Well we saw it yesterday. Estel can give a better appreciation of the movie since she saw the play several times - and with the original cast to boot. Also, at the time the play came out she lived just outside Alphabet City in NY. "This play defined my generation."
For me though, it was nicely done. It captured the resilience of people to AIDS and the grit and grime of the poverty side of New York, and I enjoyed the songs (which I had never heard before). The acting was top notch.
However, and this is my problem with musicals in general, when everyone bursts into song, all singing the same thing, it takes me out of suspended disbelief. Now when it is already set in a fantastical setting that's fine. But when it's get in dark and dirty 1989 New York, complete with poverty, disease and struggle, I have that problem. Dinosaurs rampaging the city, no problem. Even King Kong month, I'll *be* there in 1930-something seeing a 24 foot gorilla.
But with such a realistic setting and realistic stories, having them all sing, and sing wonderfully, I'm snapped back into my own reality knowing I'm in a theater watching a film.
But it was a film I enjoyed watching.