Starring: Douglas Booth, Hailee Steinfeld, Paul Giamatti
In the city of Verona, two wealthy families known as the Montagues and the Capulets are engaged in a bitter blood feud. Romeo (Booth) a Montague, yearns for the love of Rosaline (Nathali Rapti Gomez) and in hopes to win her heart, he attends a ball held by the Capulets, in disguise. It is there where he meets Juliet (Steinfeld) and the two fall in love but with her being a Capulet, their love is forbidden by their warring families.
Probably William Shakespeare's most famous play, Romeo & Juliet has been a frequent recipient of film adaptations, the most notable to modern audiences being the 1968 adaptation by Franco Zeffirelli and the 1996 modern re-telling by Baz Luhrmann. This latest take on Shakespeare's tale of love plays mostly towards tradition with the addition of Julian Fellowes of Downton Abbey fame putting in his own little pieces amidst the work of the Bard. Of course, to put your own work in amongst that of one of the most beloved writers in history is no small task and much of the more modern forms of speech do become uncomfortably conspicuous and some of the minor alterations detract from the story (such as Mercutio being referred to as a Montague, whereas he's traditionally related to the peace-keeping Prince of Verona). The performances vary but are mostly satisfactory. The film's seeming to try and cash in on the modern teen idol craze is especially egregious when Douglas Booth first appears as Romeo, sculpting a bust and chest almost fully revealed through a largely open shirt. Paul Giamatti seems a little miscast as Friar Lawrence but makes the most of his role all the same.
Occasionally, the cinematography will shine (the iconic balcony scene is particularly well shot) but the film is also cast against a very down-scale and TV drama look that holds the film back from being beautiful but whilst the teen-romance angle may lead some to sneer at the film, Romeo & Juliet even in its original incarnation was teen-romance. The film certainly isn't terrible but isn't remarkable either. It's just okay.
Next time, Ryan Reynolds plays a snail who becomes a super-charged racer in the latest film from Dreamworks, Turbo.
No comments:
Post a Comment