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Geek Vibes Nation
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
'Juliet & Romeo' Review: If It Only Wasn't A Cheap Looking Musical…
Breathing life into the most tragic love story of all, the one between Romeo and Juliet, has never been easy. Many tried to do what Baz Luhrmann magnificently did in 1996, but only a few prevailed. Whether it's casting the most prominent names of the industry (Tom Holland as Romeo in Jamie Lloyds' recent theatre adaptation), turning it into a full-blown musical (the successful Broadway and West End show & Juliet ) or giving a minor character a lead role (Karen Maine 2022's Rosaline ), each director has tried to give their spin to the classic Shakespeare story. Timothy Scott Bogart is the latest on that list, as his Juliet & Romeo is now hitting the big screen. While there are a few wonderful twists and a delightful Clara Rugaard ( Love Gets a Room , Black Mirror ) as the titular female protagonist, this musical has too much glitter and autotuning to be convincing. While Bogart is doing everything he can to give his unique spin to the decades-old tale – in this case, it means creating a modern-looking musical – it's precisely that musical take that decreases this feature's enjoyment and emotional impact. The emotional poignancy, the fiery clash between the Montagues and Capulets, and the life-or-death aspect don't come through because of the too-polished music numbers. Every time someone bursts into song – which is much more than necessary – the film turns into a big pop music video. Glitz, glamour, lip-syncing, and autotuning are present in bucketloads, but there is no emotional impact or in-depth meaning. The most frustrating part of those over-the-top songs isn't the fact that they look out of place, but it's the fact that they diminish Rugaard's fantastic lead performance. We meet her Juliet when she returns home from boarding school. Home for her is the early 14th Century Verona. The city is riddled with rivalry and heated fights despite a peace treaty between her parents (Rupert Everett and Rebel Wilson) and Lord Montague (Jason Isaacs). Verona and this movie could benefit from more light and love, and that's precisely what Rugaard's Juliet brings to this feature. Clara Rugaard as Juliet in 'Juliet & Romeo' courtesy of Briarcliff Entertainment This headstrong woman – you better forget about the fact that Juliet was 13 when she met Romeo – wants to create her future, no matter what her parents have planned for her. With the right amount of determination and grace, and later on in this feature, butterflies in her stomach, Rugaard's take feels fresh, appealing, and warm. It's only fair that her character is the first one in the title. Whether or not the suave and slight bad-boy Romeo ( His Dark Materials Jamie Ward) will sweep you off your feet as he does with Juliet depends on whether or not boy band singers are what your heart desires. Despite giving his best shot in trying to deliver a performance that oozes the same amount of love, tenderness, lust for life and insubordination, Ward's Romeo feels much more like a singer auditioning to join the latest pop sensation. While his performance would perfectly fit in & Juliet – as the Montagues form a boy band mid-play – in this feature, it's more a distraction than anything else. Ward might not have been able to elevate his character to something new, but the supporting cast certainly could. Wilson's Lady Capulet is much more multilayered than you would think, as she's not only the devoted wife/mother but also a woman trying to navigate a male-dominated world. Many women, including herself, are unhappy with their role in society, but no matter how much they raise their voices, nothing is done about it. Despite not having much screen time, Wilson ( The Hustle , Jojo Rabbit ) can add the necessary energy and emotions. As her on-screen husband, Isaacs ( Spinning Gold , The Death of Stalin ) delivers the same intensity, sincerity and honesty. Rebel Wilson as Lady Capulet in 'Juliet & Romeo' courtesy of Briarcliff Entertainment At the same time, the humour is undoubtedly provided by Dan Fogler ( Eric , Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore ). His pseudo-rap song might not work, but at least his acting is a wonderful addition to the film. While the musical numbers and the much more contemporary-sounding dialogue take away the gravitas of Shakespeare's writing, Derek Jacobi ( The Tenth Man , Adam Resurrected ) his vigorous Friar Lawrence gives this gimmick take on the original literary work some authenticity. While we always applaud giving a creative and personal spin to a story done many times, Bogart strays just a little too far from the original central story. The dialogue feels too modernized and the bright and unflattering lighting makes this feature look like a cheap B-movie. Luckily, Rugaard and Jacobi save the day with dramatic and convincing performances. Juliet & Romeo is out now in cinemas courtesy of Briarcliff Entertainment
Washington Post
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
‘Juliet & Romeo': Shakespeare gets malled
Panning a movie like 'Juliet & Romeo' is a little like kicking a puppy. A puppy that chews the furniture, soils the rugs and projectile vomits on the guests, but a puppy nevertheless. This maladaption of William Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' only wants to please its target audience of early-middle-school girls by replacing iambic pentameter with lots and lots of pop songs, swooning with plastic sentiments and machine-tooled harmonies. Replace the Bard with a Top 40 production team and his soliloquies with sub-Swiftian lyrics (Taylor, not Jonathan) and you can imagine the results. This isn't a movie, it's a prom theme.
Scotsman
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Edinburgh review: 'spectacular'
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Playhouse, Edinburgh ★★★★ The red curtain trilogy, director Baz Luhrmann called his trio of films on theatrical themes - Strictly Ballroom, Romeo And Juliet, Moulin Rouge - all made between 1992 and 2001. And it was in a mighty blaze of red and gold - all red plush curtains and glowing illuminated windmills - that the latest version of Moulin Rouge! The Musical launched its world tour in Edinburgh on Wednesday night, in front of a packed and delighted Playhouse audience. Set in Paris in 1900, Moulin Rouge is a fabulous pastiche of a show, that draws on classics from La Boheme to The Lady of the Camellias for its story about a young visiting American called Christian, who falls passionately in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge cabaret, the lovely and talented Satine. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Moulin Rouge! The Musical | Contributed The cabaret is run by flamboyant host and compere Harold Zidler, whom Christian hopes will help him pursue his ambitions as a songwriter; but it soon emerges that Harold is all but bankrupt, and is relying on Satine's charms to win financial support from a wealthy Duke who visits the club. The plot therefore revolves around a classic tension between Christian's idealistic young love for Satine - which she fully returns - and the pressures of her hard and complicated life, which have seen her rise by sheer talent and determination from a grim childhood on the streets to her current star status. And like Luhrmann's film, this spectacular stage version captures the story in a slightly startling juke-box-musical style, featuring a range of familiar 20th and 21st century hits often with cleverly adapted lyrics, from Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi Ce Soir, through Material Girl, to Elton John's beautiful Your Song. In Alex Timbers' new production - set to tour on this year to Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, Dublin and Zurich - Verity Thompson makes a poignant and vocally powerful Satine, while Nate Landskroner deftly handles the difficult task of playing Christian both as romantic hero and as slightly ironic link to the 21st century audience, claiming with a nod and a wink to have written both Your Song, and The Sound Of Music. And Cameron Blakely, as embattled impresario Harold Zidler, stands at the dramatic heart of the story, in a performance that - given the musical mix - often seems as much British end-of-the-pier as 19th century Montmartre; but is backed by a superb live band and 20-strong ensemble, who deliver the show's complex mash-up score - and Sonya Tayeh's hard-edged night-club choreography - with a flair and energy that, on Derek McLane's dazzling set, finally brings the audience to their feet, in a well-deserved standing ovation.
