I saw the Broadway version of Rent in 1998. My wife had brought me to see the opera La Boheme at Lincoln Center the year prior. She's a big fan of that opera. I was interested in seeing Rent because I liked the story of La Boehe and of course I had read about all the hype. But I'm not a particularly huge fan of musicals. I went out of curiosity and left a huge fan of the story and the music. Not exactly a Rent-Head, but someone who would listen to the soundtrack over and over until the words and each intonation and phrasing was embedded in memory.

So with this soundtrack imprinted on my mind, I was wondering how much I would like or dislike Christopher Columbus' 2005 cinematic version of Jonathan Larson's play. I had read reviews in Time Out NY and on a few web sites and it seemed like quite a few people were bitching that the movie didn't translate as well on film, that the song order was re-arranged a little, that the cast members -- 90% of whom were from the original Broadway cast -- were too old. So I went without having high expectations.

I came out of the theater pleased. When I read movie critics, over and over I say to myself, why don't these people just try to enjoy movies as they are instead of poring over the intellectual minutae. So much of the discussion about movies sounds like academics (the criticism of movies, that is) rather than providing a description of the experience. I guess if you're really that heady, it can be difficult to get past intellectual aspects of film, it's structure, directing, etc., etc. I know. I do that too. But at the end of the day, I go to the movies to be immersed in a story, to be inspired, to live vicariously through characters I grow to love and hate on screen. And that's what I did with Rent.

The movie really transported me back to the theater production, where I grew to love that soundtrack. The film does not really break any new ground with the material, but honors the play by simply bringing it to the city streets where the scenes really do come to life. They do get the grunginess of late 80's East Village right -- that's one of it's strengths. They get the setting right on-screen, and to a large extent, this is the biggest change in the translation to film. New York City gets to be a prominent actor. And that was really a treat, to see the story come alive in that way.

OK there are other changes, like some small reordering and modification of songs. But a lot more can be told with less in movies. Perhaps the biggest thing that I wasn't expecting is that some of the singing parts were actually spoken. Somehow I wanted to hear all of that sung as well.

I really liked the intimacy of seeing the characters up close. Particularly moving was the death scene with Collins (Jesse L. Martin) and Angel (Wilson Jermaine Heredia). There was just something more emotional and almost tangible about being that close to the characters that you couldn't get onstage. The Life Support group sequences were also pretty powerfully handled in the film. The "Will I lose my dignity" part always shakes me up. Seeing each member of the circle fade away effectively evoked the feeling of loss.

The criticisms of the cast I just disregarded, especially after hearing the movie soundtrack and comparing it with the original Broadway soundtrack. Sure, they're a little old to play twenty something squatters in the East Village, but I was really pleased to see and hear them all, they just sounded so good. Just suspend your disbelief, allow yourself to feel the music you'll enjoy it. There is that same depth of feeling and richness to their singing as there was in the original -- maybe more. As I sang along to the songs in my head, I couldn't imagine being satisfied with different voices. But, you probably would have to have seen the play and heard the original Broadway soundtrack to appreciate this.

Tracie Thoms was also an excellent replacement for Joanne. Her voice just sends shivers down my spine. Rosario Dawson was good too. I've read in some places that her pitch was too perfect and must have been manipulated in the soundtrack. Sure, she doesn't have the depth of the original Mimi, but I was still able to get into her songs as well. Honestly, I really wasn't able to focus on her voice too much while watching. It wasn't until I heard the tracks with headphones on my iTunes that I really could compare the two. I liked the original Mimi's singing better, but Rosario holds her own on screen.

I've gone on for paragraphs now and haven't even touched on the story, this movie's messages and how it feels to watch this slice of life today, nearly 20 years after the story (or the historical context) takes place. There are so many things going on in Rent -- love, loneliness, AIDS, drug addiction, poverty, living in America (in NYC at least) before the turn of the century. Too many for me to discuss. I wanted to focus mainly on my personal experience watching it. I'll just say that if you've seen the play, you'll enjoy it. If you haven't seen it (and you have an open mind) go see it.