Shakespeare meets Twilight in this Romeo and Juliet adaptation, according to Bruce Munro.
Director: Carlo Carlei
Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, Paul Giamatti, Ed Westwick, Stellan Skarsgard, Damian Lewis, Douglas Booth, Natascha McElhone
Rating: (M) 2½ stars out of 5
Think of the latest Romeo and Juliet film adaptation as a leaping-off point for an emotional narrative experience.
Screenwriter Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) and director Carlo Carlei (The Flight of the Innocent) have remixed William Shakespeare's timeless tragedy in its original setting, Verona, Italy, to offer a sumptuous mirage that sits ethereal between the teenage and adult worlds.
The scenery, locations and costumes are all a visual feast. The young actors, both male and female, are beautiful. But the overall effect is empty and Twilight-esque.
While that may be a deliberate attempt to grab the teen audience, the semi-Shakespearean prose is likely too high a barrier for many. Unfortunately, the teen vibe will undoubtedly have the same effect on an older audience.
Do not give up yet. There is some good to be said.
But first; the acting of the teenage cast betrays a lack of life experience required for these tragic roles. The believable acting, on the whole, is carried by the older cast members, among whom Damian Lewis is the stand-out as the self-absorbed, unbending Lord Capulet.
But to anyone able to ignore the trailer, buy a ticket, and endure the first 15 minutes, a gift awaits. About the time Romeo climbs to his Juliet on the balcony, a transformation occurs. Engaged in the Bard's enduring themes, the viewer leaps beyond the clunky acting and the story comes wondrously alive, in the imagination as much as before the eyes.
Here enmity, passion, the deep desire to love and be loved, and the lasting hope that ''heaven finds means to kill your hate with love'' sing and soar as they always have.
