West Side Story

I am a huge fan of the old Hollywood musicals, such as The Sound of Music, South Pacific, The Music Man, and Fiddler on the Roof, because I have very vivid memories of watching them on VHS at my Grandma Anderson's house.  My all-time favorite is West Side Story.  I know that it is problematic when viewed with a modern lens but I love the songs and the dancing so much!  I was, therefore, a bit concerned when I heard that Steven Spielberg was directing a remake because I didn't think anything could compare to the original.  I was wrong!  I finally had the chance to see it last night and I absolutely loved it!  The story revolves around the forbidden romance between Tony (Ansel Elgort) and Maria (Rachel Zegler) and the animosity it stirs up between the Jets and the Sharks, two rival street gangs who are vying for territory.  I really enjoyed some new additions to the story.  The gentrification of the neighborhood raises the stakes for both the Jets and the Sharks because they are not just fighting for territory but for a place to live. The backstory of Tony as a former gang member trying to go straight after serving time in prison for assault provides more motivation for his desire to stop the fighting.  The new character of Valentina (Rita Moreno), the Puerto Rican widow of Doc who now runs his drug store, becomes an important mentor for Tony because she shows him what is possible (Moreno provides one of the most poignant moments in the movie).  The entire cast is absolutely brilliant but the standouts for me are Mike Faist as Riff and Ariana DeBose as Anita because their singing, dancing, and acting are amazing (this is what happens when you cast Broadway stars in movie musicals).  I also really liked Elgort, despite his tumultuous personal life, because he is an endearing Tony and has great chemistry with Zegler.  His rendition of "Maria" gave me goosebumps!  Speaking of Zegler, I loved her voice and she imbues Maria with a strength that I appreciated.  I absolutely loved the new staging of the musical numbers, particularly "America," which happens more organically on the street, "Gee, Officer Krupke," which happens inside the police station as the gang members are questioned about the upcoming rumble, and "Pretty," which happens in the window displays of the department store where Maria works as a cleaner.  I really loved that "Cool," one of my favorite numbers, is changed so that Tony sings it to convince the Jets not to rumble with the Sharks.  (The only number that I prefer from the original movie is the prologue because the hostility between the gangs is conveyed entirely through dance rather than a fight as is the case in this version).  All of the costumes are fantastic but the ones at the school dance are especially striking because the Jets and their girls are primarily in blue and the Sharks and their girls are primarily in red.  Finally, I loved the cinematography and shot composition, especially all of the overhead shots because they are so dramatic!  I went into the theater last night feeling a bit skeptical but left it loving this movie.  I highly recommend it!