Love Fest February

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 West Side Story (2021 US) Directed by Steven Spielberg. Don't get me wrong the 1957 Robert Wise version is just stunning too. I just liked the updated version. My first thought upon hearing about this film is why would you want to remake such a classic, but I'm glad I watched it. Spielberg did a great job with all aspects but the casting really caught my eye. Triple threat Rachel Zegler as Maria just knocked it out of the park. Oh and those dresses. Spielberg does a great job of heartfelt movies and this was no exception. I'm not a big fan of musicals but I really loved this one and also Hamilton. Spielberg really utilized lens flares here. Star Trek has gone nuts with lens flares so I'm a bit overloaded with them but it worked well for him.  I was watching a documentary of the filming of this. The school dance scene looked particularly hard to shoot with sooo much going on so it took awhile. 

Rita Moreno was cast in a matronly role and acted as an anchor on the film. She was even listed as an Executive Producer. 

It received a ton of accolades, nominations and wins from various academies. West Side Story was released in 2021 just as things were opening up after Covid. It did not do so well as people were still huddled in their houses. It went to streaming and is still there and sits at a loss with a 300 million dollar budget. Find it on HBO, Disney and Amazon. Also its available to rent on most streaming. 

 

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