Lisa Johnson Mandell’s West Side Story review claims the sacred material is in the right hands, and the film can regally take its place as the best of the year.

I’m not going to lie — I was more than a little concerned when I heard that Steven Spielberg was working on a a remake of West Side Story. Is it not already one of the greatest musicals on stage or screen of all time? Is it even remotely possible to recreate the magic that Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Robert Wise wrought back in 1961? Why mess with perfection, I wondered.

Still, I was hopeful that if anyone could add to, and not detract from, the seminal production, it would be Spielberg.

So it is with great elation that I’m able to report that from minute one of 2021’s West Side Story, I let out a sigh of relief, realizing that this sacred material was in the right hands, and that Spielberg has elevated it, with all the skills and technology available to one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. His latest work is and exquisitely beautiful and tragic telling of star crossed lovers Tony and Maria, who attempt to find a place in a hostile world filled with rivalry and racism.

Spielberg brilliantly paid due respect to the source material, especially Bernstein’s brilliant score, which needed little tweaking. I was thrilled to see it wasn’t tarted up with pop embellishments and an all new song by, say, someone like Billie Eilish.

The dialogue has been updated and elevated by none other than the masterful Tony Kushner, who does honor to the soul of the original, while adding important detail that resonates with the times.

The choreography remained in the classic smooth and graceful yet powerful style of Jerome Robbins — none of those current crotch grabbing, bootie shaking, leg spreading moves to be found.

They would have been incongruent with the ever so lovely and delicate newcomer Rachel Zegler as Maria, the charming yet rugged Ansel Elgort as Tony, and the jaw droppingly talented actors/dancers/singers Mike Faist as Riff and David Alvarez as Bernardo. This is close to perfect casting.

One of the most notable changes to the production is not only brilliant but fitting. Instead of Doc, the supportive shop owner, we have his wife, Valentina, played by the incomparable Rita Moreno, who won an Oscar for playing Anita in the original. Her performance is a gut wrenching highlight.

Expect to see her nominated for, and probably winning multiple awards for Best Supporting Actress. Ariana DeBose as the current Anita is so radiant she will likely be nominated right alongside Moreno.

There are some years when no one film really stands out as the best to me, and others where there are a number of contenders. Many excellent films have been released in 2021, and in any other year, they would be noble contenders. But once I saw West Side Story, the race was over. In my book, ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner.

PG-13

2 Hours 36 Minutes

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West Side Story review