A fun twist on the saga of Romeo and Juliet, Rosaline is the story of what happened with the first love of Romeo’s and how she impacted the Shakespearean tale.
I know Romeo and Juliet very well. I studied theater in college and have seen countless productions – I’m extremely familiar with the story. I am also in the camp of people who feel that if someone had just told one of them “NO” (I’m looking at you, Friar Lawrence), they’d both have lived – and would likely have gone on to have relationships with other people and grow old, laughing about that time they were obsessed with each other for 5 days. But I digress.
Rosaline is the story of Rosaline, the first woman that Romeo moons over in Romeo and Juliet, before he attends the ball at the Capulet home. Rosaline and Romeo have stolen romantic moments, but when he professes his love for her, she does not say it back. She is confused. He then goes on to meet her cousin, Juliet, while Rosaline is constantly introduced to various men for an arranged marriage. Rosaline quickly decides that she does want Romeo, and she sets out to ruin things between him and her cousin.
This film has been on my list for awhile and I have been very excited to watch it. I am intrigued by anything with a twist on the standard Romeo and Juliet story (I also encourage you to see & Juliet on Broadway, it’s fantastic!) and this is definitely that.
A historical comedy starring Kaitlyn Dever as Rosaline, the movie begins with Shakespearean language out of Romeo with Rosaline responding, “Why are you talking like that?” Words like “dude” and “cool” are used regularly, so don’t think that you’re walking into a Shakespearean play.
Without ruining anything, this film does a good job of taking pieces of the original play and altering them to fit a more modern (and realistic?) narrative. Paris is a friend of Rosaline’s and has a much more interesting story than in the play. Rosaline is friends with Juliet, so no, her nurse wasn’t the only person she ever spoke with. And speaking of Rosaline’s nurse (played by a droll Minnie Driver), she is more educated than one might think.
The cast is entertaining in their offbeat and quirky roles, but Sean Teale is a standout as new character Dario (a potential suitor for Rosaline). He brings a realism that plays well as the straight man to all of the other character’s minor silliness.
Overall, this is an enjoyable movie whether you are familiar with the Shakespeare play or not. If you are, you will get a kick out of all of the minor changes and twists, and if you aren’t, it’s still a fun story. Worth watching.
Runtime: 96 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: PG-13
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes, it’s entertaining
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3/5 Stars
Available: To rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
I know Romeo and Juliet very well. I studied theater in college and have seen countless productions – I’m extremely familiar with the story. I am also in the camp of people who feel that if someone had just told one of them “NO” (I’m looking at you, Friar Lawrence), they’d both have lived – and would likely have gone on to have relationships with other people and grow old, laughing about that time they were obsessed with each other for 5 days. But I digress.
