RENT rocks my world
Overall, I enjoyed it. I've seen the play on stage in NY and LA. I also own the soundtrack, and saw the movie version that was made recently with much of the original cast. In that sense, it was very clear to me when choices were made to sing or act the show differently. As an actor, I appreciate making a character your own, but as an audience member, part of me would have liked to hear songs with the phrasing more like the original casts.
It took a bit of time to get in to "we are watching a staged production on film" aspect. For a while I felt like I could have been at home watching a PBS showing of the musical. But after a little while I felt like I was really in it. I liked hearing the audience reactions of those attending the recording, and myself and other movie audience members were inspired to clap after some songs as though we were really there. I liked that filming was done from many angles so you could see up close reactions of characters. I giggled at the 'intermission'.