When Messiness Becomes the Point

Read Time:4 Minute, 57 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Rent
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Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music, Musical, Romance
Year Released: 2005, 4K 2025
Runtime: 2h 15m
Director(s): Chris Columbus
Writer(s): Jonathan Larson, Stephen Chbosky
Cast: Rosario Dawson, Taye Diggs, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, Tracie Thoms
Where to Watch: available now, order your copy here: www.moviezyng.com or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: RENT is one of those films that carries the near impossible task of translating a cultural phenomenon without sanding down the very rawness that made it matter in the first place. As a film, it is imperfect, emotionally exposed, and occasionally awkward. As a statement of intent, it remains as powerful as ever because it refuses to apologize for its sincerity. Chris Columbus approaches the material not as something to modernize or reinterpret, but as something to preserve, even when that preservation comes at the cost of subtlety.

What defines RENT is its commitment to emotional transparency. This is a musical that wears its heart on the surface, sometimes to its own detriment, but often to its benefit. The film never eases the audience into its world; it drops them into a community already bonded by shared struggle, illness, love, and defiance. That choice can feel overwhelming, especially for viewers unfamiliar with the stage production, but it mirrors the urgency at the core of Jonathan Larson’s work. This is one of those films that you will love with your heart, or that may escape your grasp if you can’t meet it on its own terms.

The ensemble is the film’s greatest strength. Rosario Dawson brings a vulnerability to Mimi that balances the heightened emotions surrounding her. Taye Diggs commands the screen with charisma, embodying both the allure and rigidity of Benny’s position within the group. Wilson Jermaine Heredia and Jesse L. Martin provide the film with its most humane moments, their friendship radiating warmth and stability amid chaos. Idina Menzel’s Maureen remains deliberately polarizing, a character defined by performance and contradiction, and Menzel leans fully into that tension rather than smoothing it over.

Columbus deliberately chooses to stage RENT unapologetically as a musical. Songs are not disguised as incidental moments or grounded in realism. Characters sing because that is how this story communicates its truth. For some viewers, that approach will feel forced. For others, it is precisely what allows the film to maintain its identity. RENT never pretends to be something it is not. Its roots in theater aren’t hidden; they're celebrated.

Visually, the film has been criticized for its look, and that criticism is not unfounded. There is a tension between the story’s focus on poverty, illness, and instability and the undeniably glossy presentation. The environments often feel curated rather than lived in, and the cinematography occasionally undermines the grit the narrative claims to inhabit. Yet this tension also speaks to the film’s broader theme: the idea that art, beauty, and connection can exist even under precarious circumstances. Whether that reads as aspirational or disingenuous will vary from viewer to viewer.

RENT struggles when it assumes emotional investment rather than earning it. Certain character arcs resolve quickly, while others dominate the film’s focus, creating an uneven rhythm. The film asks the audience to accept the depth of these relationships largely on faith, relying on performance and music to fill in the gaps. When that gamble works, it’s perfection. When it doesn't, the emotional shorthand becomes more apparent.

The music remains the project's undeniable passion. Larson’s songs continue to resonate because they articulate fear, love, and defiance with a clarity that transcends the film’s structural issues. Numbers like “Seasons of Love” and “La Vie Bohème” do more than advance the plot; they define the story's philosophy. The film understands that these moments are not just highlights, but the connective tissue holding everything together.

What RENT ultimately offers isn't realism, but honesty. It is unapologetically earnest in a way that modern cinema often avoids. Its characters are messy, idealistic, sometimes self-absorbed, and deeply human. The film won’t ask for detached critique so much as emotional participation. That approach will alienate some viewers while forging a powerful connection with others.

RENT endures not because it’s flawless, but because it believes in its own voice. It captures a specific moment, a specific community, and a specific emotional urgency without diluting its convictions for broader appeal. For those that the film connects with, it will forever remain a heartfelt, passionate, and emotionally generous experience that understands the value of connection in the face of impermanence.

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[photo courtesy of REVOLUTION STUDIOS DISTRIBUTION COMPANY, LLC, SONY]

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