West Side Story Review
Is ‘West Side Story’ Spielberg’s best work yet?
‘West Side Story’ was released to UK cinemas on December 10th 2021 after being delayed numerous times due to the pandemic. Once it came to cinemas it became a huge hit having received over $60 million in the box office. This is another release from A-List director Steven Spielberg so it was no surprise that it was as well received as what it was. Having 92% on rotten tomatoes and already has been shortlisted for numerous academy awards and has already won many awards such as 3 golden globes for best motion picture, best actress and best supporting actress. ‘West Side Story’ is of course a remake of the 1961 film of the same name which was also very well loved when it came out, and still to this day, winning 10 oscars. This film didn’t fail to disappoint me. I had high expectations going into it but it went above and beyond all of them. From the acting to the cinematography to the songs to the choreography everything about this movie was outstandingly beautiful. The original came under fire for only having 1 Puerto rican actor, Rita Moreno, in a film where half of the cast are supposed to be Puerto ricans. Whereas in Spielberg’s adaptation, he only cast Latino’s playing the characters from the Shark gang, giving the film a much more fresh and appropriate feel. His casting of Rachel Zegler is one of the best parts about this film. She was cast to play the leading lady Maria and is actually her movie debut. Her angelic voice was the perfect casting for this role! Also, having Rita Moreno return to play a completely new character was such a smart choice. They made her the widow to the character Doc who was in the original. It’s a little easter egg for those who love and appreciate the original film so much as it helps the audience see that Spielberg isn’t trying to erase the original completely, just redo it with fresh faces and help keep this magnificent musical relevant. This film is the easiest 10/10 I’ve given in a long time and I can’t wait to purchase the DVD version when it’s available. I am sure this film is going to sweep up at the 2022 Oscars which takes place in just a couple of months!
West Side Story (2021) is available to watch in cinemas now!
