TICK, TICK... BOOM! - "NOT JUST ANOTHER BIRTHDAY, IT'S 30/90" (FULL REVIEW)

“This is Johnathan Larson’s story. Before the Tony Awards. Before the Pulitzer Prize. Before we lost him.”

"Tick, Tick… Boom!" is a musical about the process of creating a musical. It’s based on the life of Jonathan Larson, a composer and lyricist from the United States whose life was cut far too short. The movie was released on Netflix on November 19, 2021. Andrew Garfield, Robin de Jess, Alexandra Shipp, Joshua Henry, Judith Light, and Vanessa Hudgens are among the cast members in the film directed by Lin Manuel-Miranda. Garfield, who portrays the main role and tells the story of Larson's ambitious life, received a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical for his work in the film.

“I’m allowing myself to be led by love." (Jonathan)

It's a film about ambition, love, and friendship, but it's also about the bleak reality of New York City in the 1990s. The entire cast, and everyone else involved in the production, deserves a lot of credit. Several scenes in this film are fantastic! This movie, in my opinion, is worth watching.

“I feel bad
That you feel bad
About me feeling bad
About you feeling bad
About what I said
About what you said
About me not being able
To share a feeling”

"Tick, Tick... Boom!" is set in 1990, long before Jonathan (Andrew Garfield) passes away from an aortic dissection. Larson is turning 30 this year, and he isn't happy about it. "Superbia," his futuristic musical that he has been working on for long years, is finally getting its first workshop production. It seems like a dream come true for Jon, a chance to get noticed in the big world of musicals, become famous and rich… but… he's missing a critical song, which marks the show's turning point. The race against time begins. As if that weren't enough, it looks like the entire world is against him. He runs out of money and is unable to pay his apartment fees; his roommate and best friend move out; his girlfriend is offered a job in Berkshire; and close friends suffer and die from AIDS. Jon usually has no trouble writing songs, but this time he is having trouble finishing one. He continues to scribble down his ideas in the hopes of coming up with an idea that will help him finish his work. The director skillfully interweaves scenes from Larson's apartment, the pub where he works, and the rehearsal room with pictures from the stage where Larson performs with other artists.

“Everyone’s unhappy in New York! That’s what New York is!" (Jonathan)

Lin Manuel-Miranda, the star of the famed "Hamilton," as well as the lyricist of Disney's "Encanto," has stepped in as a director for this project. One could say that the film is thank you to Larson, who Manuel-Miranda had the pleasure of portraying in the stage production of "Tick, Tick... Boom!" It's worth noting that seeing "Rent," Jonathan's later musical, which debuted after his death, was a turning point for Miranda, changing his vision of musical theater.

“Come to your senses

Defenses are not way to go"

We see plenty of foreshadowing of "Rent" in the musical. There's AIDS' devastation or the lack of electricity, which forces Larson to light a candle. His song "Sunday" pays tribute to Sondheim. His "Sunday in the Park with George" is captured in the film.

“Fear or love, baby

Don’t say the answer

Actions speak louder than words”

Andrew Garfield, whom I knew from earlier films such as "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "The Social Network", was the main reason for me to watch the film. I have to say, he did a fantastic job. My admiration for him has become much more. As a fan of musicals, I was enthralled by the film, and I am pleased that I was able to learn about a previously unknown but extremely interesting person, Jonathan Larson.

TRAILER

Supporting sources:

• Andrew Garfield (online), available at Andrew Garfield – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia (accesed 03 Feb., 2022)
• Minow, N. 19 Nov., 2021, tick, tick...Boom! (online), available at tick, tick...Boom! movie review (2021) | Roger Ebert (accessed 03 Feb., 2022)

• Oleksinski, J. 12 Nov., 2021 ‘Tick, Tick … Boom!’ review: A powerful Broadway tearjerker (online), available at 'Tick, Tick … Boom!' review: A powerful Broadway tearjerker (nypost.com) (accessed 03 Feb., 2022)

• Tick, Tick... Boom! (film) (online), available at Tick, Tick... Boom! (film) - Wikipedia (accesed 03 Feb., 2022)
• Zoń, N. 24 Aug., 2021, Jonathan Larson – niedoceniony za życia geniusz (online), available at Jonathan Larson - niedoceniony za życia geniusz - Proanima.pl (accessed 03 Feb., 2022)