★★★★

Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler shine as Tony and Maria in Steven Spielberg’s remake of the 1961 classic West Side Story which is based off Arthur Laurents’s play of the same name. Tony Kushner adapts the screenplay, and Justin Peck lends his talents to stage the choreography. This gigantic production of a film runs a touch long, but a compelling story, great artistic display, and acting to match, make this musical more than satisfying.

Tony (Elgort), once locked up for assault, does his best to stay on the straight and narrow, working diligently in a drug store for the widowed Valentina (Rita Moreno). Although she counsels him to continue being a good, hard worker and stay away from his former gang known as the Jets. But when the group’s leader Riff (Mike Faist) comes calling, Tony finds it difficult to refuse to get involved in a major neighborhood feud with Bernardo (David Alvarez) and his migrant Sharks from Puerto Rico, even though the former attempts to de-escalate the situation. At Riff’s request, Tony shows up at the dance, but in so doing, he unwittingly meets Bernardo’s charming sister, Maria. This fateful encounter sets in motion the rumbling and tumbling of ethnic, linguistic, and societal dominos, with each successive domino falling harder and leading up to a violent showdown that hard-nosed Lieutenant Schrank (Corey Stoll) is desperate to stop before it starts.

The film scores big for several reasons, with none bigger than the showcasing of the great artistic talent of the performers, doing justice to Leonard Bernstein’s thrilling music. While the whole cast does well, Elgort and Zegler make angelic harmony, and each moment is wondrously captured by cinematographer Janusz Kaminski. He and Spielberg expertly guide the cast to give the audience sincerity and depth that are felt throughout the film. Faist gives Riff a very antagonizing demeanor, and he excels in this role. Another noteworthy mention goes to Ariana DeBose’s passionate portrayal of Anita, the love of Bernardo’s life. The choreography is consistently on point, and the ardent display of the performers during the musical numbers is impossible to miss. The few lulls and abrupt dialogue post-song only detract slightly, and the story is too engaging for the viewer to become passive.

Spielberg’s long-awaited musical is a worthy remake of West Side Story. The acting is good, the musical numbers are great, and the choreography and camera work are glorious. Each component converges to give the audience an interesting and gratifying experience. While the film may not be for everyone, and it may have a few minor misses, this story is well-told from beginning to end.