West Side Story (Steven Spielberg, 2021) musical; wr. Tony Kushner; Ansel Elgort, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Rita Moreno, Rachel Zegler; released 29 Nov 2021 in the States, Boxing Day 2021 in Australia; based on the 1957 Leonard Bernstein musical with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
This is a superb film - almost impossible to fault.*
It's not a reinvention of the Jerome Robbins film (or show, perhaps, but I have no way of knowing about that): it's a tribute. It's one of the good things about Spielberg's version. Though it is better – it has more energy, more style, more finish, and more seriousness - it's not because it's trying to outdo Robbins and Wise - it's because it's sincerely trying to be worthy to be in the same universe of film-making as the original film (and I suppose play).
'Sincerely' is an odd word to use in a note on a movie, especially a musical, but as the film gets well into its second hour, it becomes worthy of being thought of a tragedy like Romeo and Juliet. The closing scene reminded me more of Hamlet, in fact: "Bear Hamlet like a soldier to the stage/For he was likely, had he been put on,/To have prov'd most royally." Tony is the one who might have brought the 'Montagues' and 'Capulets' of this story together. He fails, nobly, and his body is treated with the respect that comes with that recognition.
So that's the more profound aspect. But the real triumph of the film is in the dancing in the first hour. Not only is the choreography brilliant but the execution is almost unbelievably good, on the part of the whole dancing cast.
*I'm giving it 99%. The 1% off is for Ansel Elgort's singing, and particularly of "Maria". That should have been recorded in the studio and more work done on it, as his timing is a little precipitous. ... It's only 1% off!
Most critics liked this filmed version, tho aware of its 1961 predecessor, which was the highest grossing film of that year, and regarded as one of the greatest musical films ever made.
Schober, Adrian 2021, Review of John Barrios, West Side Story Redux: West Side Story: The Jets, the Sharks, and the Making of a Classic, Senses of Cinema, 99, July.
IMDb page
Wikipedia page. Excerpt:
Rotten Tomatoes' critical consensus reads, "Steven Spielberg's West Side Story presents a new look at the classic musical that lives up to its beloved forebear – and in some respects might even surpass it." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 85 out of 100 based on 62 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it an 88% overall positive score, with 70% saying they would definitely recommend it.
Chris Evangelista of /Film wrote, "Spielberg's West Side Story is a knock-out. A dynamite blend of old-school musical showmanship and modern sensibilities. It's one of the best movies of the year, and one of the best movies of the acclaimed filmmaker's career. Yes, really." Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian wrote: "Spielberg quite rightly doesn't try hiding any of those stage origins. His mastery of technique is thrilling; I gave my heart to this poignant American fairytale of doomed love." Helen O'Hara of Empire gave the film five stars and wrote, "Heartfelt and heart-breaking, this feels like Spielberg has made an adaptation faithful to its roots but also, always, alive to the modern world." Jason Bailey of The Playlist wrote, "West Side Story moves like a freight train, its 156 minutes passing in barely a breath, and that breakneck pace, combined with the expressionist aesthetic and candy-colored imagery, reminds us that blockbusters don't have to be greyscaled dreck." Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair wrote that "Spielberg and Kushner have done justice to what Bernstein, Robbins, and the quite recently late Stephen Sondheim made all those years ago – not subverting its enduring value, but rather, with fire and grace, doing so much to earn it." Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote that the film "has a brash effervescence. You can feel the joy he got out of making it, and the kick is infectious."
Metacritic reported that West Side Story appeared on 66 film critics' top ten lists for 2021, being among the top ten films with the most appearances. The film ranked first on 10 lists and second on 7 lists.
100
Observer
Rex ReedDec 14, 2021
This is a West Side Story for both the past and present, as pleasing as the best movie musicals used to be, and as relevant as today’s headlines. It makes you feel like you are actually on the turbulent streets of New York’s west side, not a sound stage.
100
Washington Post
Ann HornadayDec 7, 2021
Spielberg and Kaminski have enjoyed a fruitful collaboration for decades, but their work on West Side Story brings the partnership to breathtakingly poetic expressive heights.
100
Chicago Sun-Times
Richard RoeperDec 6, 2021
Soaring. Exhilarating. Magical. Heartbreaking. Unforgettable.
100
Time Out
Phil de SemlyenDec 2, 2021
There’s a touch of diet Brando about Elgort’s reformed bad boy-turned-lovebird, but Zegler brings a lovely brand of innocence and conviction to Maria. And don’t be surprised to see Moreno winning another Oscar. Or, for that matter, Spielberg.
100
BBC
Caryn JamesDec 2, 2021
Full of energy, wit, passion and tragedy, looking backward and forward at once, it is one of the most moving films of the year.
100
San Francisco Chronicle
Mick LaSalleDec 2, 2021
The big news about Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is that it’s a magnificent movie, even by Spielberg standards and even by “West Side Story” standards.
100
The Telegraph
Robbie CollinDec 2, 2021
There’s no need for Spielberg and Kushner to tease out topicality here. Aspects of West Side Story feel as pertinent today as they must have done on its 1957 Broadway debut. But relevance is easy: timelessness is the real artistic feat. And Spielberg has magnificently pulled it off.
100
The Guardian
Peter BradshawDec 2, 2021
West Side Story is contrived, certainly, a hothouse flower of musical theatre, and Spielberg quite rightly doesn’t try hiding any of those stage origins. His mastery of technique is thrilling; I gave my heart to this poignant American fairytale of doomed love.
100
Empire
Helen O'HaraDec 2, 2021
Heartfelt and heart-breaking, this feels like Spielberg has made an adaptation faithful to its roots but also, always, alive to the modern world.
95
The Atlantic
David SimsDec 17, 2021
Spielberg’s West Side Story is a charismatic showcase for everything he does best on the big screen, and a genuinely thoughtful update, making gentle and incisive rearrangements to justify its brassy sashay back into cinemas.
95
Film Threat
Alan NgDec 10, 2021
All Speilberg really did was take a masterpiece, keep it a masterpiece, and add a little flair (and backstory). He took gold and made prettier gold.
95
Slashfilm
Chris EvangelistaDec 2, 2021
Spielberg's West Side Story is a knock-out. A dynamite blend of old-school musical showmanship and modern sensibilities. It's one of the best movies of the year, and one of the best movies of the acclaimed filmmaker's career. Yes, really.
93
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Barry HertzDec 2, 2021
Here is a glorious and genuine movie-movie: a vivid, sweeping, beautiful piece of top-tier pop-art. You will leave the theatre swooning, in love with the biggest kind of big picture.
91
Original-Cin
Jim SlotekDec 9, 2021
This West Side Story retains its ‘50s feel, while polishing this venerable gem of a musical to a greater gleam.
91
The A.V. Club
A.A. DowdDec 2, 2021
Of course, the real star here is the staging, a balm for an age of lead-footed Broadway translations.
91
Paste Magazine
Jacob OllerDec 2, 2021
Shoot it loud and there’s music playing; shoot it soft and it’s almost like praying: Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story pumps the classic for exactly that, classicism, by milking the musical’s dynamics for maximum expressiveness. Its romance? At its most tender. Its dance? At its most invigorating and desperate. Its songs? As if “Maria” or “Tonight” needed another reason to stick in your head, they’re catchier than ever.
91
The Film Stage
Ryan SwenDec 2, 2021
When the very ground on which people live becomes uncertain, the necessity of passion—in love, in combat—becomes all the more apparent, and Spielberg’s fidelity to that sentiment, and to his own decisions, bears the vitality of this alternate take aloft.
91
Entertainment Weekly
Leah GreenblattDec 2, 2021
It feels like a rare achievement to even attempt to scale the unscalable and still, after more than half a century, be able to make it sing.
90
We Got This Covered
Josh ConradDec 14, 2021
Just like the star-crossed lovers at its center, this West Side Story risks it all, and the result is an explosive reminder that life and love are both gifts worth celebrating, for we never really know how long we have to enjoy either one.
90
New York Magazine (Vulture)
Bilge EbiriDec 13, 2021
Whether this new picture is a masterpiece, or a masterful reimagining of a troublesome original, will have to remain in the eye of the beholder.
90
Polygon
Tasha RobinsonDec 10, 2021
It’s a hell of an achievement, and the rare case where a remake feels like an act of fervent fandom.
90
The New York Times
A.O. ScottDec 8, 2021
It’s a dazzling display of filmmaking craft that also feels raw, unsettled and alive.
90
Uproxx
Mike RyanDec 8, 2021
This is a Spielberg classic.
90
Slate
Dana StevensDec 6, 2021
The most surprising thing about West Side Story, Spielberg’s most dynamic movie in years, is how at home the director seems in a genre he has never before worked in. The balance between realism and stylization necessitated by the show is so confidently handled you wonder why he waited until age 74 to start making musicals.
90
The Hollywood Reporter
David RooneyDec 2, 2021
While many wondered about Spielberg’s chutzpah in tackling a movie musical widely regarded as an ageless classic, his richly satisfying remake gives this version a resplendent life of its own.
90
Time
Stephanie ZacharekDec 2, 2021
This, possibly, is the best kind of movie, the stealth achievement that has been hiding in plain sight all along.
90
IGN
Siddhant AdlakhaDec 2, 2021
Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is a dazzling complementary piece to the original.
90
TheWrap
Alonso DuraldeDec 2, 2021
Spielberg and Kushner clearly revere that history, but they’re also not intimidated by it; there are any number of instances where viewers can point to this song placement or that bit of character backstory as a new idea that the two have brought to the property, but this is a take on “West Side Story” that’s both reverent and exciting.
89
Austin Chronicle
Steve DavisDec 9, 2021
Spielberg suppresses his worst tendencies in the uncharted territory of his first movie musical. His solid direction respectfully doesn’t oversentimentalize the material.
88
ReelViews
James BerardinelliDec 10, 2021
Spielberg’s West Side Story is a resplendent entertainment and a reminder that at least some of cinema’s great classics can in fact find new life in the hands of a master director who is more concerned about crafting a movie than making a blockbuster.
88
RogerEbert.com
Brian TallericoDec 10, 2021
There’s so much beauty in this West Side Story. It merges things that have truly shaped pop culture from the graceful precision of Spielberg—who has always had a musical director’s eye in terms of how he choreographs his scenes—to the masterful songwriting of Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein to the brilliant writing of Tony Kushner to the immigrant experience in this country. It grabs you from the very beginning and takes you there. Somehow, someday, somewhere.
88
Boston Globe
Don AucoinDec 9, 2021
There have been countless iterations of this masterwork (it was revived again on Broadway as recently as last year), but Spielberg and Kushner enable us to see it with new eyes.
88
Chicago Tribune
Michael PhillipsDec 8, 2021
Whatever this new adaptation’s popular reception, it’s five times the movie the ‘61 movie was. Spielberg has never made a musical before, but this one looks and feels like the work of an Old Hollywood master of the form — someone who knows when, where and why to move a camera capturing bodies in rhythmic motion.
88
LarsenOnFilm
Josh LarsenDec 3, 2021
During the production numbers, Spielberg’s camera is almost always on the move, but not in a distracting way. Usually it’s trying to keep up with the dancers and give them as much of the frame as they need; at other times it winds its way among them, increasing our sense of exhilaration and intimacy.
88
ABC News
Peter TraversDec 3, 2021
Is it sacrilege for Spielberg to re-imagine the Oscar-winning 1961 musical classic? Not when it’s this thrilling. Not when two new stars—Rachel Zegler and Ariana DeBose— get to share the screen with the legendary Rita Moreno. Then Spielberg sets the screen ablaze.
88
The Associated Press
Jake CoyleDec 2, 2021
This West Side Story succeeds most as a revival not just of Robbins’ musical but of the best of classical, studio-made, big-screen cinema.
88
The Seattle Times
Moira MacdonaldDec 2, 2021
And the 89-year-old Moreno, creating an effortless bridge between this movie and the previous one, gives us a gift late in the film that had me reduced to tears; it’s a deeply touching choice that I won’t spoil.
88
USA Today
Brian TruittDec 2, 2021
With outstanding performances from newcomer Rachel Zegler and Ariana DeBose, Spielberg’s take doesn't stray too far from the original 1957 “Romeo & Juliet”-inspired Broadway musical or the 1961 best picture winning-film, but is rather a more authentic, dynamic and thoughtful revamp.
83
IndieWire
David EhrlichDec 2, 2021
It’s a wonderful musical, and an unabashed Steven Spielberg movie. And the moments in which it most comfortably allows itself to be both of those things at once leave you convinced that some harmonies are worth waiting for, even if it seems like they’ve been always been around the corner and whistling down the river.
80
Wall Street Journal
Joe MorgensternDec 9, 2021
Mr. Spielberg’s film is a revelation. He has seized the moment by rethinking and reworking the source material. The results aren’t perfect. The production suffers from a heart condition of sorts, a flaw in the love story that’s flagrant but not life-threatening. Altogether, though, this pulsing, exultant musical connects a classic of American entertainment to a contemporary audience as never before.
80
Christian Science Monitor
Peter RainerDec 9, 2021
Spielberg and Kushner were right to bring modern attitudes to this beloved warhorse. Their movie, at its best, isn’t just a remake. It’s a rethink.
80
Rolling Stone
David FearDec 9, 2021
This West Side Story proves someone can still leave their mark on the legend without building it from the ground up. It’s a classic Spielberg joint, a classic hat-tip to Hollywood, and a classic, period.
80
The Irish Times
Donald ClarkeDec 9, 2021
Not every tweak and shave works — there is a brief, unfortunate vacuum in the closing scene — but Spielberg has given us more than most of us deserve. Here is a fitting, accidental tribute to Stephen Sondheim, whose lyrics still crackle above Leonard Bernstein’s score, a few weeks after his death.
80
ScreenCrush
Matt SingerDec 7, 2021
Spielberg’s version improves upon the original in almost every way; the performances are stronger, the casting is better, the script is sharper, and the social commentary is more biting. He’s made a musical that feels like it was written about today, not the New York City of the 1950s — much less Renaissance Verona.
80
CNN
Brian LowryDec 3, 2021
The new West Side Story doesn't entirely answer the most obvious question, which is why essentially remake a 60-year-old classic. Director Steven Spielberg nevertheless justifies the effort as a dazzling showcase for this generation's talent, in a film whose ties to lyricist Stephen Sondheim, who died last month, adds to its emotional resonance.
80
Los Angeles Times
Justin ChangDec 2, 2021
Spielberg’s movie may be rougher, grittier, more lived-in and, in terms of cultural representation, more truthful than its 1961 cinematic incarnation. But it is also more unabashedly classical, more radiantly stylized, than just about anything a major American studio has released in years.
80
Vanity Fair
Richard LawsonDec 2, 2021
This new take on the material is more sinewy and sensual. It balances the property’s inherent melodrama with added grit, but not so much extra scuzz that it feels like an overly modern provocation.
80
Screen Daily
Tim GriersonDec 2, 2021
A solidly entertaining remake peppered with a few transcendent moments, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story emphasises the musical’s most beloved elements without trying to radically reinterpret the source material.
80
Variety
Owen GleibermanDec 2, 2021
There are scenes in Spielberg’s version that will melt you, scenes that will make your pulse race, and scenes where you simply sit back and revel in the big-spirited grandeur of it all.
80
Arizona Republic
Bill GoodykoontzDec 2, 2021
West Side Story is timeless, because of the source material. Tragic romances never go out of style. Spielberg’s version successfully makes the classic contemporary.
79
CNET
Richard TrenholmDec 10, 2021
This West Side Story is an utter visual delight, filled with eye-popping color and heart-pounding movement, compelling characters whirling and flashing across a richly drawn city.
75
The Playlist
Jason BaileyDec 2, 2021
The whole thing moves like a freight train, its 156 minutes passing in barely a breath, and that breakneck pace, combined with the expressionist aesthetic and candy-colored imagery, reminds us that blockbusters don’t have to be these lumbering processions of greyscaled dreck. It’s a rarity, a big-budget holiday movie with style and pizzazz.
75
New York Post
Johnny OleksinskiDec 2, 2021
It’s the ensemble that wows most, though. Faist makes an unusually spindly Riff, yet he is scarier than any I’ve seen. Bernardo, the best role in the show, is given real intensity by David Alvarez and Ariana DeBose dances the dickens out of “America” as Anita.
75
Movie Nation
Roger MooreDec 2, 2021
It’s a good film. Will families gather round whatever video streaming device extant to watch it 60 years from now, the way we have with the 1961 film? No. This “West Side” is good, not great...But the joyous, moving and racially-charged show “West Side Story” has always been still makes this a must-see movie for the holidays and a worthy successor to a classic.
70
The New Yorker
Anthony LaneDec 14, 2021
Spielberg’s panache and command are evident in every nook of this handsome film. Yet somehow it feels dutiful, and the duty weighs it down (more so, unexpectedly, than was the case with Lincoln, from 2012, which Kushner also wrote). Homage to one classic is paid in the strenuous bid to become another.
63
Slant Magazine
Dan RubinsDec 2, 2021
Steven Spielberg's West Side Story is at its best when it zooms in and settles down into character study.
60
The Observer (UK)
Mark KermodeDec 13, 2021
Where Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner’s version comes into its own is in the moments where it dares to find its own distinct voice – nowhere more so than in placing Somewhere in the hands of Rita Moreno.
60
The Independent
Clarisse LoughreyDec 2, 2021
All those technical triumphs only complicate what feels like an unanswerable question: how can a film look this good, feel so moving, and still come up lacking?
60
Total Film
Matt MaytumDec 2, 2021
Spielberg lovingly restages the classic musical – but while the songs still soar, it feels more indulgent than essential.
60
Screen Rant
Mae AbdulbakiDec 2, 2021
West Side Story is visually entrancing, emotional, and the choreography and staging magnetic even when certain aspects of the story don’t always work.
50
The New Yorker
Richard BrodyDec 15, 2021
The best things in [Spielberg's] version of “West Side Story”—the songs, their acerbity, the view of racial discrimination and class privilege—are already in the old one, while the best things in the old “West Side Story” are missing.
40
Little White Lies
David JenkinsDec 2, 2021
It’s a rare, backwards looking misfire for this director who has always been at the vanguard of cinematic innovation. The care and attention that has gone into the making of this film is undeniable, though at times it feels misplaced and others overwrought.
Garry Gillard | reviews | New: 1 February, 2022 | Now: 7 March, 2022