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West Side Story

West Side Story

2021

Steven Spielberg

Rachel Zegler, Ansel Elgort, David Alvarez, Ariana DeBose ...

6.8

10,840

Musical. Romance. Drama Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the Broadway musical “West Side Story.” The original was inspired by William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” and centers on the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs. Pulitzer prize winner and Oscar nominee Tony Kushner penned the revival of the 1957 musical, which was originally written by Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim with music by Leonard Bernstein. The original ... [+]

	Author	Review
United Kingdom	Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"A re-telling that will leave you gasping (...) I gave my heart to this poignant American fairytale of doomed love (...) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times	"At the age of 74, Spielberg has pulled off a magnificent feat in delivering one of the greatest reboots of all time. Soaring. Exhilarating. Magical. Heartbreaking. Unforgettable. (...) Rating. ★★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Owen Gleiberman Variety	"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."	POS
United Kingdom	Robbie Collin Telegraph	"The director's first musical feels as definitive as the previous screen adaptation and a timely testament to the genius of Stephen Sondheim (...) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Mick LaSalle San Francisco Chronicle	"Steven Spielberg’s transcendent ‘West Side Story’ improves on original’s greatness (...) it’s a magnificent movie, even by Spielberg standards and even by “West Side Story” standards."	POS
United States	Justin Chang Los Angeles Times	"Steven Spielberg’s most exhilarating movie in years (...) a movie that positions itself as both glorious throwback and gentle corrective."	POS
United States	Stephanie Zacharek Time	"No one needs a West Side Story remake. So how about a West Side Story reborn? (...) a modern fairytale, a work of grave beauty set in a time, and in a New York, long gone"	POS
United Kingdom	Helen O'Hara Empire	"There’s barely a frame that isn’t beautiful or a beat that feels off (...) Heartfelt and heart-breaking (...) an adaptation faithful to its roots but also, always, alive to the modern world (...) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Johnny Oleksinski New York Post	"It’s the “ET” director’s most visually exciting film in a zillion years. Still, it’s not gonna become a classic in the way the 1961 original did (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Brian Lowry CNN	"Leonard Bernstein’s music and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics are as vibrant and vital as ever in the new film (...) Zegler’s a magnetic Maria in her Hollywood debut (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Phil de Semlyen Time Out	"How do you outdo a classic? Steven Spielberg's live-wire new version of the timeless musical pulls it off in style (...) There's a substrata of genius-level artists at work here and you can feel it (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Ann Hornaday The Washington Post	"In this respectful but smartly tweaked and slightly toughened-up version, Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner prove that the best works of art are simultaneously strong and elastic enough to withstand a wide range of interpretations (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Brian Tallerico rogerebert.com	"The new voices here are those of absolute geniuses, including Spielberg, writer Tony Kushner (...) cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, choreographer Justin Peck, and a stunning ensemble (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	David Rooney The Hollywood Reporter	"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."	POS
United States	A. O. Scott The New York Times	"[This] version reaffirms its indelible appeal while making it feel bold, surprising and new."	POS
United States	Siddhant Adlakha IGN	"A complementary piece that feels in conversation with Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ original (...) one of the most visually dazzling works of Hollywood cinema in recent memory."	POS
United States	Kristy Puchko Mashable	"Steven Spielberg is at the top of his game, delivering a musical marvel that is overflowing with emotion and visual splendor."	POS
United States	Brian Truitt USA Today	"With outstanding performances from newcomer Rachel Zegler and Ariana DeBose, Spielberg’s take doesn't stray too far from the original (...) but is rather a more authentic, dynamic and thoughtful revamp (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Chris Evangelista SlashFilm	"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."	POS
United States	Richard Lawson Vanity Fair	"A West Side Story for new generations to thrill to, and giving purists only a few reasons to haughtily sniff in its direction (...) a rousing success"	POS
United States	David Fear Rolling Stone	"At its best, this take gives everything a sense of urgency that plays into the intoxication of what you are watching"	POS
United States	Dana Stevens Slate	"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."	POS
United Kingdom	Charlotte O'Sullivan London Evening Standard	"This loving homage to the original film is a dazzling triumph (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Caryn James BBC	"Spielberg is wise enough to know that the original 'West Side Story' was once-in-a-lifetime. He has created his own miracle (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Jacob Oller Paste Magazine	"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."	POS
United States	Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune	"Steven Spielberg has crafted a ‘West Side Story’ better than the ‘61 movie, a real Hollywood musical (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Leah Greenblatt Entertainment Weekly	"Steven Spielberg pulls off the near-impossible in glowing remake (...) 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."	POS
United States	David Ehrlich IndieWire	"The filmmaker honors a sacred piece of musical theater by flexing all over it with some of the most exhilarating setpieces he’s ever shot, but there are a handful of puzzling missteps."	POS
United States	Peter Travers ABC News	"Spielberg may sometimes play it safe out of devotion to a movie he grew up with, but you can feel him striving to create something on his own terms that might also live for 60 years."	POS
United States	Alonso Duralde The Wrap	"Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner clearly respect what's come before, but they're not afraid to tinker with it, and the results are electrifying"	POS
United States	Tasha Robinson Polygon	"It's a hell of an achievement, and the rare case where a remake feels like an act of fervent fandom."	POS
United States	Matt Goldberg Collider	"There’s no question that Spielberg has approached this project with his entire heart and made a film that can proudly stand alongside Wise and Robbins’ beloved Oscar-winner."	POS
United States	Dan Rubins Slant	"A whirring rush of euphoric energy (...) This 'West Side Story', though, is at its best when it zooms in and settles down into character study (…) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
Canada	Peter Martin Screen Anarchy	"The songs may be more familiar than you may realize. And the darker tones favored by the original stage production are honored too, making 'West Side Story' a complete, albeit familiar, success story"	POS
United States	M.N. Miller Ready Steady Cut	"Mr. Spielberg's remake of 'West Side Story' proves you don't have to overhaul with a classic, you just have to preserve its soul (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	A.A. Dowd AV Club	"A gorgeously faithful 'West Side Story' (...) A lavish and dynamically orchestrated new adaptation of the timeless musical, Steven Spielberg finally unleashes his inner theater kid"	POS
Canada	Mae Abdulbaki Screen Rant	"Visually entrancing, emotional, and the choreography and staging magnetic even when certain aspects of the story don't always work (...) 'West Side Story' still manages to captivate somehow (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Ryan Swen The Film Stage	"When the very ground on which people live becomes uncertain, the necessity of passion becomes apparent, and Spielberg's fidelity to that sentiment, and to his own decisions, bears the vitality of this alternate take aloft"	POS
United States	Jason Bailey The Playlist	"It's a rarity, a big-budget holiday movie with style and pizzazz. Shame about that leading man, though"	POS

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