Buy Rent

After watching the DVD of Rent this weekend, I'm happy to report that I have a bit more enthusiasm for the film. As you may recall, I didn't exactly love Rent when I first saw it last November. I felt that the film had serious pacing problems that made it feel long, and the decision to cut one or two key songs eliminated all the emotional impact. But now I've watched all the deleted scenes and the full two-hour documentary, and I've played the movie straight through (admittedly, it was more like background music since I wasn't watching too closely) and I can honestly say I don't hate the film as much as I did. Sure, I still think director Christopher Columbus was wrong to cut "Goodbye Love" (which you can watch here, along with some other clips), and I actually like the alternate ending more than the one that's actually there, but as a lasting memento of a musical I love, I could do a lot worse than this movie adaptation. And it's worth noting that the documentary feature is actually quite good and worth watching, even if you think you know everything about Jonathan Larson and Rent. So there's my ringing endorsement, without a lame "it's a good rent-al" pun. Oh wait ...