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I finally saw RENT last night. I have loved the OBC soundtrack since its release in 1996, though I have never seen it on stage. I admit I was not excited at the premise of a film version, until I heard 6 of the 8 principals from the Broadway cast were returning for the film, which gave the project a sense of validity that reassured me the film would be a worthy verison of the show.

And it certainly was. I have heard some criticism that the film lacks focus, that it is not told from the perspective of a certain character etc. In fact, I think the film is nothing more than a filmed performance of the show - so really it is Jonathan Larson and his magnificent music that is the star (if you think of the opening credit sequence in that light this concept makes sense). And the center of the piece is Angel, how (s)he enters into this world and changes all who inhabit it. I thought Chris Columbus directed with great reverence for the show, and added enough to bring the story to life. The performances throughout are strong, particularly Jesse L. Martin as Tom (whose performance is so joyous, deep, and passionate it's as if he is purging 6 years of restrictive acting on Law and Order in one sitting), Wilson Jermaine Heredia as Angel, and Adam Pascal and Rosario Dawson and Roger and Mimi. I did think that Anthony Rapp as Mark was a little too theatrical, however.

While this movie was made clearly for RENT's fan base in mind, those with no familiarity with the show will still enjoy this movie. Go see it!!

I must say, as a fan of Anthony Swofford's book and of Sam Mendes, I have been waiting for Jarhead all year. The early reviews did not dishearten me, however, because many of them shared criticisms I had heard about the book (e.g., lack of a plot, etc.).

I saw Jarhead last night, and I realized that most of the critics are criticizing what the movie is not rather than what it is. These are a select group of STAs (and I do not think this is representative of everyone's Gulf War experience, just Anthony Swofford and we are watching the film through HIS eyes) weened on Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket who have developed a thirst for the "Sh*t" and a kill. And the '91 Gulf War was NOT Vietnam, but it was as Swofford says "his war." This situation fosters the development of the characters, and is exacerbated by Chris Cooper's character, a Lt. Col. cut in the mold you would find in Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket who give Swoff and Troy hope that their war-time fantasies may come to pass, only to come up empty.

And no, this is not a political film, but then what requirement is there that a war film should be political? It is a film about a war that barely happened, as George Clooney's character said in Three Kings - "I don't know what we did here!" Yes, Three Kings is a better movie, with stronger satirical bite than you will get here, but then again, Jarhead is based on a true story.

Mendes and Broyles streamlined the non-linear structure of the book, turning it into the chronological narrative, which I thought was appropriate. Technically the film is superb, from the performances, to Mendes' direction, Thomas Newman's score, and Walter Murch's editing. And no, you do not need to have read the book to appreciate Jarhead. But see it for what it is - a modern revisionism of the American War Film.

Considering the amount of time and money that Hollywood has invested in chronicling America's other wars on film, it is surprising that it has taken nearly a century to create the first great film about the Revolutionary War. The Patriot is a stirring epic that is historically accurate while remaining thoroughly entertaining (what happens to Martin's family actually happened to a number of the signers of the Declaration). Mel Gibson gives one of his strongest performances as Benjamin Martin, a widower and former war hero who strives to protect his family from the horrors of war. And as his son, Gabriel, Heath Ledger comes into his own following the promise he showed in his breakthrough performance in "10 Things I Hate About You" The acting is uniformly strong, the effects terrific, and the visuals gorgeous. While the film is weighted down by a couple of clichéd themes (the black man fighting for his freedom and the white man who learns to respect him for doing so...I don't know if there was a certain amount of irony intended in this, but even so, it's a pointless sub-theme). While there are some gory war scenes, "The Patriot" is really an honest love story between a father and his family, and is well worth the admission price.