Nominations: Academy Awards 2022

My rating	IMDb		Rotten Tomatoes
	Critics	Audience	Critics	Audience
9/10	86/100	8.1/10	93%	95%

Numbers obtained from IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes on December 13, 2021.

Every time a new remake is announced, the same question comes to mind: why do it? Especially if the original was a huge success when it was released, not only winning multiple awards but also captivating audiences. Most of the time the answer is purely economic. Sometimes, however, a remake can update the original material to correct some of the flaws that were a direct result of the time it was made.

This is exactly what happens with West Side Story, directed by Steven Spielberg, and released 60 years after the original movie – which won 10 Academy Awards.

Set in New York, the musical tells a story of a neighborhood divided between two street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, who are fighting to claim territories and own those streets. What they didn’t expect, however, was that Tony (Ansel Elgort), founder of the Jets, would fall in love with Maria (Rachel Zegler), whose brother Bernardo (David Alvarez) was the leader of the Sharks.

Based on Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story’s main appeal are the songs and the choreography, which make the confrontations among themselves look like a ballet. The songs, written by Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein, feel fresh despite being classics for decades.

The necessary updates are mainly related to casting, and they were all smart choices. Now, all of the Sharks are portrayed by members with family background in the Latin community, even speaking Spanish among them, with Spielberg insisting that those parts shouldn’t be subtitled. The casting decision makes a huge difference on the final result, with the characters looking more authentic. Not to mention the great amount of talent the movie is able to display.

The best one, by far, is Ariana DeBose, who plays Anita. She had big shoes to fill, since Rita Moreno, who won the Oscar for that role, is also in this version of the movie, albeit playing a different character. Ariana’s Anita is absolutely mesmerizing and full of life. She steals every scene she’s in. Her song “America” is easily one of the best moments of the whole film.

David Alvarez and Mike Feist are also great as Bernardo and Riff, respectively, showing incredible dance moves and conveying all of their characters’ struggles. Rachel Zegler does a good job as Maria and it becomes clear why Disney chose her as the next Snow White: she looks like a Disney princess even in this movie.

Ansel Elgort never fully convinces as Tony, despite his singing voice being very good. Rita Moreno has a small but important role, and it is fitting that she’s the one singing “Somewhere” in this version, as opposed to the main couple.

The whole production design team, as well as the costumes department, deserve praises for what they were able to achieve. The sets are very detailed, and the costumes are vibrant and perfect for the many dancing numbers, choreographed by Justin Peck, New York City Ballet’s resident choreographer.

Steven Spielberg was, indeed, able to deliver a wonderful new version of this classic musical. It is definitely worth seeing it in theaters!