West Side Story (2021) movie review

MOVIE TITLE: West Side Story

This remake of the popular Broadway musical is now playing in theaters nationwide. Its release was delayed due to issues related to the pandemic, but it turned out that the new release was even better because it fell on the 60th anniversary of the 1961 original West Side Story movie.

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 2 hours 36 minutes (Whew! That’s long!)

IN A NUTSHELL:

Everyone would agree that a remake shouldn’t exist unless a director has something new to say. I’ve seen the original 1961 movie of West Side Story and stage plays multiple times, so I was excited to see what director Steven Spielberg was going to offer. Did you know that West Side Story was the highest-grossing film of 1961? It was nominated for 11 Oscars, and won 10 of them, one being Best Picture! That’s a hard act to follow for 75-year old Steven Spielberg. This was his first time directing a musical. If any director is up to the task, it’s master-director Steven Spielberg.

In 1957, Broadway introduced this modern take on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Sadly, the topics of violence and racial divide are still relevant in America today.

THINGS I LIKED:

I adore Ansel Elgort. I absolutely loved him in Baby Driver, the Divergent series, and The Fault In Our Stars. I didn’t know he could sing too! It’s not the strongest voice in the cast, but I’m still impressed.
It was wonderful to see Rita Moreno in this! She won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in the original movie. She’s adorable and so talented. I can’t believe she’s 90 years old! She looks amazing! In this film, she plays Doc’s widow, as well as works as one of the movie’s producers.
The movie actually looks old, perfect for the gritty time period.
I had never seen Rachel Zegler in anything before. She’s sweet, beautiful, and perfect as the innocent Maria. Spielberg thought she was the best Maria he had ever seen on stage. This is her first film. She sure hit the jackpot by starring in this movie because now she’s on everyone’s radar!
I’m so happy to see Ariana DeBose again. She was really great in The Prom (Music from the Netflix Film). Did you know she was a contestant on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE in 2009? I thought she was a true standout in this as Anita, previously played by Rita Moreno in the original movie.
Stylish dance numbers.
Dance Moms: Season 1 [DVD] fans will be thrilled to see Maddie Ziegler as one of the dancers.
Some songs were filmed live on set.
Screenwriter Tony Kushner explained that this film is more similar to the book written by Arthur Laurents than the 1961 movie. Laurents didn’t like the 1961 movie, saying its accents and costumes were all bogus.
Steven Spielberg dedicated the movie to his father, Arnold Spielberg, who passed away in 2020.
Mike Faist’s performance as Riff was stellar. I’m such a fan.
What’s a magical Spielberg movie without a musical score by the legendary John Williams? He was actually invited to serve as a consultant for the movie.
Broadway fans will be thrilled to see several cast members from the stage: David Alvarez, Ben Cook, Julian Elia, Myles Erlick, and Daniel Patrick Russell.
The actors who play the Puerto Ricans are actually Latinos, as they should be. That wasn’t the case in the 1961 original movie.
Color choices are used very intentionally by the director. For example, notice that Maria’s clothing changes in color as she loses her innocence.
I was impressed with what Josh Andres Rivera was able to do with his role as Chino.
The cinematography and direction are Oscar-worthy. My favorite shot is the bird’s-eye view of the shadows in the fight scene when the Jets and Sharks walk in from opposite sides.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

I’m super disappointed to hear that Ansel Elgort has been a creeper online lately. Come on, Dude. Seriously?
Am I the only one who didn’t really feel the chemistry between Tony and Maria?
I’m also disappointed with some of the comments that Rita Moreno made about the movie musical In The Heights. I absolutely loved that movie and have seen it several times now.
I recognize that there will be viewers who still prefer the 1961 original movie and strongly feel that a classic like that shouldn’t be messed with.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

All of the Spanish that is spoken does not have subtitles. That was an intentional decision made by Steven Spielberg in order to show respect to the language. He didn’t want to give more power to the English language. Unfortunately, those who don’t speak Spanish might feel frustrated that they’re missing important dialogue.
Shots of cleavage
Scenes of fighting
Destruction of property
Scenes show guys getting into trouble and breaking the law
Some profanity in English and Spanish
Lots of kissing. Unmarried couples sleep together.
A Trans character is represented
Portrayal of murder