Tony Kushner wins.  His writing is witty, fiery, inspired, and true.  His play Angels in America was so so slow in coming to film, but it came so well dressed and full of great conversation, so we will forgive its tardiness.  Watch the film whether it will make you uncomfortable or not.  Yes, some of the vision scenes are over the top.  Yes, Kushner has a clear agenda.  But no one has done better work with Al Pacino, and never before has Pacino come so far from the roles he is too too comfortable in.  I love that Emma Thompson, the Messenger Angel, who comes asserting her perfection, is perfect as is–another team would have cast someone younger with straighter teeth, and they would have been fools to do so.  I love that Meryl Streep can play anything under the sun.  I love that Mary-Louise Parker is so good at playing crazy without making Harper seem dumb or unlovelable.  I love that Jeffrey Wright can play that beautiful and realistic mixture of macho queeny-ness so well, and that he knew he had so many of the best lines of the script and played each with such gorgeous precision and correctness, all the while refusing a soap-box.  I love that a great actor like Michael Gambon was willing to take a bit part, and that Meryl Streep was willing to be an old man.  It is rare that six hours is so watchable, or that a play about the affects of a disease on its victims and their community is so funny.  So get a-renting.

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