Anyone ever wonder what happened to poor old Rosaline after Romeo dumped her?
In this innovative romantic comedy, for once we see the other side of the epic drama, told in a modern, accessible voice.
Rosaline is a modern woman in a time where women are still bartered and traded in marriage. She's in love with Romeo, a poet (and let's face it, a bit of a sap and a twit), but he's just as forbidden for her as he is for her cousin Juliet, who soon comes along to steal Rosaline's boyfriend's heart.
While the Shakespearean tragicomedy plays out on the sidelines of Rosaline's frustrated grief (events occurring in part because of her attempts to get Romeo back), enter Dario - a tall, dark and handsome suitor whom Rosaline's father has arranged for her to marry. While Rosaline could not be less interested, they nevertheless team up to try and undo the mess she has made.
Purists of Shakespeare will absolute hate this modern take on his most well-known play, but everyone else will love the snarky humour that creeps up on you, the excellent acting and the fun and creative storyline.
Let's face it. We're already struggling to get young people to read modern books, let alone classic plays written in old English. This is a fresh and fun way to introduce youth to the literature stylings of the bard.
The costumes, while not extravagant, are probably pretty accurate to what they wore. The movie is set in truly gorgeous scenery - most likely in Italy even. It has a modern soundtrack and the script is well-written and well-acted.
I had hoped people would be more lenient with their scoring for this movie on imdb, but since I think its overall score has short-changed the quality of the film, I give it a 10 to try and coax that average back up again because it is a far better film than people are giving it credit for.
