Romeo & Juliet

A great and stylish modern adaptation of Romeo and Juliet accompanied by "great performances" by Josh O'Connor and Jessie Buckley as the eponymous lovers, particularly Buckley. Stunning visuals and music will make this shot-in-pandemic modern adaptation of R&J even more delightful.

Good try, good scenes and atmosphere, but too much was cut, some of the most beautiful words ever written, this was way too short.

The National Theatre's Romeo & Juliet is a film version of the play shot in a closed theater in lockdown that manages to bring freshness to the classic Shakespeare's love story.

Set in modern-day Italy, the movie draws you in from the start with the settings' minimalism efficiently adding a sense of charm surrounding the cast. There's a scene where the loved ones are surrounded by candlelight in bokeh that exudes romance and beauty. The cast is great. Josh O'Connor and Jessie Buckley bring forward the complete palette of emotions their characters experience. Their chemistry is strong, making it difficult not to be immersed in the story, even if it's already known.

The same story has been told numerous times, but not in this way, and that is why it's worth watching.

The stars are fantastic. The photography and direction is like a 14 year old kids bad YouTube video. Every scene shot close up, is not dramatic. The continuous close up movement becomes nauseating. A complete waste of the stage. This director and cinematographer may never have attended a stage production. You need to move back and see the actors complete use of the surroundings and stage.

When I heard Jessie Buckley was in Romeo and Juliet I thought maybe she was playing the Nurse or perhaps Lady Capulet. But no, She's cast as the young(?) lover Juliet. I don't think it is possible to improve on Zeffirelli's version as shown in the Luhrmann attempt. Going modern was no excuse to cast Juliet at twice her age. I abandoned watching at that point.