Interesting that one of the best movies of the year is a filming of a play. That's a sad commentary on Hollywood but sufficient reason to see this uplifting and very witty movie.
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12/07/09
Passing Strange (2010)
100
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Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:22
Fresh:22
Rotten:0
Average Rating:7.9/10
Consensus: Spike Lee's document of the Tony Award-winning musical Passing Strange is every bit as compelling onscreen as it was on stage.
Theatrical Release:Aug 21, 2009 Limited
Synopsis: In this breathtaking film, Spike Lee captures the highly-acclaimed eponymous Broadway musical show written by singer/songwriter Stew (with music cowritten by his creative partner, Heidi Rodewald).... [More]
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Reviews for Passing Strange
Lee doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to filming live theater, but he moves the camera artfully and edits with an energy that matches the music. And he makes good use of close-ups, capturing the sweaty faces of a troupe of remarkable performers.
10/02/09
Although more of a stage play than a film this performance has great acting and great music combined with a heart felt message.
09/10/09
A rousing, emotional roller coaster that's a must see not just for fans of rock musicals but those with an eye (and an ear) for something unusual - compellingly so.
09/08/09
You'll probably have to resist the urge to stand up and cheer with the onscreen audience during the emotional curtain call.
08/21/09
Top CriticSpike Lee's Passing Strange: The Movie is basically canned musical theater, but this is one Tony-winning Broadway show that's well worth preserving and seeing.
08/21/09
Top CriticThe invigorating result, zestily edited by Lee's own inside iron man, Barry Brown, is in every way a knockout.
08/21/09
Top CriticIf you passed up the opportunity to catch this Tony-award winning rock musical during its Broadway run, don't make the same mistake with Spike Lee's vibrant film adaptation.
08/21/09
Moving, thrilling and new.
08/21/09
Top CriticPassing Strange adds to Spike Lee's visionary resume and his eye for fresh talent.
08/21/09
Tender, sexy , funny, moving and profound, Passing Strange bears comparison not just to the great works of the American musical theatre but to literary landmarks like James Baldwin’s Another Country and (especially) Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man.
08/21/09
There's much to admire, like the energy and Swiss-watch timing of the players, though this remains a photographed play and not a movie.
08/20/09
Film version of a fresh and spunky Broadway musical about a young black man's quest for self-understanding and creative expression.
08/20/09
a cross between a PBS-style special and a concert movie.
08/20/09
I can't single out a performance. This is a superb ensemble, conveying that joy actors feel when hey know they're good in good material.
08/20/09
Top CriticA worthy public record of a show most people nationwide didn't get the chance to see.
08/20/09
Like Lee, the artist formerly known as Mark Stewart possesses a powerful and singular voice, one he uses to express vividly his own unique experience of growing up as a black man in America.
08/19/09
Top CriticIf you didn't have a chance to see it on stage, Spike Lee's movie really is the next best thing to being there.
08/19/09
Rousing, devastating, invigorating, painful, joyful, soulful -- all those adjectives don’t even begin to describe Passing Strange, but it’s a start.
08/19/09
Passing Strange conjures a rare kind of theatrical magic with its emotionally raw, frequently euphoric portrait of the artist as a young man.
08/18/09
Top CriticLatest News for Passing Strange
August 20, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Inglourious Basterds is Certified Fresh!
This week at the movies, we've got Nazi killers (Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, starring Brad Pitt), a magic rock (Shorts, starring William H. Macy and Leslie Mann),... More...
July 31, 2009:
Check out the Spike Lee film based on the Broadway musical show written by singer/songwriter Stew 
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