Rent [DVD] [2006]

RENT is a masterpiece of song, dance, and acting. I've now seen it at least eight times and have yet to find any major flaw. All of the negative reviews that I have seen for it are from people whoa) Simply didn't understand it (I maintain that a lot of people loved the stage version because of the big noise and smoke but still didn't understand it, so when the noise and smoke had to go when it was transferred to film, they didn't enjoy it)b) Have memorized the music (as I have) and thought that the spoken lines were badly-acted (They're not. If you know exactly, word-for-word, what's going to be said next, it will always sound wooden)c) Love the stage version and are upset at all of the changes that have been made (A few songs have been taken out or cut shorter or made longer, although there are no new songs in the video, the locations of some scenes have been changed, and all of the other minor changes that always occur when translating a stage production to video)d) Won't let themselves enjoy it because of the subject matter (Either they are homophobic or do not want to listen to characters addicted to heroin or cross-dressers)e) Simply don't like musical film and only watched it because they had liked the musicalIn any case, if you are open-minded and enjoy musical film, I can guarantee you will love RENT. If you watch it, though, there are some things that are important that aren't for most movies:a) You have to pay attention at all times, even during the songs. If you miss even five minutes, you'll understand it less. It's hard to understand (I didn't understand it enough to enjoy it until the second time I saw it and didn't understand it completely until the fourth time), so make sure you're paying attention!b) You have to be open to issues of homosexuality, HIV, heroin addiction, poverty, and the Bohemian lifestyle. Try not to be too shocked and focus on the message of the movie.c) You have to open yourself up to the heart of the movie. There's a lot of big feelings in it and you have to let them hit you.d) Relax and enjoy it! It's a musical. People sing almost nonstop the whole time. There are barely two scenes in a row without a song.Those who say it's dated also don't understand it. Maybe East Village has changed. But there's still AIDS, homosexuality, cross-dressing, drug addiction, poverty, and homelessness in today's world. And, most importantly, there's still love. It's a movie about love in the end of the day - not a love story, but a movie about love.If there were more stars, I'd give them to RENT, because five out of five doesn't seem like even close to enough.

Good entertainment and a clear recording. The story brings out a range of emotions for the viewer.

First up, Rent (the movie) isn't going to appeal to everyone. Not so much due to it's subject matters, but more so to do with the fact that it's a movie that includes it's cast belting out around songs. Whilst the likes of Moulin Rouge & Chicago appealed to a different audience than maybe your standard cinema-goer, Rent won't necessarily appeal to fans of these movies either because it's an edgy tale of modern-day struggles featuring a soundtrack that stretches from Rock to Gospel. The Sound of Music, this ain't !!!I saw the show on Broadway a couple of years after it first opened & whilst the story mainly passed me by, the music moved me more than anything had for years. I'd grown to love the soundtrack for the majority of ten years so when the movie was released I was eager to see it but without really being a "fan", I have to say the movie blew me away.I wasn't sure if Rent as a movie would work but Chris Columbus did an amazing job in making the whole thing work. It was a superbly effective move to bring in the majority of the orignal cast of the show & I hope that creator Jonathan Larson would be proud of how the movie showcases the heart of the original story whilst breathing new life into the songs without being dis-respectful to the "originals".I have to admit, if I picked up a copy of the Rent DVD without knowing anything about it & read the summary on the back-cover, I'd put it straight back down as neither the subject matter or the genre of film usually appeals to me, it's therefore refreshing to witness something different quite as superbly written & directed featuring around a dozen numbers of truly brilliant quality, each one heightening the emotion as the story unfolds.As a movie, it's superb, but a word of warning, epsecially if you're a fan. The UK DVD offers little in terms of extra's but the 2 disc Region 1 Edition features some superb extra's, the main thing being the awesome feature-length documentary covering the tragic life & loss of Rent creator Jonathan Larson. I'm a big fan of movie documentaries & this documentary is quite simply as good as it gets.To summarise, Rent may not appeal to all but if you're open minded or simply enjoy great music and/or a truly moving movie experience - pick up a copy of Rent.

Good Lord, I love this film. I have never seen the stage production - but this film makes me want to.The first time I watched it - it was good, don't get me wrong - but it takes a few times to really listen to the lyrics, watch subtleties in performances (there's a huge amount going on in any single frame), get over the fact that not only is it a musical, but that even dialogue is sung much of the time.Once you've swallowed all of that, you're left with an enormously enjoyable film to sing along to. That and the overriding positive uplifting message that's suitable for anyone, not just those living with HIV or AIDS. No day but today.Notable performances from each of the main cast members (6 out of 8 from the original broadway show), although I think Taye Diggs may have a right to feel short-changed. In order to fit the movie timeline, a couple of his key character arc scenes were cut. Small gripe, and it did fit the overall flow...DVD is good, deleted scenes good to watch, especially the cut song "Goodbye Love", commentary from Chris Columbus, Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal is informative - with good insights about deceased creator Jonathan Larson's vision. The only thing missing is that I think in the US this was a 2 disc version, with an extra documentary. Still a good buy though.