Shakespeare With an Enjoyable Musical Twist

The opening prologue to Shakespeare’s classic tragic romance spurs a decidedly different take in Juliet & Romeo, a pop-fueled musical adaptation that’s sure to have tweens and adolescents swooning. The film sings and dances up a storm, as an all-star supporting cast shepherds our star-crossed lovers to their fate. The vivacious production bursts with color and diversity, a nod to its young adult target audience. This isn’t meant to be stuffy English literature, so you can forgive minor narrative lapses while grooving along to a better-than-expected soundtrack.

As the story begins, Friar Lawrence (Derek Jacobi) holds a somber ceremony as the gathered Montagues and Capulets weep at the devastation caused by their foolish conflict. The story then flashes back three days, to an exhibition for important guests. Verona’s ruler, the fair and honorable Prince Escalus (Rupert Graves), knows that Rome has its conquering eyes set on the city, but will its leading families side with the Pope instead? A sparring bout between the male heirs of both houses begins the calamity.

Shakespeare Grooves

Romeo (Jamie Ward) disobeys his father, Lord Montague (Jason Isaacs), by having his adopted brother Mercutio (Nicholas Podany) fight in his stead. Tybalt (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo), the nephew of Lord Capulet (Rupert Everett), brands Romeo a coward, but is more than willing to tussle with the taunting Mercutio. This gives Romeo the chance to escape the absurd display until a chance encounter has him instantly smitten.

The stunning Juliet (Clara Rugaard) arrives by carriage after years away at school in France. She doesn’t know why her mother (Rebel Wilson) has summoned her back, but she has no interest in watching Tybalt’s macho heroics. Then she accidentally bumps into a young man holding a copy of Dante’s Inferno. The sweet and endearing Romeo bumbles awkwardly around Juliet to her delight. The pair steal away for a fleeting moment before Juliet is beckoned back to duty. Romeo must know the ravishing beauty’s name. He has to see her again.

Writer/director Timothy Scott Bogart is best known for Spinning Gold, a musical biography of his father, Neil Bogart, the legendary founder of Casablanca Records. (You’ve probably heard of Cher, Kiss and Donna Summer.) Bogart has the DNA for musical success, and Juliet & Romeo hooks your eardrums from the first melodic duet between the leads, followed by a rousing ensemble performance that blows the doors off the theater. Bogart weaves the camera around and above his players in long, sharply choreographed tracking shots. He establishes an infectious energy that gives the film a rhythmic pulse, a swinging accompaniment that’s perfectly in sync with the script.

Juliet & Romeo is a family affair. Timothy’s brother, superstar songwriter Evan “Kidd” Bogart, a longtime collaborator with Beyoncé, Adam Lambert, and Britney Spears, is responsible for the film’s music. And his talent and pedigree are evident, with several toe-tapping standout numbers. The Bogarts smartly highlight secondary performers as well: Rugaard and Ward sing the majority of the songs, but the talented supporting cast also gets its time to shine. It serves as a chorus of sorts, propelling the plot with big musical set pieces so you understand their place in the story without needing to specifically identify them.

Love at First Sight

Bogart does go overboard with the political machinations, as subplots of the Montagues and Capulets scheming to thwart each other get lost in the weeds. There’s already too much going on, given the large cast and nearly nonstop music. We get the idea without having to match the details of the source material. Bogart wants to do Shakespeare justice by largely sticking to the play, incorporating famous dialogue like “what’s in a name” and a “curse on both of your houses.” That scores points in an attempt to impress more sophisticated audiences and Shakespeare enthusiasts, but it’s unnecessary. Juliet & Romeo works better with a Wikipedia-style approach.

Rugaard and Ward have an evolving chemistry as love blooms. We have to believe they’re madly in love at first sight. They’re thrust together in the heat of the moment, and three mere days together is all that’s needed for a lifetime of happiness. This is the crux of Romeo and Juliet. But Bogart almost loses their romantic intensity with extended scenes from Dan Fogler, who I absolutely adore, but is out of place in this film. He’s important as the Apothecary, but framing him as Jewish with a dedicated religious mission detracts from the primary arc. The film runs long because of this, but the leads thankfully regain their mojo in time for the bitter turn.

Bogart takes quite a few liberties in the final act. What happens is predictable because he pretty much gives everything away earlier. It’s not necessarily a dealbreaker, but Shakespeare sticklers will probably lose their minds. That being said, we’re not watching Broadway or West End theater, so open your mind — and ears — to a different vision.

Juliet & Romeo is a production of Hero Entertainment Partners, Rainmaker Films, and Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment S.p.A. It will be released theatrically on May 9th from Briarcliff Entertainment.