Rosalinde

The last two performances by Kaitlyn Dever I've seen were in "Unbelievable" (about a teenager's rape that almost nobody seems to believe) and "Dopesick" (about a tragic opioid-fueled death), so my guess is that Miss Dever wanted to lighten things up with a fun, goofy comedy. It turns out, she's good at that too! This movie is loosely (and I do mean loosely) based on Will Shakespeare's iconic tale of the star-crossed lovers, with Dever playing Romeo's ex-girlfriend, Rosaline, whom he totally forgets about when Isabela Merced's Juliet enters the picture. With some equally fun support from Bradley Whitford, as Rosaline's dad, and Minnie Driver as her quick witted nurse, Janet, this movie moves along its predictable path with a fair amount of good humor. I am giving this an extra star because Kaitlin Dever has been (rightly) touted as a future superstar since 2013, and her relatively low-key success continues nine years later. Even in trivial films.

A lite affair which is loaded with sheer cuteness. The leads are adequate as actors. It's a nice twist on a old tale. The use of modern day colloquial dialog is a nice touch. Nice pacing. Flows really well. Story doesn't drag for a minute. Not a theater release worthy, so having this go straight to HULU is actually the best place to play this film. A nice premise which is managed as well as it could. Turn off your brain and enjoy. Plus Shooter McGavin is in this film. How could you possibly go wrong? 😆 😆 😆 😆.

Watch this on a nice, rainy fall day and you will be glad you did. Not a 10 out of 10 but it's worth watching.

The character of Rosaline is actually not an invention of the filmmakers. As in the play, she is Juliet's cousin and Romeo's prior love and in hope of meeting Rosaline, Romeo is going to the masquerade ball, where he meets Juliet. The main actors are quite likable, the idea is principally pretty good with telling the "real" story, mixing it up a bit with "The Taming of the Shrew" and a bit of flair of Shakespeare in Love. Despite the historical looking outfit and the nice locations - seems to have been shot in and around San Gimigiano - it feels like a highschool romance comedy. The script execution is not quite that well done and many jokes fall just flat. I would have liked it better, if a lot of the silly jokes would have been just removed from the script and more effort had been put into the verbal sparring between Rosaline and her counterpart.

I have been dying for the Rom Coms the make a comeback, and after seeing Rosaline, I REALLY hope that is the case!! This movie was cute, funny, sweet, and such an easy carefree watch. Was it thought provoking? No, but that's not what this movie is supposed to be. If Hulu decides to take on more movies like this one, I think it could really be great for their revenue stream because it really was the perfect Sunday watch. Not to mention, all of the actors were great (including the incredible Minnie Driver and charming Bradley Whitford). I think this will quickly become one of my comfort watches.

6⭐s

Rosaline was a modern and refreshing take on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" with overall great acting, good directing, stunning costumes, and beautiful sets and locations. Kaitlyn Dever delivered such a compelling and amusing performance as Rosaline, I would love to watch a more serious and mature version of this film with her as the main character. Even though the screenplay was extremely modern-day in tone, it was also both astoundingly satirical and witty. If this movie was made in the 2000's, it certainly would have been a big hit. I am quite sure teens and young adults (intended target audience) will still enjoy their time watching it.

10.14.2022.