★ 1 / 10
Everyone knows how Romeo and Juliet ends, but
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Everyone knows how Romeo and Juliet ends, but after this version of the story, there really is no way of knowing how it will begin. The narration starts with…
Everyone knows how Romeo and Juliet ends, but after this version of the story, there really is no way of knowing how it will begin. The narration starts with the famous “Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.” But then, totally out of the blue, the narrator adds: “And so the prince has called a tournament [as in jousting] to keep the battle out of the city streets.” If you're thinking that there's no jousting in Romeo and Juliet, you're absolutely right. The oddest thing of all, however, is that there is no jousting in this movie either.
We see knights in armor, holding lances and riding horses, but director Carlo Carlei and screenwriter Julian Fellowes curiously forget about this novelty almost as soon as they introduce it. Do Romeo and Tybalt decide Juliet’s fate like Wilfred of Ivanhoe and Brian de Bois-Guilbert do that of the Jewish Rebecca? Not at all; as I hinted above, the ending of the story remains largely unchanged (with Shakespeare, of course, there's always the possibility of enjoying the performances, even if the song, so to speak, remains the same; unfortunately, that's not the case here – Douglas Booth and Hailee Stanfield are no Leo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, let alone Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey).
I guess I can understand the need to mix things up a bit to avoid the inescapable feeling of déjà vu inherent to the world's most popular love story, but Carlei and Fellowes don’t even have the discipline to stick to this ill-advised addition, which only succeeds in making Prince Escalus of Verona (Stellan Skarsgård) look like an idiot, since his “tournament” not only can’t stop the Capulets and Montagues from brawling on the streets, but it shouldn’t even try to, considering that these public brawls are central to the action.
Among the few things Carlei does get right is preserving the traditional Renaissance Verona setting; on the other hand, he makes Romeo an amateur sculptor for no reason other than making the most impressionable female spectators swoon at the sight of his bare, sweaty chest, which he likes to uncover when chiseling marble.
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★ 7 / 10
This "Romeo & Juliet" is one that's tough to forget.
dave-mcclain
Many films, not all alike in quality, In fair cinema, where we lay our scene, From ancient story to new screen idolatry, Where repetition makes some critics…
Many films, not all alike in quality, In fair cinema, where we lay our scene, From ancient story to new screen idolatry, Where repetition makes some critics mean.
Shakespeare's tragic young lovers on screen oft before, for each generation and all others, in '36, '68, '96 and more.
This time Hailee Steinfeld plays Juliet, With Douglas Booth, her devoted Romeo, She, an Oscar nominee for the film "True Grit". And for a handsomer man, you'd have far to go.
The cast includes Natasha McElhone, The long-suffering muse on "Californication", And Damian Lewis, who starred on "Homeland", As a Congressman and a threat to our great nation.
Ed Westwick as hotheaded Tybalt is perfectly cast, having played the scheming Chuck on TV's "Gossip Girl". The rest of the actors, from the first to the last, All well-cast in their roles, from countries around the world.
The language they all speak is truly Shakespeare's own, With some speeches omitted or just changed. The words in the script, to Americans not unknown If you miss a few, the acting keeps you engaged.
I'd be remiss in this review if I failed to mention This retelling of the story is not without invention. The settings and scenery, share a common beauty And with innocence and fragility, Juliet's a cutie.
To conclude, I move on to other plays from which I dare to paraphrase. I hope to close this review on a helpful note, And maybe even give you something to quote.
When deciding on a film for popcorn ingestion, To see or not to see, that is the question. You could just choose to get thee to a nunnery, But that wouldn't be nearly as much
funnery.
Okay, I'm out. Let's see YOU find rhymes for question and nunnery. (Not to mention Stellan Skarsgård and Paul Giamatti, who are great as the Prince of Verona and Friar Laurence, respectively.) The earlier versions of this story are mostly very good, each in its own way, and this one definitely holds its own. If you enjoy love stories with drama, see 2013's "Romeo & Juliet". "B+"
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AUDIENCE
5.8/10
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Great!!!Hailee