William La Rochelle

Spielberg lives up to his outstanding standard. The studio may have assumed that there was more awareness among the younger demographic. Maybe some youth feel that their own youth is not up on screen but a version of their grandparents' youth. But if they can GET PAST that baggage they bring, they will likely appreciate the bittersweet and charming presentation of this new vision of the play. This time Spielberg shows the sharks. And his camera placement dances as well as the performers. He is still choosing meaningful ways to use the frame. I'm glad I saw it on the big screen, as is my routine with Spielberg. But I will most likely get it on BluRay in time as well. On-line pundits should see the movie before making pronouncements. The movie should have drawn a larger audience. There may be tomboy girls who do not want to have their representation traded out for a version of Anybody's who is now more explicitly trans, but more likely that won't be a concern and it the character doesn't seem to hit us over the head or preach. The additional details of characters all felt organic to the story. The fun scenes are fun and the portent of danger and inevitability of tragedy and pathos in the futile world of street gangs give it an edge. This West Side Story is as it should be. I hope more people catch on to it.

Rewatching a couple of other Elvis bio-pics now, The TV miniseries and the John Carpenter version. Interesting choices of emphasis with each. The latest iteration can sum up entire scenes or moments with a couple of lines because of the trippy Baz approach to filmmaking, yet he carefully stresses full sequences about race and is sure to get Star Trek images visible outside a control room while If I Can Dream is recorded for TV. Strong performances all around.

If you see Dune on the big screen, you see a lot more sand for your dollar.