4 weeks ago
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There’s probably never been a time as ripe with “Romeo and Juliet” rip-offs as our contemporary era. Though it’s been 29 years since Baz Luhrmann’s modern, alternative-pop-scored “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet,” the long-enduring play has most recently kicked off a handful of creative reimaginings. We’ve been treated to films like 2021’s “R#J,” conceived like a social media found-footage movie, and 2022’s “Rosaline,” which turned a tertiary character into an influential protagonist playing in the wings of the star-crossed lovers’ torrid affair. On stage this past year, we’ve seen a minimalist take starring Tom Holland and a Tony-nominated version featuring music by Jack Antonoff.
Still, just because the source material is unimpeachable doesn’t automatically make all these adaptations good, or even memorable. Sadly, such is the case with “Juliet & Romeo.” Adapting writer-director Timothy Scott Bogart (“Spinning Gold”) takes a stab at enlivening the centuries-old text, refurbishing it as a pop-song-and-star-studded musical minus the original’s iambic pentameter, personality and poignancy. Improperly developed, poorly executed and containing no indelible music numbers for us to tap our toes to, this “La La Land”-wannabe take on the Bard’s story serves to frustrate and bore.
When we first meet our titular protagonists, it’s Verona circa 1301 and there’s a tenuous peace treaty in place between two warring families: those of Lord Montague (Jason Isaacs) and Lord and Lady Capulet (Rupert Everett and Rebel Wilson). The Capulets’ daughter, Juliet (Clara Rugaard), has just arrived home from boarding school, much to the chagrin of her cousin and friend Rosaline (Tayla Parx), who vaguely warns her of an impending troubling situation that will affect her future. The Montagues are also dealing with some familial strife as Mercutio (Nicholas Podany) feels the need to prove himself to his adoptive dad, but is in love with commoner Veronica (Martina Ortiz Luis), while biological son Romeo (Jamie Ward) seeks to rebel whenever he can.
That opportunity arrives once Romeo and Juliet meet cute in the moonlit night market — neither of them realizing who the other is, despite them both sporting their family’s gang colors. By the time they figure it out, they’re already infatuated, smooching in alleyways and on church pews, and canoodling through the catacombs. But destiny puts them in harm’s way upon the introduction of Lord Paris (Dennis Andres) at Juliet’s parents’ party, and when her hot-tempered cousin Tybalt (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) finds out about Romeo. The only thing the lovebirds can do is hope Friar Lawrence (Derek Jacobi) and the Apothecary (Dan Fogler) can help them.
The amateurish operation is frustrating from the start, seeking to mimic a storybook fantasy by using turning-page graphics and exposition-dump narration to bookend the film. The score feels synthetic and ever-present. Set-pieces that utilize original pop songs written by Bogart’s brother Evan Kidd Bogart and Justin Gray fail to inspire whimsy, imagination or awe-inducing delight. These sequences are cut to bits — and not in a music video style — masking the choreography and blunting the emotional impact. However, it’s admittedly cute when the lovers sing about falling in love while literally taking the plunge into a cart full of hay.
Narratively, Bogart jumbles the order of events by having the pair marry prior to the Capulet Ball, and tweaks the climax in a familiar way purely for sequel-baiting. He also adds padding through song for characters who don’t necessitate a show-stopping number, but because of their pedigree, are expected to have one. This throws off the energetic momentum and tone. But imagine the uproar if Fogler wasn’t given a campy song to sing in his laboratory or Wilson wasn’t given a pandering female empowerment anthem to croon in a castle.
Proper character development is surprisingly lacking for anyone not named Romeo, Juliet or Mercutio. Bogart overhauls the dialogue, seasoning the proceedings with a few key phrases from the play, but bafflingly doesn’t bother to give much internal or external motivation to supporting players like Rosaline, Juliet’s Nurse (Sara Lazzaro), Versante (Ledsi) and many of the men on Team Romeo. So when they all begin warbling notes and raising their eyelines to the sky during the choppily edited musical numbers, we’re left scratching our heads as to why they are included in this chorus.
Blessedly, this rote, refurbished product isn’t teeming with blights. There’s added value to using real Italian locations as the film exemplifies. Though the actors appear to be lip-syncing to pre-recorded tracks, the way their hot breath hangs in the cold air when they sing their passionate ballads within the corridors of these authentic sets lends good weight to their performances. Dante Ferretti’s pristine production design helps to immerse us in the era. Rugaard and Ward share a sweet, chaste chemistry, beguiling us whenever possible. Plus, Podany builds depth and dimension into the delicate facets of his character’s edges.
There’s a better iteration of Bogart and company’s idea still out there, waiting to be fully realized — one that marries stronger original tracks to Shakespeare’s story. And considering the bevy of offerings lately, perhaps we’ll get that perfected version in due time. For now, though, among our pre-existing options, we can score a more substantive and satiating high by revisiting Luhrmann’s lavish production.
English (US) ·