Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story (2021)

[publicist 4,643]

8 hours ago, Edmilson said:

I'd be pretty mad if I had paid extra for watching The Patriot in the theater, great Williams score notwithstanding.

 

And the score ain't that great either. 

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

1 hour ago, publicist said:

And the score ain't that great either. 

[publicist 4,643]

It's a match for the movie in all its superficial gestures/lack of depth. But nice love theme, i give it that.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,516]

4 hours ago, publicist said:

It's a match for the movie in all its superficial gestures/lack of depth. But nice love theme, I give it that.

That's, probably, the fairest estimate of the score, that I have read.

[theMaestraX 106]

I certainly enjoyed it. A worthy American/ drama musical. But love Natalie Woods version more.

 

[crumbs 14,306]

This certainly came and went without much fanfare. From all accounts it's an excellent film, yet it might be Spielberg's biggest bomb.

 

The geniuses at Disney decided to hold back Australia's release date until Boxing Day. An utterly idiotic decision given the exponential rise of Omicron; cinemas are the last place people will risk visiting now, for fear of becoming close contacts and needing to isolate. If they want to mingle with friends they'll stick with safer outdoor venues as summer rolls on.

 

Studios really are their own worst enemy with baffling "strategic" decisions like this.

[bruce marshall 1,315]

On 13/12/2021 at 5:31 AM, publicist said:

Everything that runs beyond 120 minutes.

Then,may we assume you're not a fan of Wagner's ' music dramas'?

 

😎

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

14 hours ago, crumbs said:

This certainly came and went without much fanfare. From all accounts it's an excellent film, yet it might be Spielberg's biggest bomb.

 

The geniuses at Disney decided to hold back Australia's release date until Boxing Day. An utterly idiotic decision given the exponential rise of Omicron; cinemas are the last place people will risk visiting now, for fear of becoming close contacts and needing to isolate. If they want to mingle with friends they'll stick with safer outdoor venues as summer rolls on.

 

Studios really are their own worst enemy with baffling "strategic" decisions like this.

 

I for one am absolutely elated with this movie's failure. It was remade for all the wrong reasons.

[crumbs 14,306]

It's tanking hard while Spiderman is breaking records.

 

Quote

The estimates for Spider-Man: No Way Home” domestic opening weekend just keep going up. Following $50 million in Thursday night previews, the film earned a further $71.5 million on Friday alone. The projected weekend debut is on track to reach as high as $240-250 million by end of Sunday.

 

That would make it the third or fourth highest opening of all-time at the domestic box office, behind the two most recent “Avengers” films and on par with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.

 

Those hoping Steven Spielberg’s ecstatically reviewed “West Side Story” musical would have legs are set to be disappointed as the movie, which opened to a disappointing $10 million last weekend, is expected to drop 65% in its second weekend for a $3-4 million or so haul this weekend after taking in just $1.06 million on Friday.

 

Either there's no interest in the film, or the target demographic isn't ready to go back to cinemas (or a mix of both).

[Edmilson 7,436]

People at the industry were hoping that West Side Story could perform like The Greatest Showman, which came out in the heels of The Last Jedi during Christmas 2017 and, despite a soft start, had an amazing post-debut performance due to great word to mouth.

 

And what a GREAT word to mouth it was: the movie's opening weekend was US$ 8.8m and its final box office was US$ 174.3m (!!). 

 

https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Greatest-Showman-The#tab=summary

 

Unfortunately, I don't see this happening with West Side Story for a number of reasons: Covid-19, the Omichron variant which scared off the movie's target audience, the fact that the movie is sadder and more tragic than the uplifting The Greatest Showman... Also TGS had Hugh Jackman on the main role, WSS doesn't have any recognizable names in its cast.

[crumbs 14,306]

And the awards season (where it might garner more hype) isn't exactly around the corner. This year's Oscars weren't until April 26!

 

I can't see Disney withholding the film from streaming that long, in the hope cinemagoers discover it by May.

 

I wonder how the film would've performed if they released it at the end of last year, as originally planned? 

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

2 hours ago, crumbs said:

 

 

I wonder how the film would've performed if they released it at the end of last year, as originally planned? 

 

Much the same. Let's be honest. Spiderman shows that people will go to the theaters if they want to.

 

This just isn't appealing to audiences. I don't know what they were thinking when they gave this movie a 100 million dollar budget. 

[crumbs 14,306]

IIRC it was greenlit at Fox but Disney decided not to cancel preproduction when the acquisition was finished.

 

If memory serves, there was a notable lack of high profile studio releases this time last year, as studios began delaying titles and writing the year off.

 

In hindsight, that might have been a missed opportunity to own the holiday season with no competition. Instead, it's sandwiched between big budget blockbusters and the core demographic is now very settled enjoying these types of films in their loungerooms.

 

Moving forward, I can't see any studio signing off on $100m budgets for Spielberg dramas. 

[A24 4,331]

3 hours ago, crumbs said:

Moving forward, I can't see any studio signing off on $100m budgets for Spielberg dramas. 

 

Netflix will welcome his dramas with open arms, even if they cost $150 million. 

[publicist 4,643]

6 hours ago, Edmilson said:

Unfortunately, I don't see this happening with West Side Story for a number of reasons: 

 

Reason No. 1: it's a work of its time and lost relevance, and i don't care how many marketing strategists and culture bloggers tell me otherwise. Another one of Steven Spielberg's follies that didn't click - but i bet you that if this would have been "Steven Spielberg's Phantom of the Opera', people would have turned up in droves.

[crumbs 14,306]

40 minutes ago, AC1 said:

 

Netflix will welcome his dramas with open arms, even if they cost $150 million. 

 

No doubt, but might be a bit awkward for Spielberg, considering his antagonistic behaviour towards Netflix in the past.

 

Though the recent deal between Amblin and Netflix would imply his stance has softened. Maybe he's finally accepted times have changed and will embrace streaming? Who knows.

 

Very curious about the budget for Fabelmans. It's his first film with Universal since Munich.

[mrbellamy 6,282]

Not sure where else to put this but it was brought to my attention that Rachel Zegler is a huge fan of Rey's Theme, and told John so when she met him. 

 

 

 

 

Makes me wish she could have been in a Spielberg movie with a JW theme of her own. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,516]

I bet she's not a "huge fan" of In Search Of Unicorns, is she? Lightweight.

[mrbellamy 6,282]

Go home, Richard, you're drunk 

 

[crumbs 14,306]

In Search of Unicorns is alright... but it's no Land of the Ums.

[A24 4,331]

4 hours ago, crumbs said:

 

 

Very curious about the budget for Fabelmans. It's his first film with Universal since Munich.

 

It could go down in history as one of the last non-spectacles that was shown in theaters nationwide. 

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

1 hour ago, AC1 said:

 

It could go down in history as one of the last non-spectacles that was shown in theaters nationwide. 

 

I know you aren't saying that but WSS was absolutely meant as a spectacle too. And still failed. 

[The Illustrious Jerry 3,356]

Saw the film last night and it’s a definite lock for my favourite of the year.

 

It's strange to think that but a few months ago I could not have been less pressed over the arrival of this adaptation, and was largely skeptical about Spielberg's decision to "waste his time" on it from the start. Sure, the original is almost certainly in my holy trinity of movie musicals, but recognizing that any comparisons would be null was actually the easiest part of the whole ordeal. I don’t consider that film to be untouchable, because what does that even mean and why does it matter? Besides, there have been hundreds of performances of West Side Story, and if Steven Spielberg wants to make a grand foray into the musical genre by leaning on a surefire pick like this, his adaptation is more than welcome and certainly deserves to be realized. I didn’t expect, however, that the now 75-year-old director would end up outdoing himself in every possible way. Then again, I guess I should have known I would end up eating my own words.

 

This is unequivocally a Steven Spielberg production of West Side Story, and while the story and score are always going to be tremendously powerful and resonant, it is nothing short of enlivening and refreshing to see one of the greatest directors of all time take the opportunity to swing for the fences like this, breathing a surge of electric energy and seemingly boundless creativity into a tragic romance I thought I was already more than familiar with.

 

Every review I've read in advance of seeing the film has made it abundantly clear just how much Spielberg wanted to direct this, but my goodness that passion really is just dripping right off the screen. It's not even fair how good everyone is here. Kushner is doing summersaults with the material, and Dudamel's hitting dinger after dinger with the orchestra. The performances squeeze everything out of Newman's adapted score, and the recording is fittingly stunning.

 

This is also Kaminski's best work since Munich. Nobody has a visual language like this anymore. Heck, nobody even blocks a scene or moves the camera like Spielberg does either. This is most obviously a film full of life and energy and movement, but even when the characters aren't dancing, something else is. The script, the camera, the production design- it's all there and working in perfect synthesis. That being said, the choreography itself remains amazing. Only a master could find such thrilling new ways to stage Bernstein and Sondheim’s classic numbers like this. The signature long takes and wide shots only accentuate just how well Spielberg's cinematic toolbox translates to this genre. 

 

I'll further posit that every single casting decision is on-point. I'm well aware that it's going to be a minority opinion but I think Elgort is excellent, and if you're not convinced and still think he's the latest in a long line of woeful Spielbergian miscasts (allegations aside, of course), at least throw a bone for the discovery of Rachel Zegler, who was last seen soaring past Jupiter. I mean, talk about a movie star in the making! Other major stand-outs include Mike Faist in the role of Riff and Ariana DeBose as Anita. I also liked seeing Corey Stoll and Brian D'Arcy James as Schrank and Krupke, respectively. All in all, everyone's on their A-game, whether it be in the background or foreground.

 

I'm well aware the reception of some of the vocal performances on the album was a little lukewarm, but I'll just say it helps immensely to see it all on screen. In fact, watching the film only makes the album more accessible, and I say this as someone who has practically known these songs by heart for years.

 

Anyway, I'm overjoyed and elated and absolutely spoiled to have been able to take in such rich filmmaking as this. I suppose I should probably say something about how people are really missing this in favour of catching Spider-Man 8: Kevin Feige Needs Thirty New Homes or whatever they've called their latest money printer, but what's the point? If this is the last big-budget movie musical we ever get I think I can live with that. Without a doubt, Spielberg and company have knocked it out of the stratosphere.

[mrbellamy 6,282]

One little gag I loved in "Gee Officer Krupke" was -- I think when they're going "We're disturbed, we're disturbed, we're the most disturbed!" -- one of the Jets pops up from under frame with his hands on his head, eyes bulging, screaming into the camera. Felt like young dorky Spielberg. 

[WampaRat 1,105]

22 hours ago, The Illustrious Jerry said:

Saw the film last night and it’s a definite lock for my favourite of the year.

 

It's strange to think that but a few months ago I could not have been less pressed over the arrival of this adaptation, and was largely skeptical about Spielberg's decision to "waste his time" on it from the start. Sure, the original is almost certainly in my holy trinity of movie musicals, but recognizing that any comparisons would be null was actually the easiest part of the whole ordeal. I don’t consider that film to be untouchable, because what does that even mean and why does it matter? Besides, there have been hundreds of performances of West Side Story, and if Steven Spielberg wants to make a grand foray into the musical genre by leaning on a surefire pick like this, his adaptation is more than welcome and certainly deserves to be realized. I didn’t expect, however, that the now 75-year-old director would end up outdoing himself in every possible way. Then again, I guess I should have known I would end up eating my own words.

 

This is unequivocally a Steven Spielberg production of West Side Story, and while the story and score are always going to be tremendously powerful and resonant, it is nothing short of enlivening and refreshing to see one of the greatest directors of all time take the opportunity to swing for the fences like this, breathing a surge of electric energy and seemingly boundless creativity into a tragic romance I thought I was already more than familiar with.

 

Every review I've read in advance of seeing the film has made it abundantly clear just how much Spielberg wanted to direct this, but my goodness that passion really is just dripping right off the screen. It's not even fair how good everyone is here. Kushner is doing summersaults with the material, and Dudamel's hitting dinger after dinger with the orchestra. The performances squeeze everything out of Newman's adapted score, and the recording is fittingly stunning.

 

This is also Kaminski's best work since Munich. Nobody has a visual language like this anymore. Heck, nobody even blocks a scene or moves the camera like Spielberg does either. This is most obviously a film full of life and energy and movement, but even when the characters aren't dancing, something else is. The script, the camera, the production design- it's all there and working in perfect synthesis. That being said, the choreography itself remains amazing. Only a master could find such thrilling new ways to stage Bernstein and Sondheim’s classic numbers like this. The signature long takes and wide shots only accentuate just how well Spielberg's cinematic toolbox translates to this genre. 

 

I'll further posit that every single casting decision is on-point. I'm well aware that it's going to be a minority opinion but I think Elgort is excellent, and if you're not convinced and still think he's the latest in a long line of woeful Spielbergian miscasts (allegations aside, of course), at least throw a bone for the discovery of Rachel Zegler, who was last seen soaring past Jupiter. I mean, talk about a movie star in the making! Other major stand-outs include Mike Faist in the role of Riff and Ariana DeBose as Anita. I also liked seeing Corey Stoll and Brian D'Arcy James as Schrank and Krupke, respectively. All in all, everyone's on their A-game, whether it be in the background or foreground.

 

I'm well aware the reception of some of the vocal performances on the album was a little lukewarm, but I'll just say it helps immensely to see it all on screen. In fact, watching the film only makes the album more accessible, and I say this as someone who has practically known these songs by heart for years.

 

Anyway, I'm overjoyed and elated and absolutely spoiled to have been able to take in such rich filmmaking as this. I suppose I should probably say something about how people are really missing this in favour of catching Spider-Man 8: Kevin Feige Needs Thirty New Homes or whatever they've called their latest money printer, but what's the point? If this is the last big-budget movie musical we ever get I think I can live with that. Without a doubt, Spielberg and company have knocked it out of the stratosphere.

So glad to see you loved this as much as I did. Taking a story I’ve loved since I was 5 and making me feel like I was seeing it for the first time is truly a magic act. It’s definitely the film that has moved me the most (elation and heartbreak). I’m just as gutted that it’s not doing well. When the dust settles after its bombing, I have no doubt it will be looked back on fondly and with great acclaim by people who care about this type of film. Hopefully it picks up a couple awards for it’s trouble. Especially that hungry cast. Knock-outs everyone. (Yes even Ansel!) He did a terrific job with the thankless, swooney Romance role. The script and direction gave him the necessary edge to have had a “rep bigger than the whole west side”. Just phenomenal work Mr. Spielberg! 

[crocodile 8,006]

Watched it earlier today. The film is very well made and the music produced exceptionally well. I have nothing bad to say about it. But there was something in me wishing I were experiencing it in the theater where it would have been more magical. There's something about recent, more gritty, musical movies that actually throws me out of the experience. Overall, it was enjoyable though. I am grateful for a pretty strong interpretation of the music. 

 

Karol 

[Jay 37,352]

Wait, what?  How'd you see it not in a theater?

[Disco Stu 15,495]

👀 

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

2 hours ago, Jay said:

Wait, what?  How'd you see it not in a theater?

 

I took it to mean he wanted to see it as a live performance. 

[Jay 37,352]

No because he said he watched it, which is what you say, about things yo u watch at home. Of you see it in the movie theater, then you say you saw it, not you watched it

[TSMefford 1,509]

Personally, I have used both interchangeably before. Is it correct? No. Does it happen sometimes when I'm just in casual conversation? Sure.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,516]

On 19/12/2021 at 11:48 AM, mrbellamy said:

Go home, Richard, you're drunk 

 

I...I...ssurrmmubl (falls unconscious).

[Tydirium 1,167]

11 hours ago, TheUlyssesian said:

 

I took it to mean he wanted to see it as a live performance. 

 

How did you get that, from what he said? He said he watched the film, and also said "But there was something in me wishing I were experiencing it in the theater where it would have been more magical." So he watched the film, but not in the theater.

[JNHFan2000 2,959]

5 hours ago, Tydirium said:

 

How did you get that, from what he said? He said he watched the film, and also said "But there was something in me wishing I were experiencing it in the theater where it would have been more magical." So he watched the film, but not in the theater.

I think he watched it in a theatre. But on a small screen, because WSS isn't playing on any big screens anymore because of Spider-Man

[crocodile 8,006]

I see you guys are getting confused. 😂 We call it cinema over here, not theater. The latter is what you'd refer to as live theater. I went to see it at the cinema. While watching the film I thought to myself it would be better experienced as a live show. There's something about cinema's obsession with making musicals realistic that actually stops me from suspending my disbelief. It doesn't happen with live theater. I went to London recently to experience a couple of shows and it made me think, for the most part, these things belong on stage. It's where you really get to experience the magic. 

 

Karol

[A24 4,331]

13 hours ago, crocodile said:

 There's something about recent, more gritty, musical movies that actually throws me out of the experience.

 

What's the definition of a gritty musical? And what's the reason why these gritty musicals throw you out of the movie?

[crocodile 8,006]

9 minutes ago, AC1 said:

 

What's the definition of a gritty musical? And what's the reason why these gritty musicals throw you out of the movie?

I suppose they try to make it look more like real life which is why it's hard to buy into the concept. That doesn't happen in live theater. There were numerous moments where I was engaged in the Spielberg film...and then they started singing. I kept forgetting what genre the film is and it made it jarring. 

 

Katol

[Jay 37,352]

Interesting, I've never used "watched" before to talk about something I saw at the cinema.  In the USA, we say that we "saw" a film at the cinema, and we "watched" a film at home.

[Tallguy 3,385]

Sometimes I get particular about saying "cinema" rather than "theater" for just that reason. But then I think "Do I really need another think that people can think I'm pretentious about?"

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

21 hours ago, Jay said:

No because he said he watched it, which is what you say, about things yo u watch at home. Of you see it in the movie theater, then you say you saw it, not you watched it

 

17 hours ago, Tydirium said:

 

How did you get that, from what he said? He said he watched the film, and also said "But there was something in me wishing I were experiencing it in the theater where it would have been more magical." So he watched the film, but not in the theater.

 

I win.

 

[A24 4,331]

To avoid further confusion, just say "at the movies". 

[LSH 968]

APOLLO 13 - JAMES HORNER

 

Just excellent. In my top 3 scores ever.

 

That main theme is simply stunning. It makes me cry so very much.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,516]

Er... wrong thread, maybe?

[TownerFan 4,983]

On 18/12/2021 at 8:56 AM, crumbs said:

This certainly came and went without much fanfare. From all accounts it's an excellent film, yet it might be Spielberg's biggest bomb.

 

The geniuses at Disney decided to hold back Australia's release date until Boxing Day. An utterly idiotic decision given the exponential rise of Omicron; cinemas are the last place people will risk visiting now, for fear of becoming close contacts and needing to isolate. If they want to mingle with friends they'll stick with safer outdoor venues as summer rolls on.

 

Studios really are their own worst enemy with baffling "strategic" decisions like this.

 

I guess Omicron was the nail in the coffin for any BO ambition WSS could have. Even it it was never destined for huge numbers, it could have found a consistent audience in a Covid-free world. Anyway, the 50/60-something demographic started diserting cinemas even before the pandemic, so we're in a situation where audiences' habits are changing drastically when it comes to the moviegoing experience.

 

As for Spielberg, I wouldn't label this film as an "operation". He wanted to do a musical and he finally made it. I don't judge his intentions, but rather the results. It's evidently clear that he's going to look more and more like a dinosaur to contemporary audiences. Even though I don't think he's completely out of touch with current sensibilities (like Hitchcock was in the final phase of his career, for example), he's belongs to an era that now looks very much in the past tense despite all the nostalgia for it. In certain ways, The Fabelmans could be seen as a sort of send off to his career, perhaps?

[crocodile 8,006]

That's the thing. The film itself is fine. But I can't quite get who is this for? 

 

Karol

[A24 4,331]

1 hour ago, TownerFan said:

In certain ways, The Fabelmans could be seen as a sort of send off to his career, perhaps?

 

Indy will still draw audiences to the movies but Spielberg has to accept that his next musical or drama will be more succesful on Netflix. 

[Bayesian 1,363]

I’m firmly with @The Illustrious Jerry and @WampaRat about Spielberg’s WSS. Just came out of the theater and I loved every single second of it. Jerry’s review is spot-on—this was a labor of love for Spielberg and it shows. Every camera movement perfect, every actor luminous, every visible piece of the set an utterly convincing work of art. The New York Phil played like their lives depended on it. And this is the first film I’ve seen in a long time where the violence looks real (like the actors really are being punched in the face or smashed over the head with a chain). It absolutely grieves me that the film isn’t doing well at the box office and I really hope that the industry (or industry watchers/commentators) does not interpret this to mean Spielberg’s passé. He absolutely is not. The film business needs him more than ever, as far as I’m concerned.

[ChrisAfonso 186]

Just saw the film yesterday. Originally, when it was announced, I was indifferent to the concept (and in the "sure go ahead, but why remake a classic?" crowd). Approaching the release, I got a bit more excited about a new take on the material, especially after the reviews started coming out overwhelmingly positive.

But I was not prepared how much a story (and score!) I know very well for a long time, would keep me anchored in my seat gripping the armrests, and needing quite some time to collect myself afterwards. A real masterpiece with quite a number of really inspired choices for a new perspective on the material that work really well (standout: "Cool").

The sheer visceral quality of the filmmaking is amazing (and a real departure from the '61 film, as far as I remember it).

I get Karol's view that the raw realism and the heightened musical drama sometimes don't completely mesh successfully (and occasionally thought so myself during the film), but IMHO that's a very minor point of concern - both the "movie" and the "musical" work so well, that it immediately pulled me back in each time I got momentarily tripped up by the contrast.

[crumbs 14,306]

Sadly the film is really struggling to find any audience, either stateside or internationally. 

 

 

Quote

“West Side Story” continued to flounder with a further $2.1 million for totals of $29.5 million domestic and $52.7 million worldwide.

 

Personally I think the release timing was absolutely horrible (especially with the arrival of Omicron, which has exploded in Australia) but I guess hindsight is twenty twenty.

 

This will probably be the last big budget musical any studio greenlights for a long time. 

[Edmilson 7,436]

Disney should've dated it for AFTER Spiderman, not before it. Then, it could've performed like The Greatest Showman. As it is, it's Sing 2 who is acting like the only competitor to No Way Home, not WSS.