I saw four movies in theaters in 2020, which is an impressive fact when you consider that theaters were only open three months that year. In 2021, thanks to widespread vaccination availability, I was so excited to be able to return to seeing movies on the big screen. Many highly anticipated releases that were delayed due to the pandemic finally got their moment to shine. Continue reading “Sarah Kelley’s Top 10 Films of 2021”
A year of recovery? As I close the chapter of 2021, I look back to about this time last year with some pessimism. As the news of a vaccine broke, surely, I hoped, the theatrical experience I loved would return with a glorious triumph. But with vaccination skepticism and new variants came yet another glimpse at the possible future of cinema. One where, as of this writing, 6/10 projected best picture nominees had a wide release via a streaming platform. In a year stacked with old 2020 and scheduled 2021 releases, what happened that caused major films from major filmmakers with major actors, like The Last Duel and West Side Story, to bomb at the box office? It may be that the traditional 40-65-year-old demographics that go to the movies felt unsafe in a dark, enclosed space during a raging pandemic. It may be that people are generally willing to wait longer for cheaper prices of VOD. It may just be people don’t hold movies at the center of their pop-culture diet anymore.
Yet…
Sixty years since the film last graced movie screens, West Side Story is back. This time around, legendary director Steven Spielberg takes his shot at the classic re-imagining of Romeo and Juliet. Set in New York in 1957, The Upper West Side is divided between two teenage street gangs, the white Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. The two gangs have a bitter rivalry fighting for control of the neighborhood, but their quest seems futile as the neighborhood is set to be demolished to make room for Lincoln Center. One day, Tony (Ansel Elgort), a former Jet, locks eyes with María (Rachel Zegler), the younger sister of the Shark’s leader Bernando (David Alvarez). As the two gangs prepare for a rumble, the star-crossed lovers are caught in the middle, desperate to be together and also save the people they care about.
Continue reading “Review: ‘West Side Story’ Re-Imagines the Classic Tale For a Modern Audience”