Anyone over the
age of twenty-five is likely to be skeptical at the necessity of yet another
adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, while it simultaneously
seems doubtful that anyone younger will enjoy the somewhat straightforward
approach to the widely recognizable tale. Everything about this latest
adaptation is underwhelming, almost as if the filmmakers had hoped the entire
production could lean on the popularity of Shakespeare’s most manipulative
melodrama and a few pretty young faces.
The most
difficult choice in critiquing this film is deciding which element to first
attack. Perhaps it would be best to begin with the admirable qualities, of
which there are so few. Though rather uninspired, the visual style of director
Carlo Carlei’s film has a polished appearance that surpasses past adaptations
permitting the narrative its proper setting and time. There are also a few
inspired performances from the older actors in the cast. Damian Lewis tears at
the words like a ravenous beast, though his overzealousness tends to overshadow
every other actor in the scene with him. It is Paul Giamatti who gives a
perfectly nuanced performance, subtler and more impressive than any other
element of the film, though this left me wishing for a film about Friar
Lawrence rather than two forgettable teenagers.
This is the
single largest glaring problem of Romeo
& Juliet; Romeo and Juliet. Douglas Booth and Hailee Steinfeld aren’t
terrible as much as they are miscast. They both have enough experience in front
of the camera to know how to pose and make pretty wide-eyed, pouting-lipped
expressions, but neither have any passion in their performances. At times it
seems that they don’t even have an adequate grasp of the words they are
speaking.
Shakespeare may
not have written a play as popular or as lasting as “Romeo & Juliet,” but
it was far from his best. Though there is great dialogue, I never have enjoyed
the characters or the manipulative storyline. Somehow Julian Fellowes has
managed to make the situation even worse with his choices in adapting the text.
Despite being set in Verona
The Blu-ray
release of Romeo & Juliet also contains a digital copy of the film. The
special features on the Blu-ray include four superficial featurettes that seem
only directed at thirteen-year-old girls. There is a featurette about the hair
and make-up. Enough said.
Entertainment Value:
4/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 5/10
Historical
Significance: 1/10
Disc Features: 3/10
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