Never doubt Señor Spielbergo’s union American equivalent. It only took until he was 74, however Steven Spielberg has finally made the musical he has wanted to make for decades. Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story is only a few small weeks away from dancing its way to the cinemas, meaning it has finally been shown to critics, giving us the first reactions to the expected musical.
Based on 1961 Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins films of the same name, self adapted from Robbins’ Broadway production of the play by Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim who was inspired by Romeo and Juliet. The stars of the film Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort as lovers on either side of a burning conflict on the streets of New York City between two street gangs: the Jets, white working-class teenagers and the sharks, Puerto Rican American immigrants.
Spielberg instructs West Side Story from a manuscript of Tony Kushner who also wrote Lincoln for Spielberg. The film is shot by his regular film photographer Janusz Kamiński, and also stars Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Corey Stoll, Brian d’Arcy James, and Rita Moreno. Spielberg also produces next door Kristie Macosko Krieger and Kevin McCollum. West Side Story sings in the cinema on December 10th.
Now that we are only two weeks from the release of West Side Story remake, it’s time to find out what critics and journalists thought of Spielberg’s latest. Was this the right story to make as his first foray into music film? How is the choreography? Who is the prominent artist? Is Kamiński taking another Oscar home? Or did Spielberg make another BFG? Check out some of the early reactions too West Side Story below.
First of all, here’s what Collider’s own Perri Nemiroff, Christina Radish, Matt Goldberg, Carly Lane and Vinnie Mancuso had to say:
I guess we’re allowed to tweet our thoughts about WEST SIDE STORY.
I loved it. It feels like its own thing while retaining a classic vibe. The craftsmanship is incredible and makes me wish it hadn’t taken Spielberg this long to make a musical. Easily his best film since LINCOLN.
— Matt Goldberg (@MattGoldberg) November 30, 2021
Critics agree that this is an amazingly good time in cinema, and praise the rogue Spielberg for his eye for composition and choreography.
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