By Maria Gkika,
If you are a fan of musicals, tick, tick… BOOM! (2021) is a brilliant film to watch. But, to be honest, it is Andrew Garfield and his spectacular performance that make all the difference. Especially since the whole movie focuses on him as the protagonist, we get to confirm his prowess in each scene, so it is no wonder that the extremely talented actor earned once again a nomination for Best Performance in a Leading Role at this year’s Oscars. A masterful combination of beautiful songs with a great cast ensures that this film has nothing to be jealous of high budget productions in terms of music, aesthetics, and ability to entertain the audience.
Based on the musical of the same name by Jonathan Larson, this musical drama film tells us a part of the man’s story. A promising young theatre composer, after eight years of hard work, is ready to present what he hopes will be the next great American musical. However, there is a special song our protagonist has not yet written. As the showcase is only a few days away, he is running out of time to finish it. On top of that, the fast approach of his 30th birthday adds to the growing pressure. Soon, our hero finds himself at a crossroads, trying to navigate love, friendship, and the difficulties of a stressful life as a broke, unknown artist in New York City. While accurately based on biographical elements, this is not a biography, since it misses a complete and detailed narrative of Larson’s life and his other works.
Emotionally grasping and thought-provoking, the film poses a lot of interesting questions. Among other subjects, it expertly addresses the complexity of the creative process, as well as the struggle of an artist to make ends meet. Another interesting theme of the script is the misuse of creativeness as a tool to support unethical consumerism practices, which cannot sustain the creator’s need and duty to himself, his art, and his audience. However, the main issue that stresses the young composer is the fear of “running out of time”. His anxiousness over this matter is omnipresent in the script, enhanced by the soft clock ticking that echoes as a soundtrack throughout most scenes. Garfield’s expressive portrayal makes us sympathize with the familiar feeling, and ask the same questions to ourselves: are our talent and hard work enough to reach our goals? Is it love or fear that guides our choices in life? What is the worth of risking our normality for an uncertain dream? Jon’s troubles depict how age often seems to loom over our heads like the sword of Damocles, urging us to settle down, organize our life, and “come to our senses”. Still, the question remains: what are we meant to do with the time we have?
In the end, the agony of chasing time leads our protagonist to realize that it is not possible to know when his time will end. From there on, he begins his real quest to find out how to live his life, while he still can.
“I make a vow
Right here and now.
I’m gonna spend
My time this way.”
Commenting on the film’s technical features, Steven Levenson adapted Jonathan Larson’s musical with the utmost care, while Lin-Manuel Miranda brought inspired and refreshing elements in the direction. Editing by Myron Kerstein and Andrew Weisblum is equally necessary to be mentioned, as it gave the fitting rhythm to the musical, by bringing out the choreography. The camera follows the dancers step by step, giving us the impression that we watch a live performance. For their achievement in editing, the two creators got a nomination for this year’s Oscars as well. Another thing to note is that the new versions of the songs, formerly known by the musical, did not stray far from their origins and allowed viewers to appreciate Larson’s legacy, despite the slight changes.
To conclude, tick, tick… BOOM! is a film that celebrates life. It conveys respect not only for Larson’s work but also for his dedication to his dream and his courage to keep going, despite the hardships he faced. Even though he died before he could enjoy recognition, people still remember him as the creator who revolutionized theatre with Rent (1996). Indeed, life is not always easy, and the pressure of success can lead us away from living the way we want. Choosing to continue the journey to fulfill a dream may sometimes seem hopeless, but it is always a reason to be proud.
References
- tick, tick… BOOM!, netflix.com, Available for watching here
- tick, tick… BOOM!, imdb.com, Available here
- Tick, Tick… Boom!, wikipedia.org, Available here
- tick, tick… Boom!, rogerebert.com, Available here
- tick, tick … BOOM! review – Lin-Manuel Miranda’s heartfelt tribute to Broadway, theguardian.com, Available here
