Viva La Boheme

"Rent" is an entertaining little movie to add to the list of interpretations of Puccini's "La Boheme." When it comes to updated versions of the classic opera, I would probably vote for Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge" as my favorite remake. The dizzying machine-gun mania of "M.R." is enough to send any viewer into an ecstatic fit. "Rent" is more serious than "M.R.," as two-thirds of its characters are either HIV-positive or junkies. Still, "Rent" has a lot of high-energy routines as it examines young love and young death. The catchy songs got so wedged in my head that I think I'm going to have to buy the soundtrack. (Never saw the play on Broadway, so I can't compare it.) (Image via Rotten Tomatoes via Sony Pictures)