Rent

Some musicals are meant for the stage only. This musical about Manhattan artists dying from AIDS starts strong but quickly becomes monotonous and just a little hard on the ears. Rosario Dawson shines as a nightclub dancer who gets the disease from infected drug needles. Her voice is impressive (especially during the film’s best number, “Out Tonight,” where the actress soars), and her performance is strong. Too bad the movie around her is so dull and silly. Most of the music is repetitive, sporting some of the worst lyrics ever put to song, and the staging of the dance numbers lacks excitement. Director Chris Columbus probably wasn’t the best choice to helm this, given his tendency to make very boring movies. Some other performances stand out (including Anthony Rapp reprising the role he originated on Broadway) but, for the most part, the movie is a bust.