Rosalina

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.

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.

Every kid who has to read Romeo and Juliet will enjoy this. It has everything a teenage girl needs...a spunky heroine, a very (very!) cute leading man and a Taylor Swift song over the closing credits.

Romeo bears a bit of a resemblence to the late Heath Ledger. The wonderful Bradley Whitford and Minnie Driver shine in small but pivotal roles and while the plot is predictable, there are enough small twists and turns to make it fun.

As a standalone for younger kids, it will be fine. If you introduce them to the actual story of Romeo and Juliet first, they will get more out of it. One well-deserved profanity and very little violence.

Hulu did well with this one.

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.

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.