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In the latest movie adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, Hailee Steinfeld duly and dully mumbles this famous phrase during the balcony scene: "O, Romeo, Romeo." By the time this muddled and dumbed-down version of one of the greatest love stories ever told comes to its can't-arrive-soon-enough conclusion, some might be compelled to exclaim, "Oy! Romeo, Romeo."

Turning what should be a hanky-required tragedy into a headache-inducing travesty is no small feat. The Bard's swoony saga of star-crossed teen lovers from opposing feuding families has proved durable no matter what the treatment. The tale has managed to survive over-the-hill actors (Norma Shearer, 36, and Leslie Howard , 42, headlined the 1936 version), New York City gang members who break out in song and dance (1961's musical " West Side Story "), Leonard Whiting's bare bottom (the 1968 youth-targeted version) and even wisecracking garden statuary (2011's animated Gnomeo & Juliet).

But it becomes abundantly clear from the very first scene of a needless bout of jousting that Italian director Carlo Carlei —responsible for 1995's "Fluke," featuring Matthew Modine as a man reincarnated as a dog—is in way over his head, from several misguided casting choices to an intrusive score that sounds like Renaissance faire elevator music.

You would think, however, that Julian Fellowes , the British scribe behind "Downton Abbey" who won a screenwriting Oscar for 2001's " Gosford Park ," is capable of condensing Shakespeare's work with some degree of discernment. But that he's done such a hack job of retaining the power of what famous lines are still intact is a reminder that he was also responsible for 2010's regrettable " The Tourist " and the recent subpar Titanic miniseries.

It might be easier to simply mention what isn't terrible first. Paul Giamatti as Romeo's confidant Friar Laurence and Lesley Manville as Juliet's nurse add much-needed authority and light-heartedness to their roles as go-betweens for their hormonal charges as they arrange to secretly marry. The Verona and Mantua locations are breathtaking. And at least two of the under-30 actors, Kodi Smit-McPhee as Benvolio and Christian Cooke as Mercutio, appear to have brushed up on their Shakespeare before tackling his dialogue. Fans of TV's "Homeland" might also applaud Damian Lewis' interpretation of Juliet's father, Lord Capulet, although the intensity of his line readings tends to stick out among the less-experienced and more lackadaisical actors.

Otherwise, this attempt to sell Shakespeare to the "Twilight" faithful is so ill-conceived, it makes me wish it were possible to give a retroactive Oscar to Baz Lurhmann's madly passionate South Beach gangsterland " Romeo + Juliet " from 1996. 

Here are just five reasons why sitting through this more traditional version is not sweet and may bring you sorrow:

*Somebody misplaced her true grit. In 2010, Steinfeld, 16, was gutsy as heck and took no guff as Mattie Ross, the little lady who hires a drunken gunslinger to hunt down her father's killer in the 2010 remake of "True Grit" and earned a deserved supporting Academy Award nomination. Where did that girl go? Her Juliet is too young, too sweet, too passive and barely looks like she is suffering from puppy love let alone instantaneous lust for her new husband.

*Romeo should never be prettier than Juliet. It's not that Steinfeld isn't perfectly lovely in her own way, even if the costumers insist on swaddling her in gowns that look like Elizabethan bedspreads. It's that the British actor who plays Romeo, Douglas Booth , is just so obscenely male-model attractive, with his pillowy lips, jutting cheekbones and dazzling eyes—and don't the filmmakers know it, as they flaunt his beauty with an open-shirted entrance. 

*The balcony scene takes a tumble. This is the movie's greatest disappointment. Really, if you can't get this right, then why even do Romeo and Juliet? Steinfeld and Booth both struggle with Shakespeare's poetic rhythms. Give them points for even remembering the lines. Meanwhile, the soundtrack with its tooting flutes and twittering violins undercuts every verse. As for the fake vine that Romeo climbs upon—in addition to the faux rose seen previously—they look as if they were plucked from a bargain bin at a Michaels arts and crafts store.

*No nuptial bliss here. Originally, there was nudity and sexuality planned during the post-wedding bedroom scene but was deleted due to Steinfeld's age. Thanks goodness, because even though the two actors barely do more than slightly paw each other and kiss, you still might want to call a child abuse hotline.

*The final straw: when Juliet's hot-tempered cousin Tybalt (played with nostrils at a constant flare by "Gossip Girl"'s Ed Westwick ) enters the street arena with his posse to challenge Romeo's pal Mercutio to a swordfight, laughter rang out when the camera suddenly went slo-mo and dust blew across the screen. And this is when the story is supposed to get truly tragic.

The changes in the final scene are just as unfortunate, but to see them, you will have to stay through to the end. 

Susan Wloszczyna

Susan Wloszczyna spent much of her nearly thirty years at USA TODAY as a senior entertainment reporter. Now unchained from the grind of daily journalism, she is ready to view the world of movies with fresh eyes.

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Film credits.

Romeo and Juliet (2013)

Rated PG-13

118 minutes

Douglas Booth as Romeo

Hailee Steinfeld as Juliet

Christian Cooke as Mercutio

Damian Lewis as Lord Capulet

Natascha McElhone as Lady Capulet

Paul Giamatti as Friar Laurence

Kodi Smit-McPhee as Benvolio

Ed Westwick as Tybalt

Lesley Manville as The Nurse

• Carlo Carlei
• Julian Fellowes
• William Shakespeare

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New biographical movie debuts with near-perfect rotten tomatoes audience score, possible sequel to a24's hit new horror movie is more exciting thanks to twin peaks, it's a respectable adaptation that most moviegoers (young and old) will be able to appreciate, but also the kind that you suspect will leave junior high/high school students bored..

Romeo and Juliet is a traditional cinematic adaptation of William Shakespeare's famous tragedy play, as was filmed on location in the original setting of Verona, Veneto, Italy. The story centers on teenagers Romeo (Douglas Booth) of the House of Montague and Juliet (Hailee Steinfeld) of the House of Capulet, who are immediately smitten with one another upon their first meeting - despite the long-standing open hostilities between their respective families, that is.

The young lovers, caught in the maelstrom of impassioned romance (but without the wisdom of age and experience), decide to get married in secret, which the Friar Laurence (Paul Giamatti) consents to, believing that their union could be the key to ending the blood feud between the Capulets and Montagues. However, the couple's future is soon put in jeopardy by a terrible chain of events, as though fate itself is conspiring to teach Romeo and Juliet's warring kin a lesson they will never forget.

Oscar-winning actor/writer Julian Fellowes (creator of Downton Abbey ) adapted Shakespeare's classic theatrical work about doomed romance for this 21st century film version of Romeo and Juliet . Fellowes' script retains the thematic essence of the Bard's original play, yet neither he nor Italian director Carlo Carlei prove able to capture the desired emotional sizzle, nor expand upon the narrative's substance and insights in a timely fashion. The end movie result is a perfectly competent, yet unremarkable revitalization of Shakespeare's play on the big screen.

The 2013 film version of Romeo and Juliet  is a far more purist interpretation of the original story than other retellings over the years (see: Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet ), yet it fails to capture how the drama was originally intended to feel to those watching in the audience. Although the elegant costumes manufactured by Carlo Poggioli ( Cold Mountain ) and find craftsmanship of the historical production design by Tonino Zera ( Miracle at St. Anna ) deserve to be recognized, the movie isn't so colorful or expressive in spirit, resulting in an adequate re-staging that nonetheless comes off as too timid for its own good.

Most of the blame for that belongs to director Carlo Carlei, seeing how the script by Fellowes largely amounts to an effective streamlining of the source material (then again, Fellowes could be criticized for not having something new and substantial to add to the text). Carlei gives little cinematic flavor to the scenes that are word-for-word from the Bard's original play, but he and cinematographer David Tattersall ( Star Wars: Episode I-III ) still capture the physical/verbal conflicts and the scenes of swooning romance with a satisfactory amount of flair. Unfortunately, the transitional beats in the film usually amount to either a bland montage (showing characters moving to a new location) or a clunky fade to black.

Booth and Steinfeld have the proper adolescent look to portray the titular lovers, in addition to being strong performers who have solid (though, not quite palpable) romantic chemistry onscreen. Giamatti as the Friar Laurence is excellent as ever; in many ways, he is the heart of the film, as he captures the character's full range of emotions and imbues the climactic drama in the third act with more emotional resonance than it might've possessed otherwise. Similarly, Lesley Manville as Juliet's attendant Nurse plays her sidekick role with charm and rousing spirit (even though it is a little uncomfortable when the character starts waxing poetic about the much-younger Romeo).

The remainder of the cast is likewise solid, including Kodi Smit-McPhee ( Let Me In ) as the earnest Benvolio, Christian Cooke ( Magic City) as the fiery Mercutio, Ed Westwick ( Gossip Girl ) as the impetuous Tybalt, Damien Lewis ( Homeland ) as the borderline-insecure Lord Capulet, Tom Wisdom ( Pirate Radio ) as the pitiable Count Paris, and Natascha McElhone ( Californication ) as Lady Capulet. The only actor who feels somewhat out of place is Stellan Skarsgård ( Thor ), whose turn as the Prince of Verona is a bit too menacing and unfeeling when he's meant to be righteously angry and world-weary.

As a whole, though, Romeo and Juliet (2013) benefits from good casting decisions and lovely production values, yet the story execution is stilted and doesn't feel inspired enough, considering this is supposed to feel like the most powerful tragic romance tale ever told. It's a respectable adaptation that most moviegoers (young and old) will be able to appreciate, but also the kind that you suspect will leave junior high/high school students bored when they're forced to watch it for class in the future.

In case you're still undecided, here is the trailer for Romeo and Juliet :

Romeo and Juliet is now playing in limited theatrical release. It is 118 minutes long and Rated PG-13 for some violence and thematic elements.

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Romeo and Juliet – review

T he Italian director Carlo Carlei creates a very stately and conservative new version of Romeo and Juliet, with sun-dappled settings in Verona and Mantua remiscent of Branagh's Much Ado from the 1990s, but here with very trad doublet-and-hose costumes; the screenplay adaptation is by Julian Fellowes, who cheekily tweaks the script with a bit of invented heritage Bardspeak of his own. Hailee Steinfeld (from the Coens' True Grit) plays Juliet and Douglas Booth (Pip from the recent TV Great Expectations) is Romeo. Damian Lewis and Natascha McElhone are Lord and Lady Capulet; Lesley Manville rather steals the show as a quivering, quavering nurse, and the same goes for Paul Giamatti as a sorrowing Friar Laurence. It has a sort of soapy reliability, but compare it to the blazing passion of Baz Luhrmann's modern-day version with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danesin gangland LA and it looks pretty feeble. Plus, the liberties taken with the text mean that it might not even be all that suitable for school parties.

• Drama films
• William Shakespeare
• Julian Fellowes
• Romeo and Juliet
• Hailee Steinfeld

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ROMEO & JULIET (2013)

By: debbie lynn elias

With well over 150 adaptations and imaginations of what is perhaps Shakespeare’s most famous, and definitely most adapted, work on screen, director Carlo Carlei’s new ROMEO & JULIET is, in a word, masterful.  Bringing the grandeur and majesty of Shakespeare and the legendary story of star-crossed love to life in this luminous version is nothing short of golden – – as in Oscar gold.

Having seen well over 100 incarnations of the story, including shorts that showcase only specific scenes, this ROMEO & JULIET is by far my personal favorite presentation, surpassing the acclaimed 1968 Zeffirelli version as well as George Cukor’s 1936 take starring Norma Shearer as Juliet.  One of my fave shorts is the 1908 Italian version done by Mario Caserini while the first attempt at adapting the entire play for film in 1911 by director Barry O’Neill is a valiant effort that falls flat, leading one to prefer the filming of play productions such as the 1924 balcony scene at the Regent Theatre which marked  the “film debut” of John Gielgud.  (However, just for pure laughs and giggles, if you get a chance to see the 1909 French short that’s played as a comedy, it’s quite a sight to behold.)  The 1994 five-part miniseries out of London is an exemplary version (leave it to the Brits) while Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 Leonardo DiCaprio modernization is one to pass over.

While George Cukor’s version was extravagant for the day in terms of cost, the final production values have always felt lacking.  Similarly, while Zeffirelli’s film was embraced by audiences and critics alike, when push comes to shove, Olivia Hussey is not that spectacular a Juliet.  What sold the film was the fact that she was actually one of the few actresses closer in age to the character Shakespeare wrote; i.e., she wasn’t 25 or 30 trying to be 15.   But now we have Hailee Steinfeld who has such age appropriate cherubic innocence and passion that she will make you forget all others.  And we have a script adaptation by Julian Fellowes, delivering a ROMEO & JULIET that while true to The Bard’s words, has a beautiful lyricism and flow thanks to some condensing of scenes, making this a ROMEO & JULIET for the 21st century.

Casting is the best and most appropriate I have ever seen for a film/tv production of ROMEO & JULIET.  Key is that the young lovers played by Hailee Steinfeld and Douglas Booth are age appropriate and their chemistry is like liquid Mercury.   Fluid, mesmerizing, engaging, shining brightly.  Steinfeld not only captivates with blossoming innocence but gives Juliet confidence, strength, conviction and intelligence.  Booth adds a collegial maturity that is refreshing, fun and adoring in Romeo’s love for Juliet.  The genuine adoration that the camera captures in Steinfeld’s eyes when gazing on Booth’s Romeo is heart-stoppingly tender and exquisite.  The one admitted challenge for Steinfeld, however, was grasping Shakespeare’s words.   “It was definitely a process learning that text and going through and translating each thing.  My script was filled with little itty bitty writing and the translation of every line.”

As Romeo’s best friend, Benvolio, Kodi Smit-McPhee just knocks it out of the park in his first “mature” role.  Poignant, engaging, heartfelt.  Ed Westwick just nails Tybalt with anger and arrogance.  The Alan Rickman/”Professor Snape” black hair is a killer element to his whole look, one that matches the venomous vitriol Tybalt spews forth in word and deed.  And can we talk fine fine fine looking men?  Where has Christian Cooke been hiding?  Let’s rewrite the story so that Mercutio doesn’t die just so we can see more of Cooke.

There are no words for the excellence of Paul Giamatti but for these: Best Supporting Oscar Nomination Now! As Friar Laurence, Giamatti brings a welcoming lightness, offsetting the darker moments in the story.  Adding to his magic is Lesley Manville as Juliet’s Nurse.  Put Giamatti and Manville together and the result is some laugh-warranting exchanges.  A delight to watch these two!

Appropriately commanding yet calm is the aura that Stellan Skarsgard gives to the Prince of Verona.  But then we have a completely different change of pace with Damian Lewis who just shocks the hell out of you as Lord Capulet when he goes from a smarmy niceness to a ranting  bedroom scene with threats of disownment and eviction of Juliet should she not marry Paris (who is a wimp and effectively played that way Tom Wisdom).  Lewis will have you shaking in your seat at the seemingly psychotic break.

In this new incarnation from Carlei, we have sweeping grandeur and lushness not only visually, but emotionally.  Key is that Carlei and Fellowes “ push back the story 100 years and set it during the Reign of Sons instead of the end of the Dark Age in the other movie, to take advantage of the beautiful buildings and the color palette of the maestros of the Reign of Sons.”  With this temporal shift, and thanks to the expertise of cinematographer, David Tatersall, every frame looks like a painting with the initial balcony scene spectacularly framed and lensed; a slow zooming upward pan as Romeo comes toward his love.  We are immersed not only in that scene, but in every scene.  Tatersall’s use of light and shadow is breathtaking.  The corridor in the Capulet crypt with flaming sconces throwing a warm golden glow on the fresco-ed, crackled walls is not only striking but warming, metaphorically showing us that in death there is still life.  The Masque Ball fills the screen with 360 degree movement, sweeping the audience into the moment.  The break of dawn after the young lovers’ wedding night is white, bright, pure, innocent, soft.  Steinfeld’s Juliet is always softly lit, almost as if in the 1930’s “cheesecloth” effect during her most adoring moments.  Tatersall’s cinematography cries out for an Oscar nomination.

Significant from a visual standpoint, Carlei embraces the cinematic feel that the story itself has, celebrating the visual expansiveness and removing that sense of claustrophobia so often associated with the tale.  Creating expanse through the breathtaking architecture of the castles and village itself, capturing wide shots that expand not only our visual horizons, but metaphorically, the emotional horizons that take this story and its core of innocent love, lifting it to the heavens.

The construct of design both visually and emotionally is superlative.  Notice that when long staircases are involved, everyone is always running down them, never up.  The only real upward movement by an actor is by Booth’s Romeo when he climbs the trellis to the balcony – and again, kudos to Tatersall and Carlei for shooting that with a jib as we are right there with Romeo’s movement – not just bystanders or observers from afar; we are experiencing the anxious shortness of breath as he climbs and his heart races with the excitement of a new love.

The metaphoric contrast of the vastness of rooms and ceilings and the height of ceilings that reach to the heavens (again, prescient for death and heaven for the lovers and the upward climb of young love) set against the confinement of alleys when swordplay and confrontation ensue furthers the tonal and emotional bandwidth of the film and provides an additional unspoken layer of clarity to Shakespeare’s words.

The one shortcoming, however, is the swordplay.  Although according to Booth and Smit-McPhee “there was quite a lot of [sword] rehearsal”, the end result is only “fair” in its execution, leading one to believe that perhaps some more sword training was required.  However, to Carlei’s benefit, the angular lensing and editing covers some of the inadequacies.

According to screenwriter Fellowes, “We were very keen to appeal to an audience beyond that of Shakespeare’s scholars.  We didn’t want to present a story that you needed to be a student of Shakespeare in order to understand it. . .We wanted to keep the feeling there, keep Shakespeare’s intention and keep his language. . .[E]ven though 80% of the movie is Shakespeare, but what it is, is cut.  This scene is put maybe with this scene and all the rest of it.  So we had this kind of double agenda which was to bring the story to be enjoyed by an audience who have not maybe been to a Shakespeare play every Friday night of the week, but at the same time, to be true to the play.”

A writer very cognizant of the visual aspects of a film, Fellowes expounds.  “The great advantage of a movie when you are trying to do that is that you can stay with the visual narrative; you’re not having to go against Shakespeare, you’re following his definition – you’re in the Capulets’ house, you’re in the Prince’s palace, the market square, whatever it is – because he chooses his locations like a moviemaker.  For him, you sit one tree on the back of the stage and you’re in the park.  You stick a throne in the back and you’re in the throne room.  It’s not like with a modern play where you’re trying to get away from that sitting room with a sofa and two chairs that makes you want to cut your throat when the curtain goes up.  So that was an advantage that, for me, Carlo really took with both hands and opened it up, staying with Shakespeare’s choice of location but making them real.”

Carlei himself agreed to direct ROMEO & JULIET after reading Fellowes’ script. “. . .[I]t was the most beautiful script I’ve ever read in my life.  The trick that this gentleman [Fellowes] used was that by giving very little description, he captured my attention and my heart only through his incredible re-adaptation or recreation of the [dialogue].  It was mesmerizing.  The thing was relentless.  Sometimes it takes a lot of description to describe an action scene and you lose focus, you get bored by the description.  This was like an action movie and you were absolutely blown away.”

As stunning as is the costume design of Carlo Poggioli and the breathtaking production design of Tonino Zera, it is the sweeping sumptuous score of Polish composer Abel Korzeniowski that gives ROMEO & JULIET its wings.  While no stranger to some, having scored “A Single Man” and Madonna’s “W.E.”, ROMEO & JULIET is without a doubt the crowing glory in Korzeniowski’s repertoire.  The score is very much a character in the film, carrying us along, keeping us paced and moving without become trapped or lost in the pentameter of Shakespeare.  Lush and smooth, the score is thematic, much like that of  Bernard Hermann or Max Steiner or even Korzeniowski’s contemporary,  Aaron Zigman.  Scoring – another technical aspect of the production that calls for Academy attention.

Hand in hand with the beauty of the score is the sound design that utilizes the music in what feels an intentional construct in the design.  When Paul Giamatti speaks, the music fades out.  When Skarsgard (who cuts a mean regal figure) speaks, his voice booms and there is no music.  When Lesley Manville speaks as the kindly, loving Nurse, there is no music.  Yet, when the younger performers such as Steinfeld or Booth speak, quite often the music is elevated, almost as if to cover any slips in their pentamic dialogue delivery.  A judiciously interwoven element of the production that maintains the lyrical flow.

What light through yonder breaks?  For ROMEO & JULIET, hopefully, the glint of Oscar gold.

Directed by Carlo Carlei

Screenplay by Julian Fellowes based on the play by William Shakespeare

Cast:     Hailee Steinfeld, Douglas Booth, Ed Westwick, Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis, Stellan Skarsgard, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Lesley Manville, Tom Wisdom, Christian Cooke

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• DVD & Streaming

Romeo & Juliet

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In Theaters

• October 11, 2013
• Hailee Steinfeld as Juliet; Douglas Booth as Romeo; Natascha McElhone as Lady Capulet; Damian Lewis as Lord Capulet; Ed Westwick as Tybalt; Paul Giamatti as Friar Laurence; Christian Cooke as Mercutio; Tom Wisdom as Count Paris

Home Release Date

• February 4, 2014
• Carlo Carlei

Distributor

• Relativity Media

Movie Review

Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny …

So starts the familiar story of two long-feuding families and two young and beautiful teens―Juliet, from the Capulet family, and Romeo from the house of Montague.

This pretty pair, both just starting out on youth’s discovery of the joys and wonders of life, spot each other quite by accident at a party. And they are instantly drawn together. Of course, they’re also by blood required to be enemies, torn apart by their families’ mutual hatred.

We all know how long that lasts, though. One quick balcony scene later and the two are quite ready to throw care to the wind and be married by the local friar.

“Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast,” the good friar warns Romeo about his enflamed I-want-her-now desires. But, well, teen ardor isn’t easily thwarted, not now and not way back then. Neither is a long-held grudge. And if and when Juliet’s combative cousin Tybalt suspects Romeo of tiptoeing around the family barricades, well, things are going to get nasty. Nasty and deadly.

Positive Elements

There are numerous bad decisions made in the course of this story. But it can be said that some of them do indeed teach us rightness by way of exposing wrongness. Others are at least made with the best of intentions. An example: Friar Laurence secretly marries Romeo and Juliet and later sets up a ruse to help them be together. His choices cascade into near craziness, but he makes them with the hope that the holy union of these two teens will heal the enmity between the Capulets and Montagues, nay, even make positive changes throughout the whole city.

Romeo and Juliet meet one night and marry the next day, but they both see marriage as the only way to truly show their undying commitment to each other. They and the friar all earnestly care for and respect one another. And they’re all willing to sacrifice their own comfort for the sake of a righteous cause―Romeo and Juliet for the sake of love and the friar for the sake of God’s forgiveness.

Spiritual Elements

Friar Laurence repeatedly brings up the fact that God’s way is often mysterious, but it’s also always a patient, sincere and forgiving way. When Romeo and Juliet first meet, their discussion turns to the touch of hands and the blending of lips: Juliet states that lips are intended for prayer and then wonders if she invites in sin when giving in to a first kiss. Romeo assures her, however, of his honorable intentions and soon asks for her hand in marriage. A large statue of the crucified Christ overlooks the pair’s wedding as the friar prays for them and blesses their joining. He conducts the services in Latin, but clearly marries them in the name of the “Father, Son and Holy Ghost.”

There are several mentions made of someone being consigned to hell, thanks to choices made in life. We hear, for instnace, the line, “Best intentions pave the way to hell.” Juliet’s father, not knowing that his daughter is already married, demands that she marry the nobleman Count Paris … leaving Juliet to worry that she must either be cast out of her father’s home or cast herself into hell for breaking her vows. She wears a cross around her neck.

Romeo’s exclamation of “Oh my dear God!” isn’t precisely reverent.

Sexual Content

Shakespeare was known to layer sexual barbs or undertones into some of his scenes. That’s kept to a minimum in this version of his play, but there are still a few light nods given in that direction. A sly joke is made about two male friends “consorting like minstrels.” Friar Laurence worries that Romeo was out all night playing “Satan’s game.” And a wife rubs up against her husband and subtly hints at past infidelities that would keep him up all night. Juliet’s nurse reports that her young charge would rather “lay with a stinky toad” than get married to Count Paris. On the other hand, she doesn’t hesitate to speak glowingly of Romeo’s handsome face and beautiful body.

On their wedding night, Romeo and Juliet kiss and embrace―he bare-chested and she dressed in a flowing nightgown. The next morning we see them still entwined, dressed the same way. Romeo cups his wife’s (fully clothed) backside.

Violent Content

The Capulets and Montagues are often goading one another into hot-headed fights in the streets. And so we are witness to numerous sword and fistfights with either crowds of men swinging blades and wrestling in the dust or two opponents locked in deadly combat. We see three up-close swordfights that end with a blade being shoved into the chest or back of one of the foes. Blood subsequently spreads across the slain combatant’s shirt and/or drips from his mouth.

A woman thrusts a blade into her own abdomen to commit suicide. We see and hear the metal tear through fabric and flesh, and watch her slump forward. A man poisons himself.

Juliet’s enraged father throws her roughly back on her bed and threatens her with a clenched fist when she stands against his will.

Crude or Profane Language

While correctly used for the time period, it’s worth noting here that someone is compared to a “bitch in heat.” A rowdy man is called a “princox.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

A Capulet party boasts much drinking and rowdy revelry. Romeo’s friend Mercutio staggers away while swigging from a pitcher full of drink. Friar Laurence uses the essence of a flower to concoct a powerful sedative that Juliet later drinks. Romeo bribes an apothecary to give him a poison.

Other Negative Elements

The fact that Romeo falls helplessly in love with Juliet upon first seeing her (while she’s wearing a mask, no less) can easily be seen as both illogical and romantically foolish.

Ah, how doth one speak of a Shakespearean play put to film?

The first step is to recognize that there have been many such efforts made before … and this one lands right in the middle of the pack.

The 16th century Verona settings and palatial backdrops are lush and appealing. The music is sweet. And the vibrant young leads both acquit themselves, uh, nicely. Shakespearean language―even a version like this that’s been tweaked and rendered a bit less poetic―can, and in this case does, overwhelm the young actors from time to time. And that drains away some of the tale’s expected fervor and passion. But performances such as Paul Giamatti’s take on Friar Laurence brilliantly make up the difference. (Making this, likely, one of the few versions of this lauded tragedy that lets the good friar drive the audience’s tearful response.)

All of that said, however, it’s also important to ask what viewers, especially younger viewers, might take away from a beautifully appointed film like this. Well. With its deadly sword fights and in-the-street-squabbles, this star-crossed costume drama can easily be seen as a cautionary tale dealing with the foolishness of mankind and its warring ways. Its doomed lovers’ conclusion illustrates how we, in our passions, try to control the things of our lives and wrest them away from God’s hand. Friar Laurence remarks pointedly on the idiocy of such a choice. And the film subtly suggests that if Romeo and Juliet had been a little more patient and trusted God to rule their beginnings and ends, then they both could have lived happily ever after, no matter what their feuding families chose to do.

However, colorful images of vengeful battles and tearful lovers’ suicides can convey other messages as well. And that’s where this version of Romeo & Juliet requires mature adults to walk younger viewers through some of its more difficult-to-process elements.

Are warnings against strife and suicide clearly perceived in this proscenium-like portrayal … or something completely opposite? How does the unbridled passion of love-at-first-sight fit into our modern experience? With parental involvement, these questions can be rich with thought. Without it, some lessons learned may be more dangerous than even the Bard intended.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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Romeo + juliet, common sense media reviewers.

Optically brilliant, violent update of classic.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The violence of this adaptation does an excellent

Predominant figures commit murder, aggravated assa

Bloody gangster-style shoot-outs, gun-play, car as

Frank and demonstrative sexual humor and innuendo,

Dialogue is classic, expletive-free Shakespeare.

Heavy simulations of brand names and products.

Smoking, drinking. A priest imbibes unspecified ex

Parents need to know that this film features a considerable amount of blood, violence, and explicit references to sex. Prostitution, brief nudity, teen sex, gang-related deaths, car assaults, bloody fistfights, and a gangster pointing a pistol directly at a child's face, makes this film inappropriate for kids under…

Positive Messages

The violence of this adaptation does an excellent job of obscuring the message of peace at the root of the story.

Positive Role Models

Predominant figures commit murder, aggravated assault, and glamorize violence through the use of decorative, threatening weaponry and fashion. Romeo makes a vengeance killing; the two protagonists take their own lives.

Violence & Scariness

Bloody gangster-style shoot-outs, gun-play, car assaults, murder, and suicide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Frank and demonstrative sexual humor and innuendo, Romeo and Juliet share more than a couple of passionate kisses.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Drinking, drugs & smoking.

Smoking, drinking. A priest imbibes unspecified experimental potions. Romeo swallows a tablet of Ecstasy.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this film features a considerable amount of blood, violence, and explicit references to sex. Prostitution, brief nudity, teen sex, gang-related deaths, car assaults, bloody fistfights, and a gangster pointing a pistol directly at a child's face, makes this film inappropriate for kids under the age of 17. There's a strong emphasis on guns that can easily be seen as glamorization: characters sport decorated pistols and fashionably threatening jewelry (skull rings, dagger belts), not to mention an ad for bullets. Background scenery makes much use of billboards, posters, and license plates designed to mimic soda, liquor, and cigarette ads. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (17)
• Kids say (91)

Based on 17 parent reviews

A phenomenal adaptation of Shakespeare's play.

What's the story.

Against the crumbling backdrop of political and social hierarchy, a chance meeting through a neon fish tank at a masquerade ball begets a desperate pact of love between star-crossed lovers Romeo ( Leonardo DiCaprio ) and Juliet ( Claire Danes ). The well-to-do Capulets have chosen Paris ( Paul Rudd ), a dashing but dull TIME magazine cover boy, heir to glitzy Verona Beach, to wed Juliet. However, it's Romeo, son of the rival Montague clan, who captures her heart. The vengeance-seeking broods of both families clash during a deadly beachfront shoot-out. Sadly, the couple's final reunion ends in devastation for both families.

Is It Any Good?

Director Baz Luhrmann's whirling dervish adaptation of the classic tale of ROMEO + JULIET is replete with glowing surfaces, quick-cutting action, and a soundtrack that bites. This is Shakespeare for Generation X, Y, and Z. Any teenager growing up in the mid 90s will attest to the unbeatable hipness of this movie. Neon crucifixes, dazzling skylines, and festive fireworks literally light up the screen in this film. The real electricity, however, lies in the chemistry between Danes and DiCaprio. There is not a single element of the production unaffected by Luhrmann's restless mercurial bravado, including the acting, wardrobe, and set design. Thankfully, the transported text survives the transition between eras, due to the director's attention to detail.

The film's bouncing soundtrack, MTV-style cinematography, and all-star cast will have teens begging to see Romeo + Juliet . Parents are cautioned against permitting tweens and under to view this film due to its extreme violence, gross materialism, and sexual innuendo. And it is best if parents accompany their kids who are allowed to view this graphic retelling of the classic.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about issues such as conflict-resolution, peer pressure, and their alternatives.

What could the Montagues and Capulets have done in order to make peace?

Were there alternatives to Romeo and Juliet's choices?

Did they truly believe suicide was the only way, and if so, what circumstances in the film drove them to feel this way?

Movie Details

• In theaters : November 1, 1996
• On DVD or streaming : May 25, 1999
• Cast : Claire Danes , John Leguizamo , Leonardo DiCaprio
• Director : Baz Luhrmann
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Latino actors
• Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
• Genre : Drama
• Run time : 120 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : scenes of contemporary violence and some sensuality
• Last updated : May 2, 2024

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Romeo & Juliet (II) (2013)

• User Reviews
• Far too much kissing. Like all the time. It felt like too much sometimes. A lot. This is probably where people see the lack of chemistry, because the kisses seem to come out of nowhere, are accompanied with virtually no crescendo musical masterpieces or great camera shots, and are usually cock-blocked by the nurse.
• Unless your students are well versed in the play, this shouldn't be the go to for schools studying Romeo and Juliet. Let's face it; a lot of kids don't exactly read the whole play, might write things in their essays that only happened in the movie if they watch it. The thing that everyone complains about (the adding of lines) is only truly detrimental here. The other versions (Baz's and Zeffirelli's) only omitted things, rather than adding things, and is a lot safer for educational purposes.

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‘Romeo & Juliet’ movie review: It’s all been done before

Just because high school thespians and community theater groups tackle Shakespeare doesn’t mean bringing the Bard to the big screen is a no-brainer. Aside from the fans, who will approach a new version with a mix of fear and lofty expectations, everyone will be asking the same nagging question: What makes yet another version worth the screen time? The answer might be one of two options. The film offers either something new or something better than its predecessors.

For the most part, the latest version of " Romeo and Juliet " fails on both counts. If there is one novelty in director Carlo Carlei's take on the world's best-known ill-fated lovers, it's that the words aren't entirely Shakespeare's. It's a fresh approach, indeed, but maybe not the wisest.

"Wherefore art thou Romeo?" remains, as do the play's other most famous lines, but screenwriter Julian Fellowes, the creator of " Downton Abbey ," has dumbed down much of the remaining dialogue. Does that mean it will appeal to a broader audience? It's possible — cursing "zounds" is so 1597, after all — but replacing existing text with old adages about the road to hell being paved with good intentions or striking while the iron is hot comes across as lazy. Besides, Joss Whedon's " Much Ado About Nothing " earlier this year proved that Shakespeare's words don't have to hinder enjoyment , much less comprehension.

When it comes to sets and costumes, this take might barely edge out its two most noteworthy predecessors, Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 version and the 1996 incarnation from Baz Luhrmann. The setting of Verona is luxe, filled with opulent estates, colorful frescoes and exquisite scenery. But none of that can make up for the fact that Douglas Booth and Hailee Steinfeld aren't remotely believable as the fervidly enamored Romeo and Juliet.

As far as looking the part, Steinfeld holds her own, although in Shakespeare’s time, Booth would have made a stunning Juliet, with his delicate features and pillowy lips. Unfortunately, neither one has mastered the art of delivering Shakespearean (or Shakespearean-like) dialogue while also emoting. Steinfeld powers through her lines so rapidly, she doesn’t appear to hear what she’s saying. And Booth, at least better at enunciation, can’t muster a passionate facial expression, much less a fiery inflection. The sentimental, soaring music seems determined to compensate for the lead actors’ shortcomings.

The supporting actors are much more memorable. Paul Giamatti is dependable as ever as Friar Laurence, while Damian Lewis nails the more outrageous characteristics of Lord Capulet.

At its best, an adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” can be so captivating that an audience might believe for a moment, out of sheer hope, that the tragic ending can be thwarted. This version never becomes so transporting. The movie is just a series of familiar scenes unfurling toward an inevitable conclusion.

Romeo and Juliet

(118 minutes, at area theaters) is rated PG-13 for some violence and thematic elements.

Romeo And Juliet (2013) review

Shakespeare gets down(ton) with the kids.

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The problem for any fresh undertaking of Shakespeare’s star-crossed romance is that the shadow of Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 revamp looms so large.

So it’s sensible that Carlo Carlei's adap adopts a traditional, unfussy approach, with characters garbed in puffy-sleeved medieval finery, sauntering around gorgeous Italian locations and spouting the Bard’s extravagant dialogue in easy-to-follow soundbites (courtesy of a streamlining job by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes).

The forbidden lovers are teen-girl-friendly casting, with Hailee Steinfeld a relatable Juliet and Douglas Booth a boy-band-pretty Romeo. Paul Giamatti offers good value, too, as Romeo’s friar confidant.

Perfectly respectable, but it won’t linger in the memory like Luhrmann’s.

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Julian Fellowes, Romeo and Juliet 2013

Read a review and overview of Julian Fellowe’s 2013 version of Romeo and Juliet.

If you were writing a film script for Romeo and Juliet there would be a great number of things you would have to consider and there would be some things you should never do. You should not write additional scenes. If you do you should not under any circumstances invent new dialogue for your characters: it is bound to look silly beside Shakespeare’s. You may cut Shakespeare’s text, however, provided you maintained the play’s overall balance.

A Shakespeare play is complex: it is never about one thing; it always has several interconnecting themes, ideas and lines of action. So when you are shortening the text to make it a reasonable length for a film be careful that you don’t lose any of those themes and lines of action. Make sure that you just trim the text so that the balance is maintained. If you are a very bad writer with little understanding of a Shakespeare text, who has somehow found him/herself commissioned to write a film script for Romeo and Juliet you are in deep trouble, particularly if you regard yourself as a good writer.

The latest film version of Romeo and Juliet , released in October 2013 was written by a British Conservative politician, Julian Fellowes – author of the popular British drama series, Downton Abbey , and also of the film Titanic . Titanic is an uninteresting Hollywood formula disaster film and Downton Abb ey is a pale copy of a successful 1970s television series, Upstairs Downstairs, with the usual clichés – the  daughter running off with the chauffeur, the Duke with an American wife, the fat, widowed cook, the very powerful butler and a villain among the lesser menservants. Although it was very popular for the first two seasons, it was less popular for the third and viewers dropped off like lemmings for the fourth and, we all hope, last. (Whilst the program may have been variable, it was filmed in the stunning Highclere Castle, which is well worth  visit ).

I hasten to suggest that the extreme dullness of this Romeo and Juliet is not entirely Fellowes’ fault. Every member of the creative team has to bear some responsibility for that, although one can sympathise, given that they had a fourth-rate script to work with. But there are also things that are not Julian Fellowes’ fault, such as that the actor cast as Benvolio, the wise cousin/advisor to Romeo, is all of twelve years old.

As I watched I felt sorry for the actors, who never have a chance to develop anything. Having said that, Damian Lewis as Capulet manages to shine through the dullness. I am a great fan of Lesley Manville who is always outstanding but I felt particularly sorry for her, playing the nurse, whose role was almost entirely cut, and where it was not, we had Julian Fellowes instead of Shakespeare.

What happened to the feud – the divided society – brilliantly realised at the start of Shakespeare’s text, with servants of the two houses playfully squaring up to each other before the intervention of youths of the houses cranks it up into a violent confrontation? Although it is the lump of clay that Shakespeare throws down to sculpt into a play it isn’t there in this film. What about the drama’s turning point from comedy to tragedy with Mercutio’s death? A non event.

When Julian Fellowes scraps Shakespeare’s lines and inserts his own instead we have things like Juliet saying ‘I’m warming to that.’

On the whole, with the cardboard sets and stiff movements of the young actors it looks like one of those films made by the production teams of education resources companies which were shown in classrooms as audio visual aids before Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film version of Romeo and Juliet hit the screens, electrified audiences, and changed our vision of the play.

Zeffirelli’s film is a beautiful, careful transposition of the play to the screen. The script was written by another Italian, Franco Brusati, who had the good sense to trust Shakespeare and not think he was the better writer. The opening scene is a classic and the death of Mercutio an eye-opener, now regarded as the only way it could be done. All that in the language of Shakespeare, trimmed to fit the cinema’s timescale.

The nurse’s performance is most memorable, with Zeffirelli taking the time to show the high jinks of the young people of Verona and the atmosphere of fun before everything turns sour. The scene where the nurse returns from her meeting with Romeo to tell Juliet that they are to be married is a masterpiece of performance on the part of both actors, and Brusati and Zeffirelli show it in full. It hardly exists in Julian Fellowes’ version.

Juliet is arguably Shakespeare’s strongest, most passionate female character. In this version, the actor simply recites the lines, and Juliet’s most passionate speeches are not there at all. The scene where she shows superhuman courage by taking the potion that will put her into a death-like sleep has been entirely cut. And Olivia Hussey’s Juliet is unforgettable: she is beautiful, exciting and passionate. No male, in seeing the film could fail to fall in love with her.

Nino Rota’s soundtrack for the Zeffirelli film is superb, its main theme having become one of the most played pieces on instrumental classical radio stations. It is reminiscent of Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde love death theme: it is exquisite, rising and falling with a haunting, tragic feeling. The 2013 film’s soundtrack is written by a young musician, Zola Jesus, who appears from her many awards to be very successful in American popular music circles, but her music for this film is bland and neither says anything nor invokes any feeling.

I suggest that if you want to enter Shakespeare’s great play of teenage sexuality and tragic love through film you should watch Zeffirelli’s film. You will also get something out of Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film, which made a star of Leonardo DiCaprio. Here again, the text is seriously curtailed, but in a balanced way. The social divide is brilliantly portrayed with exciting gang wars, and all in all. it’s great entertainment. If you see the 2013 film without knowing the play you will think Romeo and Juliet is about nothing more than two rather shallow and stupid teenagers who, far from being passionately and desperately in love, hardly notice each other.

Watch the official trailer for Julian Fellowes’ Romeo & Juliet:

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Romeo and Juliet (2013): Movie Review

• Media & Art
• Romeo and Juliet (2013): Movie…

William Shakespeare’s renowned play Romeo and Juliet is the quintessential description of infatuation in young people. He proved that young love provides pleasure but seldom lasts by writing this tragic tale. The main characters possess the tragic flaw of rashness in action which leads to their downfall.

They are hasty in their actions and cease to assess the situation before taking control. 2013 revitalization of this classic tale harshly disappoints the audience with the lack of proper screenplay and characterization.

The remake certainly had qualities that deserve appreciation. It was produced with the best of filmmaking to create magnificent settings that bring the story to life. The usage of modern technology gives a clear picture of the lifestyle one might have adapted to in 12 th century Verona.

The costumes were impressive. They were magnificent in style and true to the history of the time period. They helped exemplify that Romeo and Juliet were born into rich families due to their sumptuous appearance. The movie was shot from angles that captured the best of every scene and the soundtrack helped create the ideal mood for the story.

The characters had minimal makeup which highlighted their natural features. Overall, the set and costume designing were promising.

The screenplay is the key to bringing the true depiction of a story.  It helps enforce the feelings of the characters to the audience. The director failed to portray strong chemistry between Romeo and Juliet because the scenes moved too rapidly. It failed to make the audience appreciate Shakespeare’s incredible talent of writing poetic dialogues because the actors delivered the lines in a hasty manner.

It lacked to justify the essence of every scene in the story. The audience was unable to feel the tension of the climax of the story as a result. It is ironic how the moral in the story that hasty actions bring downfall is the main flaw of the movie.

The remake was only able to meet certain expectations regarding the characterization of the story. The characterization of Romeo was one of the biggest strengths concerning characterization. Romeo’s character was as appealing as can be due to incredible dialogue delivery and undeniable charm. He was the personification of the Romeo described by William Shakespeare. Unfortunately, his counterpart ceases to do justice to her character.

She is hasty in dialogue delivery and often mutters her lines. She is unable to fit the character description written by Shakespeare. Juliet is the epitome of beauty and embodies features that “teach the stars to burn bright.” The actress requires sharp features to play the character. Beauty is only skin deep but one must provide justification to the character that he or she is playing.

The manner used to create this underwhelming adaption appeared strained. It hastily follows the plot and contains a minimal amount of Shakespeare’s classic lines. It earns points for its lush setting and costumes but loses them at screenplay and characterization.

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Author:  William Anderson (Schoolworkhelper Editorial Team)

Tutor and Freelance Writer. Science Teacher and Lover of Essays. Article last reviewed: 2022 | St. Rosemary Institution © 2010-2024 | Creative Commons 4.0

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Romeo and Juliet (2013) Parent Guide

By all artistic measures, "romeo and juliet (2013)" is an a movie. along with paul giamatti, who gives a brilliant performance, this cast includes some lesser-known but talented actors..

Screenwriter Julian Fellowes adapts William Shakespeare famous story about the tragic love affair between Romeo (Douglas Booth) and Juliet (Hailee Steinfeld), members of rival families. The movie has a traditional setting and is directed by Carlo Carlei.

Release date October 11, 2013

Run Time: 119 minutes

Official Movie Site

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kerry bennett.

I don’t know that anyone has committed suicide after reading Romeo and Juliet . Most high school freshmen just struggle to understand the Shakespearean dialogue. But if any director has made taking your own life—for the sake of love—look romantic, it is Carlo Carlei. And that for me is the problem. His 2013 adaptation of the Bard’s tragic story brings the classic tale to life in a way English Lit teachers are going to adore. Filmed in beautiful Italian locations with detailed costumes and a very capable cast, it embraces all the teenaged angst to be expected. Yet (SPOILER ALERT) when the star-crossed lovers finally kill themselves, it’s all so painless and bloodless and tender. Even when their bodies lie in the church adorned in their finery in front of their grieving families, their cold, dead, but still beautiful hands are entwined in a gesture of affection.

Shakespeare isn’t promoting suicide as much as pointing out the utter foolishness of the Capulet and Montague feud. And that message is as relevant as ever. Though the film is set in the play’s original time frame and uses the original dialogue, the portrayal of swordfights in the streets doesn’t seem al that distant from the gang rivalry today. The Prince of Verona’s (Stellan Skarsgård) issues ineffectual pleas and then threats to stem the fighting among the younger family members. It is apparent both he and the townsfolk have grown weary of the bloody and ongoing disputes. Still, only moments after the Prince berates them, Tybalt (Ed Westwick) and his friends in the Capulet clan throw down the gauntlet in front of the Montague boys. Romeo (Douglas Booth) however, is so taken with Juliet (Hailee Steinfeld) that he is willing to set aside their weapons. Unfortunately his resolve doesn’t last long when his cousin is killed.

By all artistic measures, Romeo and Juliet (2013) is an A movie. Along with Paul Giamatti who gives a brilliant performance as Friar Laurence, this cast includes some lesser-known but talented actors. That lets audiences immerse themselves in the story rather than getting distracted watching famous faces like Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role .

All the same, just because this tale is old doesn’t mean the events surrounding the couple’s fate are ones parents want reenacted. Unfolding over only a few days, the impetuous pursuit of their passion leads this pair to a tragic end—even if they are carried out in a beautiful, candle-lit setting.

About author

Kerry Bennett

Romeo and juliet (2013) rating & content info.

Why is Romeo and Juliet (2013) rated PG-13? Romeo and Juliet (2013) is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for some violence and thematic elements.

Violence: Characters draw their swords and fight in the streets where a man is killed. In an act of retribution, characters fight and one is stabbed to death. Characters spit at one another as a sign of derision. Several deaths result from the ongoing family feud. A character takes a poison that makes her appear as dead. A character drinks a poison and kills himself. A girl stabs herself.

Sexual Content: A young couple kisses frequently. A married couple consummates their marriage with little detail shown.

Language: The script contains a few terms of Deity as well as some brief sexual innuendos.

Alcohol / Drug Use: Characters drink at a social event. A man derives a poison from a plant. Another character is involved in selling illegal poisons. A character uses poison to kill himself.

Page last updated July 17, 2017

Romeo and Juliet (2013) Parents' Guide

The Prince of Verona organizes a sporting competition between the Capulets and Montegues in hopes of keeping the fighting off the streets. How is the families’ feud affecting the other residents of the city? What are the reasons for their fighting?

What is the moral dilemma the apothecary faces when Romeo asks him for poison? How does he justify his decision? Can finances dictate moral decisions for some people?

Juliet’s nurse is her close confident and friend. What role did these servants play in the lives of the families they worked for? Why were they often closer to the children than their parents?

Might this story have ended differently if Romeo and Juliet had talked to their parents? Do you think their families might be willing to put aside their differences or did it have to take the death of their children to make them see their foolishness?

The most recent home video release of Romeo and Juliet (2013) movie is February 4, 2014. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Romeo and Juliet

Related home video titles:

Shakespeare classic play has been adapted to film many times including Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 version Romeo & Juliet . It has also inspired such movies as Gnomeo & Juliet , Letters to Juliet and West Side Story .

Related news about Romeo and Juliet (2013)

Paul Giamatti Tackles Small Roles with Big Success

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William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet Reviews

Despite a hip Miami backdrop, and the quarrel between the Montagues and Capulets being played out like a gang feud, the director retained the play’s original text. It works beautifully...

Full Review | Nov 7, 2023

You really get the whole Baz experience here.

Full Review | Jul 17, 2022

Luhrmann's style simply defibrillates Shakespeare's text. ... For me, it's the overblown carnality that makes it such a perfect adaptation of the source material, and that still leaps from the screen today.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Nov 9, 2021

This glitter bomb of a film explodes the play and builds it back up again... result[ing] in a truly unforgettable cinematic experience.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Nov 5, 2021

Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes are both callow and beautiful and wonderful.

Full Review | Aug 14, 2020

I enjoy Baz Luhrmann's creative take on Shakespeare.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Mar 7, 2019

Huge credit to Danes, especially later in the film, when Juliet actively rebels. Her "marvellous much" and "I long to die" speeches are forceful and imbued with deep feeling.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 4, 2018

Romeo + Juliet is a stunningly detailed, perfectly cast, fun-fuelled immersive experience. A true love letter to one of the best movies of the nineties, this event is an absolute must for fans. Get ready for the party of the summer.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Aug 23, 2018

Little more than a stunt.

Full Review | Aug 16, 2018

a fantastic introduction to Shakespeare for the novice and the young

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 7, 2014

Put simply: you're not likely to regard Romeo + Juliet as truly great cinema unless the song "Lovefool" stirs your soul.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | May 12, 2013

Look back on your first love, without it making you wince.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 14, 2013

One of the liveliest Shakespeare adaps of the past 20 years ...

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 25, 2013

Luhrmann bombards us with startling images, audacious camera tricks and breathtaking action ... [in order to recreate] the overwhelming experience of adolescent love.

Full Review | Nov 22, 2010

Luhrmann would use the same techniques with better results in Moulin Rouge!

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Nov 1, 2010

[Luhrmann's] film is a little more original, and a lot more sloppy, than that suggests; despite his brusque refashioning of the text and the film's slack denouement, he manages to come up with a few sharp ideas.

Full Review | Jul 6, 2010

A slick blast of ''decadence,'' the kind of violent swank-trash music video that may make you feel like reaching for the remote control.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Jul 6, 2010

A sexy, innovative and memorable sumptuous feast for eye and ear.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 3, 2008

It's a genuinely fresh take on an oft-told tale.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 3, 2008

Doesn't approach the emotional resonance of Franco Zeffirelli's immensely popular 1968 screen version.

Full Review | Jun 11, 2008

Romeo and Juliet review: Tom Holland fans may regret forking out £275

S piderman does Shakespeare: this is the sizzling hot ticket of this year’s West End. Tom Holland, known to millions for his big screen exploits in the Marvel cinematic universe , created a box office stampede when it was announced that he would be appearing as one half of the star-cross’d lovers, with tickets going for upwards of £275 . Yet I suspect that only the most ardent Holland fans are going to consider that money well spent; everyone else would be sensible to sit this one out.

This radically stripped-back production is directed by auteur-director Jamie Lloyd, who enjoyed a huge hit last year with his Nicole Scherzinger-starring Sunset Boulevard . Much of the aesthetic for that is replayed here, to markedly diminishing returns: the black costumes, bare playing space and omnipresence of onstage videographers to film the action, which is relayed on a giant screen.

Once more, there is abundant use of the theatre’s backstage and outside spaces and what seemed exciting for Sunset loses lustre when repeated so soon and so similarly. Our first sighting of Holland is a filmed one, in a backstage corridor: we glimpse the back of Romeo’s head, black hoodie up, cigarette smoke trailing.

“1597” is projected at the start and heavy black letters announcing “Verona” loom high, yet the production gives us no establishing sense of time or place, and even less of a city riven by an “ancient grudge” between its two pre-eminent families. A peculiar mode of speaking pervades the cast: softened, dulled and deadpan, the delivery bleaches the lines of too much of their sense and sentiment.

Francesca Amewudah-Rivers is a radiant Juliet with a luminous stage presence whose performance single-handedly elevates the entire show; no wonder Romeo is instantly shaken from his self-indulgent solipsism and Holland comes vividly and convincingly alive to display the rawness of fresh emotion. When the pair meet at the Capulets’ ball (another mighty peculiar decision of Lloyd’s, especially for a play not over-endowed with women, is to do away with Lady C altogether), erotic and romantic tension crackles instantly between them.

Passing Strange is unlike any musical I've seen before

It’s a terrifically convincing portrayal of love – and lust – at first sight, a feeling that carries over into the pulsing passion of the balcony scene. Not, of course, that there is any hint of a balcony; instead, the pair sits side by side at the front of the stage and speaks into the ether. Holland handles this moment of quiet intimacy, his finest in the play, with delicacy.

It all goes downhill after this, and not just from a plot perspective. The use of cameras and microphone stands prevails, to the detriment of the sense of the text: even the most intense dialogue is conducted without the two actors looking at each other. Come the denouement in the Capulet family monument, the strange speaking style, portentous soundscape and lack of eye contact left me feeling increasingly soporific – which seriously isn’t the ideal emotion for the climax of this mighty drama.

To 3 August ( romeoandjulietLDN.com )

‘Romeo and Juliet’ Review: Tom Holland-Led Production Is Hobbled by Director Jamie Lloyd’s Extreme Stylization

By David Benedict

David Benedict

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The relationship is captivating. The energy flowing effortlessly between them means you instantly feel their connection, their shared affection, their give and take. It’s by far the strongest relationship in the production. The only difficulty is that it’s the one between Francesca Amewudah-Rivers’ Juliet and Freema Agyeman’s outstanding Nurse. And in Jamie Lloyd ’s production of “ Romeo and Juliet ” starring the headline-grabbing Tom Holland (in a run that sold out in two hours), that’s quite a problem. And not the only one. A giant projected image of the date tells us we’re in 1597 but Lloyd is at pains to present an utterly contemporary world. And, as with his vital reinvention of Lucy Prebble’s “The Effect” (transferred from the National Theatre to NYC’s The Shed) and the upcoming Broadway transfer of his sell-out but more divisive “Sunset Boulevard,” the aesthetic on display — display being the operative word — is fiercely stripped-down. Soutra Gilmour’s monochrome design is all rising and falling steel girders on a bald set with neither decoration nor props. This is a world of intense shadows created by Jon Clark’s stark side-lighting, allowing black-clad performers to loom in and out of darkness. The brightest element comes via video, splashed across a stage-wide screen and shot live via two Steadicams, showing the performers on stage or, as is already a cliché following its much-copied first appearance in Ivo Van Hove’s “Network,” in sequences in which characters are revealed walking from corridors backstage onto the stage or, in this instance, seen coming down from a scene outdoors atop the theater’s roof. For all the focus on these and other projections of intense close-up moments, the most attention-grabbing element is sound. Every moment is underscored by everything from sudden stings and doom-laden, intense, industrial hum, all the way to bursts of drum ’n’ bass in an attempt to add tension.

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The exception to all this is Juliet. In the first half in particular, Amewudah-Rivers’ well-grounded calmness pays huge dividends. Her grasp of her character brings the audience to her, and her quick-witted reactions are highly legible. She, like the older, more skilled actors, is able to find nuance within the prevailing style. But Holland lacks her still stage presence. He’s perfectly plausible as lovestruck Romeo growing increasingly stressed and distressed, but he emotes rather than elicits emotions. Both actors are hobbled by the logical (over)extension of Lloyd’s approach. Juliet sits down front to take her poison and then closes her eyes. But instead of staging the Nurse’s distressed discovery of her body and the reactions of her father, Lloyd lines them up at the back of the stage facing away from the audience. We hear the lines but with no reactions to watch, the scene is bizarrely shorn of any emotional response. The same bald, monotonous pacing dogs Holland’s hardworking approach to the final scene. There’s more sadness created in the Friar’s closing speech, proof that, filled to the brim with stylization though the production is, it’s in thrall to its effects but fails to deliver dramatic effect. It’s deeply ironic that in the world’s most famous play about young love and death, the characters you end up sympathizing with most are the Nurse, the Friar and even the parents. It surely cannot have been the intention to make a production in praise of the older generation.

Duke of York's Theatre, London; 630 seats; £275 ($349) top. Opened, May 23, 2024; reviewed May 22. Closes Aug 3. Running time: 2 HOURS, 15 MIN.

• Production: A Jamie Lloyd Company Production produced by Jamie Lloyd and Jon Bath in association with David Binder, Ruth Hendel, Patrick Catullo and Christopher Ketner presentation of a play in two acts by William Shakespeare. 
• Crew: Sets and costume, Soutra Gilmour; lighting, Jon Clark; sound, Ben and Max Ringham; video/cinematography, Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom; composer, Michael 'Mikey J’ Asante; movement, Sarah Golding and Yukiko Masui; production stage manager, Andrew Reed.
• Cast: Tom Holland, Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, Freema Agyeman, Michael Balogun, Tomiwa Edun, Mia Jerome, Daniel Quinn-Toye, Ray Sesay, Nima Taleghani, Joshua-Alexander Williams.

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Review Roundup: ROMEO & JULIET Starring Tom Holland & Francesca Amewudah-Rivers

Tom Holland is Romeo and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers is Juliet in Jamie Lloyd’s new vision of Shakespeare’s immortal tale of wordsmiths, rhymers, lovers and fighters.

Tom Holland is Romeo and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers is Juliet in Jamie Lloyd’s new vision of Shakespeare’s immortal tale of wordsmiths, rhymers, lovers and fighters. Read the reviews!

The cast includes Freema Agyeman (Nurse), Michael Balogun (Friar), Tomiwa Edun (Capulet), Mia Jerome (Montague), Daniel Quinn-Toye (Paris), Ray Sesay (Tybalt), Nima Taleghani (Benvolio), Joshua-Alexander Williams (Mercutio), Callum Heinrich and Kody Mortimer (Camera Operators). Understudies Nathaniel Christian, Shardé Neikaiya and Phillip Olagoke complete the cast.

The creative team includes Set and Costume Design: Soutra Gilmour; Lighting Design: Jon Clark; Sound Design; Ben and Max Ringham; Video Design and Cinematography: Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom; Composer: Michael 'Mikey J’ Asante; Text edited by Nima Taleghani; Casting Director: Stuart Burt CDG; Movement Directors: Sarah Golding & Yukiko Masui (SAY); Intimacy Coordinator: Ingrid Mackinnon; Voice Coach: Hazel Holder; Associate Director: Jonathan Glew; Associate Designer: Rachel Wingate; Associate Costume Designer: Anna Josephs.

Kat Mokrynski, BroadwayWorld : Holland, most well-known to most as Peter Parker, AKA Spider-Man, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, returns to the stage after over a decade. He does a fantastic job with both moments of romance and those of anger, being reduced to tears at several points throughout the show and reaching the breaking point of his character with ease. While he is the star billing of the show, it is Amewudah-Rivers who truly steals the show, with her Juliet taking charge in the relationship and longing to live life the way she chooses. 

Houman Barekat, The New York Times : Yet this “Romeo and Juliet,” directed by Jamie Lloyd (“Sunset Boulevard,” “The Effect”) and running at the Duke of York’s Theater through Aug. 3, is no straightforward crowd-pleaser. The visuals are stripped-down and the staging unconventional; instead of indulging the giddy melodrama of young love, the emphasis is on brooding atmospherics. The show is slickly executed by a talented cast and production crew, but its understated rendering of the lovers’ romantic infatuation may leave some theatergoers wanting more.

Andrzej Lukowski, Time Out London:  For Lloyd, ‘Romeo & Juliet’ is another step down his increasingly auteur-ish path. Exactly what’s in it for Holland is an intriguing question – it shows he’s versatile, can work in an ensemble, and rise to the challenge of leftfield director’s theatre (and is stacked), but it’s not the sort of  BIG  Shakespearean performance that necessarily wins a bunch of awards and shifts the dial on Spider-Man being the thing he’s known for. It’s a pretty weird night at the theatre, frankly. But adjust to its fugue state and it’s deeply compelling. Another one of Shakespeare’s heroes asked what dreams may come in death. This unsettling production feels like the answer.

David Benedict, Variety:  The relationship is captivating. The energy flowing effortlessly between them means you instantly feel their connection, their shared affection, their give and take. It’s by far the strongest relationship in the production. The only difficulty is that it’s the one between Francesca Amewudah-Rivers’ Juliet and Freema Agyeman’s outstanding Nurse. And in Jamie Lloyd’s production of “Romeo and Juliet” starring the headline-grabbing Tom Holland (in a run that sold out in two hours), that’s quite a problem. And not the only one.

Arifa Akbar, The Guardian:  But it seems, at times, like a deconstructed Romeo and Juliet, refusing to give in to the ardour of the text, and sometimes caging it in. There is moody whispering into microphones and muffled sotto voce which brings languorous intimacy but also stasis. Actors speak their lines – in a line – at the audience, a recurring tic in Lloyd’s work, now more insistently puzzling in its distancing, anti-dramatic effects, and too stilted to let loose the play’s passion. When scenes are traditionally acted out, they are tremendous – immaculately performed and full of feeling. We ache for them to continue.

Dominic Cavendish, The Telegraph:  If only the show itself was able to match this energy. Unfortunately, though, it's a depressingly lifeless affair, which somehow manages to be both overstated and underpowered. This, it should be emphasised, is in no way the fault of the actors – neither Holland, who is fine, nor Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, playing Juliet, who is better than fine, nor the supporting cast. The problem lies firmly with the gimmicky, oppressively dour staging, which consistently works against all of them.

Patrick Marmon, The Daily Mail:  The play is famously preoccupied with death and Lloyd makes the most of that, with a cast dressed in black jeans, T-shirts and hoodies. It’s monotone, monochrome and mannered. If you took the production’s pulse, you might be tempted to call a priest. Sometimes, it even feels as if Lloyd is deliberately trying to throttle the life out of the febrile passion that normally drives this headlong love story. 

Tim Bano, The Independent:  If it had ended at the interval, it would have been brilliant. Instead, it becomes a thing of diminishing returns. Second-half scenes are too effortful, some have no emotional impact. As for the ending, well, it’s a bit of a letdown. They die, but theatrically: earpieces out, eyes closed, sitting on the front of the stage like bouncers having a nap after a long shift at a warehouse rave.

Clive Davis,  The Times:  Did Tom Holland’s army of fans feel short-changed? The USP of this latest Jamie Lloyd production is, after all, the opportunity to see one of the biggest stars of multiplex cinema in the flesh. All credit to the Brit who plays Spider-Man on the big screen for taking on the challenge of performing modern-dress Shakespeare in the West End. But given how much Lloyd enjoys using digital technology, Holland’s admirers may wonder why they spend a fair amount of the evening watching their idol on a screen.

Neil Norman, Express:  A voguish young movie star, onstage cameras, microphones placed conspicuously around a bare stage as well as taped to the actors’ cheeks, smoke, blinding flashes of white light, a continuous background hum as of a trapped hornet - how quickly the trademarks of a Jamie Lloyd production have become clichéd and predictable.

Sam Marlowe,  The Stage:  We expect the unexpected from a Jamie Lloyd production, and true to form, the director’s take on Shakespeare’s tragedy of doomed teenage love disrupts and repossesses the familiar story. Some of the techniques that Lloyd employed in his recent, stunning staging of Sunset Boulevard are here: there’s a starry lead performance, in this case from Spider-Man’s Tom Holland as Romeo; a dark, stark aesthetic; and extensive use of live video footage, some of it shot offstage. This time, though, the intention behind the concept is sometimes unclear, and while at its best it heightens the rush of hormonal emotion that drives the drama, elsewhere it has a distancing effect, jolting us out of the narrative and leaving us puzzled as to what exactly this most ingenious of theatremakers is up to. Still – and this is a fundamental on which far too many Shakespearean productions fall down – it’s certainly never boring.

Hugh Montgomery, BBC : If only the show itself was able to match this energy. Unfortunately, though, it's a depressingly lifeless affair, which somehow manages to be both overstated and underpowered. This, it should be emphasised, is in no way the fault of the actors – neither Holland, who is fine, nor Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, playing Juliet, who is better than fine, nor the supporting cast. The problem lies firmly with the gimmicky, oppressively dour staging, which consistently works against all of them.

Sarah Hemming, Financial Times : Even so, this is a compelling production: vivid, sad, restless. It brings home forcefully — and perhaps this is its point in today’s world — that death is not romantic. We’re left with the empty senselessness of five young lives needlessly snuffed out. 

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‘Romeo and Juliet’ Review: Plenty of Style, but Little Love

The London production, starring Tom Holland, sold out in hours. But its understated rendering of the central romance may leave some theatergoers wanting more.

By Houman Barekat

The critic Houman Barekat saw the show in London

As the male lead entered the stage in a new production of “Romeo and Juliet” in London, a single, very loud whoop erupted from the orchestra level. Nobody else joined in — this is Britain, after all — but the breach of decorum was telling. This particular Romeo is the big-screen superstar Tom Holland, of “Spider-Man” fame, and his pulling power helped tickets for this show’s run sell out within hours — even though the actor playing Juliet wasn’t cast until many weeks later.

Yet this “Romeo and Juliet,” directed by Jamie Lloyd (“ Sunset Boulevard ,” “ The Effect ”) and running at the Duke of York’s Theater through Aug. 3, is no straightforward crowd-pleaser. The visuals are stripped-down and the staging unconventional; instead of indulging the giddy melodrama of young love, the emphasis is on brooding atmospherics. The show is slickly executed by a talented cast and production crew, but its understated rendering of the lovers’ romantic infatuation may leave some theatergoers wanting more.

The stage is dark, and entirely bare except for a sign that announces the setting in chunky capitals: VERONA. The performers, in monochrome streetwear, are illuminated by hazy spotlights. (Set design and costumes are by Soutra Gilmour.) In several scenes, they speak from fixed positions, stationed behind microphone stands, sometimes facing the audience rather than each other. The gloomy visuals are complemented by snatches of ambient techno and a dull humming sound that conjures a sense of anticipatory dread. To keep the audience on its toes, some scene changes are punctuated by blinding lights and obnoxiously loud flashbulb clacks. (The sound is by Ben and Max Ringham, the lighting by Jon Clark.)

The minimalist staging puts an extra onus on the actors to make the script shine, and they don’t disappoint. Holland gives a controlled performance as Romeo, evoking the halting, hopeful awkwardness of a love-struck teenager with understatement. As Juliet, Francesca Amewudah-Rivers is similarly restrained: Tentative and inscrutable during the early phase of the courtship, she is at her best in the scenes in which she stands up to her father, Lord Capulet (Tomiwa Edun) as he pressures her to break it off with Romeo. In these moments, Amewudah-Rivers — who is making her West End debut — displays an impregnable abstractedness that rings true to the stubborn determination of adolescence.

The supporting cast is also less experienced than the illustrious leading man, but for the most part, you wouldn’t know it. Edun convinces as the hectoring, overbearing patriarch. Freema Agyeman plays the Nurse, the affable go-between who enables the lovers’ forbidden affair, with a fine blend of sassy assertiveness and quasi-maternal tenderness. Ray Sesay’s Tybalt is impressively menacing and Nima Taleghani, with his wide-eyed and gentle bearing, is tenderly protective as Romeo’s trusty friend, Benvolio.

At times the spectacle feels more like a reading than a play, but some nifty camerawork injects dynamism. A camera operator intermittently appears onstage and films close-up footage of an actor’s face, which is relayed in real time onto a screen above the stage. This technique — familiar from the work of directors such as Ivo van Hove and Christine Jatahy — can sometimes feel frustratingly gratuitous, leading to a sense of visual clutter, but it feels smooth here. During some scenes, actors are filmed elsewhere in the theater — in its foyer bar, corridors and balcony — while others occupy the stage. This gives a fitting sense of simultaneity in a narrative replete with back-channel dialogues and conspiratorial maneuverings.

Lloyd has tried to condense the story to its essence, just as he did in his Olivier-winning take on “Sunset Boulevard.” To this end, one or two scenes — such as the finale in which the Montagues and Capulets agree to set aside their differences after Romeo and Juliet’s deaths — have been abridged. The production’s artful subtlety is encapsulated in the tragic denouement, when the lovers’ deaths are conveyed simply by Holland and Amewudah-Rivers removing their mics.

The restrained portrayal of the lovers’ passion is aesthetically brave, but there’s a downside: In his determination to eschew the easy charms of melodrama, Lloyd slightly undercooks the romance, which in turn diminishes our investment in its terrible ramifications. There are other Shakespeare plays that lend themselves better to this kind of high-concept treatment, because they are more psychologically complex. ( A similarly stylized “Macbeth,” staring David Tennant, which ran at the Donmar Warehouse last year and will transfer to the West End in the fall, comes to mind.)

Leaving the theater, I encountered an excitable throng of mostly young fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Holland. His superstar status will attract a mainstream audience to this show. But what will they make of it? “Spider-Man” it most certainly ain’t.

Romeo and Juliet Through Aug. 3 at the Duke of York’s Theater in London; thedukeofyorks.com .

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