This film was a delightful masterpiece and who knew Andrew Garfield could sing. And play the piano.
Detailing the week leading up to his thirtieth birthday (which will officially end his youth), Jonathan Larson (Garfield) is hyper-focused and has tunnel vision, unable to focus on anything other than his showcase for a musical about outer space and the future which he has slaved away on for eight years (yikes!) and pushes off talking to his sweet girlfriend, Susan (Alexandra Shipp) and can't be happy that his friend, Michael (Robin de Jesus) has a great job and swanky new apartment, freaking out when his power in his apartment is cut, thinking that marketing or advertising jobs are beneath him, even though he'd be brilliant at it.
And then his showcase finally happens, but the results are mixed. While he is lauded, the show won't get the funding it needs and Jonathan receives some devastating news so he learns that his problems are superficial but digs in his heels and keeps going.
This was the show that Jonathan wrote and never lived to see, dying painfully young and far before his time, and while Rent is by far his most famous production, I actually found this one better. The songs blend in with the plot so much better and move it forward effortlessly and the ending one nearly had me crying as it was just so good.
Filmed during the pandemic, the actors do an amazing job of transporting us back to 1990 New York City, capturing the atmosphere and attitudes not to mention the look of the time and make us forget that the pandemic was swirling around outside. They create the character for us before our very eyes and are excellent. Garfield certainly better be in consideration for an Oscar. And the cameos, wow. And this film manages to mean something, makes you glad to be alive which is especially poignant considering when it was made. This film is a must watch and without a doubt, one of the best of the year. Grade: A
Side Notes:
-There are plenty of great cameos in one of the musical numbers: Andre De Shields, Phillipa Soo, Joel Gray, Bebe Neuwirth (rocking the gray hair), Brian Stokes Mitchell and Chita Rivera.
-Richard Kind and Bradley Whitford (always great) have small roles as Walter Bloom and the great Stephen Sondheim, whom Jonathan adores.
-My witching birthday was my last, my thirty-first.
-Jonathan does keep a messy apartment.
-Showing how hectic a dinner can get was a great scene.
-Vanessa Hudgens is great as one of the vocalists in Jonathan's workshop.
-The show really did need a full band.
-Also, what in the world is the fake fat that they were attempting to advertise?
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