tick, tick… Boom! (2021)

This is the film adaptation of the semi-autobiographical musical written by Jonathan Larson that was revamped after his death. In the film, Andrew Garfield is Jonathan, a composer and playwright approaching his 30th birthday and feeling pressure to meet the successes of his idol and mentor Stephen Sondheim while preparing for a workshop of his passion project Superbia. While I’ve never seen a production of this particular piece, Rent was the first stage production I personally bought tickets for myself and I am a fan of Larson’s work. The interweaving of Larson performing this piece with earlier preparations for the Superbia workshop along with his personal and internal struggles during this time is delicately balanced. There are bits of the music and story that hint to the future inspirations for Rent. Not known for musical work, Garfield fully embodies the late Larson in his performance. I’m unsure if I feel there were too many or not, but otherwise love the theatre cameos.  

Oscar Nominations: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role; Best Achievement in Film Editing