Tag Archives: Talia Ryder

2021 Films, Ansel Elgort, Ariana DeBose, Brian d'Arcy James, Corey Stoll, David Alvarez, Drama, Mike Faist, Musical, Musical Drama, Rachel Zegler, Rita Moreno, Steven Spielberg, Talia Ryder

West Side Story-2021

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West Side Story-2021

Director Steven Spielberg

Starring Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose

Scott’s Review #1,207

Reviewed December 12, 2021

Grade: A

I salivated when the news broke that a reboot of the brilliant 1961 film West Side Story, itself based on a Broadway musical, was being planned.

I was cautiously optimistic when I heard Steven Spielberg would direct the production. Nothing personal against Mr. Spielberg, but there have been some misses with musical adaptations over the years.

Does anyone remember Cats (2019)? I know, we are all trying to forget it.

Nonetheless, my anticipation was temporarily sidelined due to the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic. Still, art always perseveres, and the release of the new West Side Story was pushed back from December 2020 to December 2021.

Finally, the moment had arrived, and I was even fortunate enough to score members-only sneak preview tickets to an early screening at my local art theater.

Hooray!

West Side Story (2021) is a brilliant adaptation that does not disappoint in the least, offering entertainment and authenticity in abundance. It’s bombastic and enthralling, mixing romance with some quite brutal fight scenes.

The delightful songs “Maria”, “America”, “Tonight”, “I Feel Pretty”, and my personal favorite “Somewhere” are all included and are like new gifts for fans to unwrap greedily.

This may be Spielberg’s best effort yet (I never thought he’d top 1993’s Schindler’s List), as he recreates a musical spectacle that will surely entice viewers back to the cinema.

The reboot has life, artistry, and expressionism, breathing fresh energy into the production. In some ways, it surpasses the 1961 version.

Despite being created in the late 1950s, a remains timely. Racism sadly still exists in America, and we have much work to do to unite as one if we ever do. This may feel hopeless, but the film’s message is one of love and unity, offering hints of hopefulness.

How timely and how much we need this film.

The film has a more profound sentiment in light of the recent death of Stephen Sondheim, the masterful composer and lyricist who revolutionized the American musical. He worked in tandem with Leonard Bernstein on most of these songs.

For those unfamiliar, let me briefly summarize the film’s plot.

Love, at first sight, strikes when young Tony (Ansel Elgort) spots Maria (Rachel Zegler) at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. Forbidden from having anything to do with each other except to hate each other, their immediate romance helps fuel the fire between the warring Jets and Sharks —two rival gangs vying for control of the streets.

Things go from tense to terrible when street fights between the gangs lead to mayhem, misunderstandings, and death.

The film is crafted exceptionally well from a visual and cinematic perspective. From the opening sequence, when the gangs stumble amongst the ruins of a decrepit west side lot, there are intriguing shadows and shapes, and high camera shots.

These moments continue throughout the film, as the flawless choreography of the dance scene takes center stage.

Speilberg corrects missteps that the 1961 version made, which brought a broad smile to my face. The Puerto Rican characters, which make up half the cast, are played by Hispanic actors. The big mistake the original film made was casting Caucasian actors who passed for Puerto Rican.

The chemistry between Richard Baymer (original Tony) and Natalie Wood (original Maria) was lacking, but it explodes off the screen from the first moment that Elgort and Zegler appear together.

Rita Morena, familiar to West Side Story fans with her portrayal of Anita in the 1961 version, returns in the role of Valentina, who runs Doc’s general store and is assumed to be the widow of Doc.

It is explained that Valentina, a Puerto Rican, married a white man. Morena’s role is much bigger than I thought, and she performs a magnificent, tear-jerking version of “Somewhere”.

The casting is flawless. Standouts are Elgort (Tony), Ziegler (Maria), Ariana DeBose (Anita), David Alvarez (Bernardo), and Mike Faist (Riff), but the entire company performs flawlessly and effortlessly.

The character of Anybodys, a tomboy in the original, is cast with a transgender actor, Iris Menas, which provides rich diversity and inclusion.

West Side Story (2021) is an instant classic that I eagerly anticipate seeing again and again. I’ll never waver in my love and devotion to the original version.

Still, the new version is an exceptional achievement in authenticity, style, and pizazz that will assuredly remind viewers why they love the cinema so much.

It certainly reminded me.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Director-Steven Spielberg, Best Supporting Actress-Ariana DeBose (won), Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Sound

2020 Films, Drama, Eliza Hittman, Independent, Independent Drama, Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder

Never Rarely Sometimes Always-2020

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Never Rarely Sometimes Always-2020

Director Eliza Hittman

Starring Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder

Scott’s Review #1,142

Reviewed May 14, 2021

Grade: A

I’ll confess that a teen drama centered on abortion involving conflicted female characters wouldn’t be the first film I’d sit down and watch. Done before and not my demographic I assumed little in common with the characters.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020) blew me away and taught me a valuable lesson- never judge a film by its synopsis.

The film only entered my radar because of positive buzz and a handful of independent film awards. Hopefully, this recognition catapults the director and actresses to other excellent projects.

It’s not that director Eliza Hittman does anything notably different with the vehicle on the surface. I joke slightly because she takes a standard story and hits it out of the ballpark so that even us middle-aged folks with no kids can remain engaged.

Anyone can watch the film as it compels completely, and I was enamored from scene one.

Before anyone gets their knickers in a twist, Never Rarely Sometimes Always doesn’t get on a soapbox about whether abortion is right or wrong. It’s not about that, though I can guess Hittman’s likely position on the topic.

Instead, it gives a fresh, raw, and realistic depiction of what it’s like for a seventeen-year-old girl to be scared and pregnant and, in some parts of the United States, unable to get proper guidance or treatment.

This could shape her whole life.

The kicker is that one doesn’t necessarily need to live in the middle of nowhere for this to occur. This note shocked me and, quite frankly, frightened me.

Faced with an unintended pregnancy and a lack of local support, Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) and her cousin, Skylar (Talia Ryder), travel from suburban Pennsylvania across state lines to New York City on a challenging journey of friendship, compassion, and a bit of adventure.

Autumn is brooding and upset, yet holds it mostly together. She performs beautifully at a high school pep rally despite being snickered at by a rude boy in the audience. Afterward, her family goes for pizza and soda to celebrate, whereas her stepfather is unable to praise Autumn.

The tension between Autumn and her stepfather is very ambiguous. Could he be the father of the boy she presumably dated and now wants nothing to do with?

We realize that the males in Autumn’s life pretty much suck after her boss disgustingly kisses her hand as a daily ritual.

She goes to a discreet mom-and-pop clinic where she learns she is pregnant. The woman in charge callously shows Autumn horrific abortion videos when she suspects Autumn might be flirting with the idea of getting one.

Autumn and Skylar realize they must flee their one-horse town for the hustle and bustle and better medical care provided by New York City. They steal cash from their job and take a bus.

This is the point where the film takes off. As the girls arrived at the chaotic Port of Authority bus terminal, I felt like I was on the journey with them. They arrive at a clinic and meet a kind receptionist and technician who tell her she is sixteen weeks pregnant instead of the ten weeks she thought she was.

Her procedure will take two days.

Where will they stay? What will they eat? The procedure is costly, so how will they pay for the bus fare home? A boy they meet on the bus reappears and maybe their savior, but at what price?

These are some of the questions I, as the viewer, was thinking throughout the experience, just as Autumn and Skylar were.

The most powerful scene occurs when Autumn receives question after question from the technician, which is the crux of the title of the film. We sadly realize that Autumn has faced some sexual abuse before.

The film does not reveal precisely what happened, which is clever and makes the scene more powerful.

Never Rarely Sometimes Never is a slow-moving vehicle, but because of the outstanding acting talents of Flanigan and Ryder, I was wholly engaged, hooked, and suckered. I fell in love with these characters, and the entirety of the film feels incredibly authentic.

A film that grapples with despair, hope, fear, journey, friendship, and much more than its main storyline offers, Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020) is a brave film that hits a home run.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Feature, Best Director-Eliza Hittman, Best Female Lead-Sidney Flanigan, Best Supporting Female-Talia Ryder, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing