tick, tick...BOOM! Movie Review

tick, tick...BOOM! (2021)

Watch tick, tick... BOOM! on Netflix
Written by: Steven Levenson (screenplay by), Jonathan Larson (based on the musical by)
Directed by: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesus, Vanessa Hudgens, Judith Light, Bradley Whitford
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
On the cusp of his 30th birthday, a promising young theater composer navigates love, friendship, and the pressures of life as an artist in New York City.

Verdict
It's the artist's journey in musical form. Through sheer will Larson overcomes struggles and setbacks to find success. It's a bit too optimistic, but this captures the artist's struggle really well. It manages to stay upbeat with plenty of musical performances, none better than an early sequence in his apartment. It felt unscripted, as far as the story, where no other performance managed such a playful sequence. Musicals always feel too much like a fairy tale, and despite hurdles and the ending, the success feels a bit too easy.
It depends.

Review
Lin-Manuel Miranda is a great fit in his directorial debut about a musical featuring a struggling artist, though Miranda hasn't struggled much. His first play In the Heights was adapted to a movie this year, and Miranda's stage play Hamilton is absolutely incredible.

Andrew Garfield plays Jonathan Larson

Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield) is a struggling composer frustrated with his lack of success. He's almost thirty and hasn't had a hit. Of course he's comparing himself to all time greats which is a sure way to feel inadequate. The problem is his sample size. He's looking only at people who were successful. You never see the failures. This fear of failure makes him feel like his time is ticking away, hence the title. He's seen friends move on and give up.

The framing device that breaks up the movie is Larson's one man musical which shares this movie's title. It serves to introduce and recap events in his life. There are many musical sections, with none more memorable than an early sequence in his apartment at a party.

Larson wonders if he should give up and get a corporate job, and that's the artist's struggle. He joins a focus group to pitch ideas. While he loves the praise for his ideas, the session turns into creating product taglines.

Andrew Garfield and Alexandra Shipp play Jonathan and Susan

He workshops his musical and gets great feedback, but no one wants to make it. He has promise and everyone wants to see what he does next. He thought he had finally made it, only to have yet another hurdle. It's just one of many steps. He put so much time into this musical, neglecting friends and his girlfriend while life passes him by. Everyone praises it, but it won't get made.

This is a tragic story as Larson died before seeing his success realized. It's poetic, capturing all the struggles of an artist, all the hurdles. The message is on the nose, and Larson starts this by comparing himself to Paul McCartney of The Beatles. Success isn't guaranteed no matter how much you sacrifice. This is a rather pleasing story of success that indicates through sheer will one can succeed.