Alex watches West Side Story (2021) for the first time and boy are there ever tears!! We can't stop talking about how gorgeous this movie is, about the brilliance of Ariana DeBose, and about, well, Shakespeare.
I know it doesn’t seem like it but I truly believe that Anybodys told Anita to leave because of the situation and she was about to go into a store full of angry white boys.
Which is an interesting change, since in the 1961 film Anybodys supported the Jets while they tried to rape Anita. And in this version, the Jet girls were present during the scene, and while they wanted Anita to leave as well, they actually tried to save her from being raped.
I think so too, and aggressive as she went about it, the same with Graziella, especially because she was begging them to stop and stayed at the door in tears over what was about to happen to Anita.
@@piratesswoop725 Anybody’s and Grazi both probably experienced some level of sexual violence. They didn’t like Anita, but they wouldn’t want to see that happen even to an enemy. It would be traumatic.
Thank you both. Loved watching this again with you. Like you, I was sceptical about the need for a remake, but I also knew that Spielberg had it as a passion project for a long time. So glad that he delivered a beautiful take that is different enough to be its own work of art.
The best movie of 2021 by far. The incredible ensemble cast and wonderful direction by Spielberg is impeccable. The production design, cinematography, choreography, costumes, sound design and editing are the best I’ve seen in years.
Honestly, one of my favorite touches is that this movie doesn't have a thing you'd expect a lot of movies like this to have. There are no shots of the classic Manhattan skyline, which I think is a very intentional choice. This isn't a movie about the skyscrapers, it's a movie that happens in the shadows of the skyscrapers.
UUGGHHHHHHHH *ugly sobbing* I am so glad to see your reactions; this was indeed so good, and so moving, and Rita Moreno was perfect, and Anita was iconic, and everybody else... *chef's kiss* "Somewhere" is one of my favorite musical songs of all time (OF ALL TIME), and you're so right that it was framed like that with Rita.
I've watched the film several times and each time I'm always blown away by the details I never noticed before, like when Riff says hi to Tony at the dance, Gracie (Riff's gf) actually grabs and pulls Tony's hand (they use to be an item) but then stops when Riff says let's go dance. Chino wanting to kill Tony when Maria is more concerned for him than Bernardo when he goes to tell her the news that he's dead. Also the use of the metal steps as visual metaphor for Tony & Maria wanting to climb out of their neighborhood for something better but The Jets see the metal on the bench during the Officer Krupke scene as a visual representation for prison.
As a fellow theatre kid, I have to recommend Tick, Tick...BOOM! to you guys. The movie is a love letter to anyone who loves theatre. Also, I don't know if you guys have checked out Smash, but Brian D'Arcy James is in that too. It is a series that ran for two seasons on NBC. It's honestly a hot mess but it's jam packed with Broadway talent and has excellent original music. It's worth checking out if you want a soap opera that revolves around the theatre world. You guys commented on how Rachel Zegler has a Disney princess like voice. She kind of is one now. You may or may not know that she is in fact playing Snow White in the live action version of the story Disney currently has in production.
Oh my gosh, YES! Also, when Ansel Elgort, Tony, got shot and died while Rachel Zegler, Maria was running to him, was ABSOLUTELY gutwrenching and heartbreaking, as WELL!! 🥺☹️😣😩😥😰😭 I've seen the Movie a number of times both in the Theater and otherwise and NONE of these tragic Scenes EVER get ANY easier!! 🥺☹️😣😩😥😰😭
I'm one of those who haven't seen it because I generally hate remakes and didn't really see the point of redoing a classic. But I was wrong; this looks fantastic and the acting is far superior to the original. Now I wish I'd seen it in the theatre when it came out. You guys did a great job reacting; it's great to have theatre people giving opinions based on knowledge and experience.
honestly, my favourite review I've seen in a while cause I just see you two just enjoying the film, and knowing the materials, which I absolutely love (when other reviews go "this isn't believable" I'm just like mate take it to willy shakes that's not the films fault)
Hey, I was watching your Bridgerton reactions! I’m so glad you’re theater kids, too. I loved this new West Side Story. You could tell the passion was there from everyone involved. Ariana absolutely ATE that role. She deserved that Oscar!
Something I loved about Ansel’s performance is that he gave Tony more of an edge than usual portrayals of him. you bought that his Tony could have been in a gang.
Lol I’ve always hated that line with Maria telling Anita “you were in love or so you said you should know better.” Like girl you just met this boy and say its love but Anita and Bernardo have known each other longer and loved each other truly
Yeah I definitely agree with the whole "K this was cute in the first half but now things have changed" like I don't care if we dated for YEARS- if you kill my sibling, I am not going to speak to you again ever, let alone sleep with you.
Really enjoyed your reaction. Thank you. I played Baby John in a Youth Theatre production and for some reason every bar of this score has stayed in my head for 30 years. I'm a huge Sondheim fan but this really is Leonard Bernstein's masterwork. So glad Spielberg didn't mess with the score. BTW Mike Faist deserved a nomination. His smile at Anita at 15.22 is a very beautiful what if!! XX
Love This remake. Ariana was also „the bullet“ in Hamilton original ensemble cast. Rachel‘s school musical was Shrek and she played Fiona. Spielberg said „ok, i produced the original film“ (Graham Norton Show“.
Maria being capable of forgiving Tony makes her, probably, the first person in his life (outside Valentina & Riff) who cares that much about him. THAT is the only kind of love that is truly able to become hate. When he falls to her knees and the camera closes in on his bruised crying face: that, I think, is the face of a scared, lonely boy whose own mother may never have held him like that. Remember "Gee, Officer Krupke." The Jets are lost boys looking for their Wendy Darlings. So too for Maria: outside caring for her father, she's never been able to care for another boy/man till Tony. (And Tony's gotta be a bit dopey: he's a Romeo, after all.) The film really tells you everything in the moment Valentia says "Troubles NEVER end, Tony, nunca." And he understands she means "never"....then flips it immediately to "well, how about forever." That's what makes this kind of love doomed, at least for him: for being unrealistic, irrational...maybe even too innocent. Meaning it was always doomed. But in the end, Maria doesn't fully give in to that dark turn in her love....because real love...and I don't simply mean romantic love, I mean the kind of love it takes to love a neighbor you were taught to hate, or fear.....THAT feels irrational. It's meant to, because if you're too innocent, that love is doomed. But if it's a wised up love, and you put in the work: then it can work. Maybe, it can even heal communities...maybe even change the cycles & patterns of violence. And only Maria ends up learning this. Tony was always doomed: because he innocently imagined this love would save him from troubles. "Nunca," warned Valentina.
I'll admit, I went in to this movie very skeptical. As a theatre kid myself, I thought there was no way this could top the original. I don't know if it tops the original, but it certainly does the legacy of this musical proud. Seeing this in a theatre gave me that old feeling of seeing a film in theatres being a special thing (which wasn't easy considering Omicron was at it's height, lol). This is one of Spielberg's best in a long while.
This has to be one of the top 3 most emotional reactions on this channel, or just in general hahaha. I can't exactly blame you. Even my dad was crying when the fam watched this together because the music is so baked into all of us that it's impossible not to get emotional over it! Also is it weird that Gee Officer Krupke! might be my favorite song/scene in the entire movie?
Nominated for 7 Oscars including Best Picture but won for Best Supporting Actress for Adriana DeBose, who is the first openly queer actress to win. The film that won Best Picture was CODA, short for Child Of Deaf Adults, which has a predominantly deaf cast.
Plus Ariana & Rita who played the original Anita in the 60s film were the third duo to win an Oscar for best supporting actress of portraying the same character years apart.
Loved the reaction! I had the opportunity to see Sexy Oklahoma in NY and it was truly the horniest theater experience I’ve ever witnessed. It did NOT disappoint.
Lmao, you have to remember that Maria was pissed at Bernardo for a very long time because he refused to stop fighting. She knew he would probably die. She also (at least in this version) knows Tony regrets it. That doesn’t make it right, per se, but it explains why she forgives him.
Justin Peck was the choreographer. He’s the principal choreographer for The New York City Ballet. He said Ariana’s shoes MELTED in the “America”- from the heat and how fast her feet were moving. The orchestra was directed by Gustavo Dudamel, renown conductor!
12:45 I mean, Imagine holding Rita Moreno's hands. I'd cry. Also imagine not only having to sing super high as Maria but also having to constantly be singing in an accent.
Great reaction girls. It's a great film and Spielberg's best for a few years. On a whole it isn't better than the all time classic original but in the years to come future generations will review this as another modern classic.
I enjoyed this video, I had'nt seen it, if it hadn't been such a deep and sad ending I would have bought it in 4k blu ray, but I probably wouldn't revisit it too often, loved your reactions and discussion, were having council elections in Scotland in a few weeks, I'm also watching Irelands election in the South and the North, change is coming and I'm looking forward to it! :)
Aussie Dillon did a reaction to this film with no knowledge going in. He did figure out the Shakespeare connection based on the poster. It's a great reaction.
My school did R&J recently and after being in it, I realize how CLOSELY based this musical is on the play lol. There are some lines in the Shakespearean text that are pretty identical to lines in the musical.
I love Rita Moreno and her casting was a stroke of genius. Her rendidtion of Somewhere was genuinely moving, BUT ...there is a downside to giving that song to her character. And I think it is evinced in your summation of the end. In the 1961 film Tony and Maria sing Somewhere as a song of longing for someplace they can be together away from the fear and hate. The play had a small ballet section that serves as a visual to that song of hope. Somewhere establishes their dreams of a future and love for one another, and also serves as a preface to what follows... ie they have sex. In a sense, the song sells Maria's decision to forgive Tony by cementing their bond. But by giving the song to Valentina, however thematically appropriate or moving was the rendition, it takes away that imo vital preface to Tony and Maria making love. I never heard anybody quesiton Maria's decision in the 1961 version, and I think that is because, by the time Somewhere was over, it was obvious and understandable what was next. IMO, it was a mistake to give Somewhere to Valentina for that reason.
@@idaf3028 That would have worked too. It would have at least kept the emotional focus of the story on Maria and strengthened the impact of the tragic conclusion. Not to mention what Zegler's angelic voice could have done for that song.
I will respectfully disagree, I know I fall in the minority here. Spielberg and Kushner had different intentions in their adaptation compared to the original story. I feel they wanted to not focus the tragedy on Maria and Tony alone but the whole community and the core of the problem which is racial segregation and failure of the communities to adapt and coexist. Obviously Tony and Maria are the main vehicle of that tragic story but it’s not only about them. Please correct me if I am wrong but in the original 1957 Broadway stage play the song is sung by a random cast member on the sides while we see the two leads going through the emotions, right? It’s meant to have a narrative vibe and reflect on their hopeful, yet hopeless in reality, future. By having Valentina sing the song in the same manner, Spielberg doesn’t only honour the original play’s vision but brings Valentina’s similar and parallel struggles into the equation and how she herself faced the same issues as a Latina wife of a white American. So under that light I feel Kushner snd Spielberg did good and I loved their take on the story. I will agree though by some that the ending was underwhelming. Whoever grew up with the 1961 version of the film by Wise (huge fan here) and saw Wood’s heartbreaking performance at the end cannot forget it. Although I didn’t cry jn that one either but I did feel Maria’s devastation. Rachel Zegler left me cold in this one and I feel Spielberg rushed that last scene, which is really a shame because the rest of the film is absolutely fantastic in every way.
Have you guys seen Tick Tick Boom? Ariana was my favorite voice in this. Personally, I don't think Ansel's voice was strong enough. This was a great film, but I do prefer the original. :) Probably because of the colors, choreography and nostalgia.
The taunting scene was well done, but for some reason I thought it was more disturbing in the original. I like the women trying to help each other. The only thing I would have done to make the scene more effective is have the girls comfort Anita when she leaves but then have the girl in the blue walk up to the leader that started the taunting in complete silence, wait a second as if she's to speak, and then suddenly slap him across the face and leave without saying a word. That to me would say so much. Meaning that she's disgusted with the people she thought she knew and she too is done with everything. It should come as a shock not just to the characters, but to the audience watching.
21:50 “I need a reaction for someone who’s completely cold.” Boy do I wish I filmed my reaction…see I knew it was “like romeo and juliet” I didn’t, however, know HOW much like romeo and juliet it was…
There were all kinds of movies (except porn) in one of my old church's libraries. My (Christian) screenwriting professor hated the idea that people should only watch things that are "wholesome and pure." That's a ridiculous ideology.
Ok conservative people really ruined the the idea of wholesome, I feel. They essentially defined it as clean and safe and all that. Non-offensive language or themes (to them).
Good work ladies. There is so much to love in this remake, it blows my mind! The word needs to be spread about how good it is. Great comments from you about the Shakespeare comparisons. I acted as Montague in a production of Romeo & Juliet, I am not sure which character that is in WSS. Anyway, it is unfathomable that this was a box office bomb, everyone went to see Spider Man instead. Their loss! The MCU is a never-ending conveyer belt of tedium, the cinematic equivalent of a trip to McDonalds!
I was so glad they made this remake. The original was so good, but younger audiences are so much more aware of the problems with it. It’s so much harder for the, to overlook… Natalie Wood as Maria for instance. Also, Romeo and Juliet was never a romance. It was a tragedy. It was the tragedy of impulsive youth, and the fact that adults seem to completely forget about the impulsiveness of youth. It’s a cautionary tale for teens and their parents. This was a beautifully done remake… well worth it.
I think Tony Kushner gets a lot of things right with the new book, but maybe doesn’t go far enough. Anybody’s characterization is still very surface for the way they want to integrate and portray them as a trans/non-binary character. If they had more of a relationship with Tony, I think that could’ve helped. And, it’s still very hard to get behind Maria sleeping with Tony when he straight up murdered her brother just hours before. There’s the irrationality of young love, sure, but a boy you’ve known for all of 48 hrs murdering your family member is still a step too far. If Tony had done it accidentally, or in part due to self-defense, it would be a little more justifiable. It’s a gorgeously crafted film with exceptional choreography and acting. (Maybe not Ansel Elgort’s reaction to hearing Maria had died tho, and not to mention the allegations against him.) Amazing work from Rachel Zegler, Ariana Debose, and Mike Faist. Ariana’s win was well deserved, although it says a lot that she became only the second Latina to win, and it was for the same exact role and film.
Agree on everything!! We had a LOT more feelings about Maria jumping into bed with her brother’s murderer than made it into the cut. It’s really just a problem with the R&J adaption. Changing a cousin to a brother just radically alters the seriousness of Tybalt’s murder.
The performances were great. The music. So so. The story, meh. Unless it's, I dunno, Fiddler on the Roof, 99.999% of musicals are just so rather terrible. So many eyerolls during this film.
Why? Seriously. It was my fave until I learned Rita Moreno was the only Latino in the original cast-and they made the “Latinos” wear BROWN SHOE POLISH. And NONE of the principals in the original sang. Rita sang “America” but did not do any of the other songs. Natalie Wood was dubbed by Marni Nixon-who was a great singer-but she was 31 years old, and the character of Maria was much younger than that! The original WAS revolutionary for 1961, but am update was warranted. The fact that Spielberg could turn around and make a SIMILAR film, but not a carbon copy, is extraordinary. Do I still love the original? No doubt. But I’d be lying if I said the inclusion of Latinos for the Latino roles, the actors really singing etc, did not improve on the overall experience. It did. By the way, the song “A Boy Like That/I have A Love”, was sung and recorded live by DeBose and Zegler. In my opinion, this version edges out the original-but it’s really apples vs oranges. They’re both masterpieces for the respective eras in which they were produced!
THE ISSUE HERE IS NOT ACCEPTANCE...IT'S PRIDE itself. It's time to seek the truth! Flee from this world of darkness. This movie debunks the idea of PRIDE, cause the meaning of pride never changed. It's exchanging the glory of God into YOU. A godless world can't see this. But to anyone who might read this. Better read Proverbs 16:8; Romans 1:16-32; Romans 8:7-28; Matthew 7:13-14. John 14:6.