if I'd ever revisit this revisit though.
No comments:
Post a Comment