Hello, all. I realized that the last time I posted was on Rent day and that was an eternity ago! I mean, it felt like an eternity. It really wasn't that long ago, but we were having computer issues and I haven't been able to log on in a long time.

So I'll use this opportunity to tell you what I thought of Rent. I knew that I would love it because it's Rent, but I didn't know if I would like it as a movie. I'm happy to say that I really did like it overall. It did have a few weird moments- my biggest beef was that the songs that were converted to dialogue sounded a little cheesy. I mean, some of it still rhymed. I was also disappointed that they didn't show April's suicide or even allude to it (if you didn't already know that she killed herself, you were left thinking that April died of AIDS) and both "Halloween" and the last part of "Goodbye Love" were cut out of the movie. The scene where Mark and Roger fight in "Goodbye Love!" My favorite scene from the musical, cut! The most revealing moment about their two characters, tossed aside. (I know, I'm sounding very melodramatic.) Anyway, there's always hope that it will be on the DVD. On to the good moments.

There were so many. As usual, I have to praise Adam Pascal because he is my favorite. He played Roger so broken and sad- a switch from the stage show, where his anger really came out. "One Song Glory" didn't have any surprises in it (we had already seen a lot of the footage in trailers and on the net) but "Another Day" was awesome. Let me say it again. Awesome. It's always been one of my favorites, but it really came alive for me in the movie. Rosario Dawson totally delivered as Mimi. She can sing, she can act, she can dance. I originally didn't like "Without You" when I first heard it on the new soundtrack- I thought Rosario sounded good, but it seemed a little forced from Adam. I didn't even notice what I didn't like about it when I watched the movie, it was so well done. It was scenes of Mimi scoring drugs and going through withdrawl interspersed with scenes of Angel dying (another Adam moment: I loved, loved the little scene with all of them gathered around Angel in the hospital bed, and Roger sitting off to the side, miserable and not even trying to hide it.) That was the song where I started crying and I didn't stop until the end of the movie.

Everyone was good in the movie, but I am now in love with Jesse L. Martin. He owned every scene he was in. I don't know if "stole the show" is the right terminology because you really can't with that cast (everyone is a powerhouse performer) but he was definitely a standout in an ensemble cast. Please, powers that be, nominate him for best supporting actor at the Academy Awards!

Anyway, it was a great movie. I was pleased. I've seen it twice already, with plans to see it again as soon as possible. (That would be again again, as I have been putting it.) It's been getting some mixed reviews, but many of them have been really positive. You can read all of the ones I have read over at Rotten Tomatoes (I think I still have a link to it in my sidebar.)

That's most of what I have to say about that! I'll be back more often now that we have the internet up and running. To all those adults reading this: go see Rent! To anyone still in their parents' care: talk to them about it first. Even though it's rated PG-13, it's still contains drug abuse; partial nudity; foul language; sexual innuendo, dialogue, and situations. I would strongly advise parents to evaluate it carefully before allowing their teenagers to go see it.

That's all for today. In tomorrow's post: I describe my blatantly tacky and possibly offensive Christmas decorations. Till then,

Brianne <><