‘West Side Story’ First Reactions Range From Lavish Praise for Rachel Zegler to Lavish Praise for Steven Spielberg
Nora Dominick called the film “beautifully crafted” and said “I can’t wait to see Rachel Zegler and Ariana DeBose’s careers explode after this.”Critic Orlando Enelcine called Zegler “a freaking movie star,” and added that the film is a big step forward in the portrayal of Puerto Ricans onscreen, correcting “a lot of what the original got wrong.”However, there was at least one rumbling that co-star Ansel Elgort, who plays Tony, might not have quite been on their level. Podcaster Dave Gonzales said he’s “a black hole at the center,” though he also added “it’s a very good take on ‘West Side Story.'”Aside from that quibble, the response was overwhelmingly positive.