logline: Shakespeare's famous play is updated to the hip modern suburb of Verona still retaining its original dialogue.

Source: IMDb

haha this is unapologetically my favorite movie. there are just so many things that i love about it. my friends and i do presentation nights, and you best believe that one of mine was an analysis on this movie. honestly, i could (and would) probably talk about this movie for hours, but i’ll spare you from that. starting off, having shakespeare’s original text laid over an action movie is juxtaposition at it’s finest. it’s also great if you want to be able to quote shakespeare but you don’t necessarily want to read the play! we love shakespeare for lazy people. leo and claire, major major hats off because you’ve created probably the most iconic versions of two of the most famous characters in literature. even though these characters have been played thousands of times throughout history, leo and claire still manage to make them feel different and new to the viewer. this cast is also littered with absolute icons. freaking paul rudd? john leguizamo? and jesse bradford? damn. how many times can i talk about how much i love baz lurhmann’s directing? getting ridiculous at this point, but here we go again. THIS MOVIE IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS I HAVE SEEN IN THIS LIFE. the colors, the lights, the random ass zooms all combined is like drugs for my eyes. the writing is obviously amazing because it’s literally….shakespeare. you can’t say that shakespeare is bad. ever. all of the actors work really well with the old english, making it look totally natural and like they’re having a normal conversation, which is something a lot of these kinds of movies struggle with. recently, this movie has been getting more recognition, which i am very very happy with. romeo + juliet has that timeless feel. it’s just one of those films that you can watch over and over again and not get tired of it. i would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone, especially my hopeless romantics out there. it is 100% a comfort film to me, i can watch it when i feel happy, when i feel sad, anytime and anywhere. did i mention that it’s a great valentine’s day movie?

my favorite characters:

dash mihok as benvolio - my 100% favorite character in any adaptation of romeo and juliet ever. he is the cutest and i am honestly jealous of the friendship that he and romeo have. benvolio stan 4 life.
claire danes as juliet - i don’t think i’ve seen claire danes in anything besides this movie, but i love her portrayal of juliet so so much. she plays the ‘innocent girl in love’ so well. also, i love her fit for the costume ball. it’s iconic. how could you not.
paul rudd as paris - paris is such an underrated character! i like paul rudd’s portrayal of him. i also like paul rudd. a lot. paris is really sweet and would be an amazing (probably better than romeo) boyfriend. honestly, justice for paris. he deserved better than that.

this movie is rated PG-13. here’s why:

contemporary violence
sensuality

something i liked: the costume design oh wooooowww. this movie got me into hawaiian shirts, especially the oversized ones……yes. juliet is always wearing something that i want to own, especially THAT dress from the costume ball. even the cringy asf outfits (like anything juliet’s mom wears) is a FIT. kym barrett really popped off on this one.

where to watch:

IMDb:

Romeo + Juliet

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

First Bite