West Side Story
Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 12:00PM 
Release Year: 1961
Director: Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins
Review: West Side Story is one of the classic musicals and this is exactly what my problem was with it. I'm not a fan of musicals in general. I like my dance numbers to stay on the theatre stage. For me to enjoy a musical (and there are many that I rank among my favorites), there needs to be more to the film than singing. This was not case for West Side Story. From the opening sequence, the infamous finger snapping battle, the musical numbers felt very corny and awkward. The entire film was not very inventive, seeming as though I was simply watching a filmed stage production. Not for a minute did it feel like I was on the rough streets where the story takes place. Unlike better musicals, like 'Singin' in the Rain'. there was no compelling plot propping up the musical sequences. It is just a weakly conceived Romeo and Juliet resetting and it never drew me in emotionally. If I were a musical lover, then perhaps it would work better, but even then it was contrived, static and emotionally plastic.
Rating: 2/5
Reader Comments (1)
As many of Musicals lovers I LOVE West Side Story! It is my favourite ever... Last year I’ve been in NY & I tried to get my ticket …guess what everything was sold out that show how great the show is. Anyhow I end up getting it from a site through Ticketsinventory.com. I’m planning to see it again this so I will just get tickets from the same place
http://www.ticketsinventory.com/theatre/west-side-story-tickets/
So I'll be analyzing as well as enjoying the show.