MOVIE REVIEW: JULIET & ROMEO

 

Based on the real story that inspired Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, follows the greatest love story of all time, set as an original pop musical.

Director: Timothy Scott Bogart

Cast: Jamie Ward, Clara Rugaard, Rebel Wilson, Rupert Everett, Jason Isaacs, Derek Jacobi, Dan Fogler, Ledisi, Tayla Parx, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo,  Rupert Graves

Release Date: May 9, 2025 US/ June 11, 2025 UK One Night Only 

Genre: Drama, Musical, Romance

Rated PG-13 for some violence, bloody images and suggestive material.

Runtime: 2h 1m

Review:

Timothy Scott Bogart's ambitious retelling of the "real" story of Romeo and Juliet is a visual feast for the eyes and ears especially if you enjoy original pop musicals.  Bogart's film takes the classic Shakespeare play as its baseline, hitting on the major points of the story although it’s not slavishly tethered to it.  Those looking for a more straight forward adaptation of the story has ample other options to explore by this point with this production attempting to do something different, akin to Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet from 1996.  This take is a full-on musical from start to finish filled with original pop songs that make up the lion's share of the film's narrative.  Jamie Ward and Clara Rugaard make for a likeable duo onscreen with impressive vocal talents to boot which makes their sequences pop off the screen.  Those musical numbers serve the film's lifeblood as every bit of energy is poured into each production's lavish outfitting, staging and choreography.  They provide the best kind of assault on the senses as the lavish costuming and easy to enjoy tunes fill the screen like cinematic confetti.  The film does suffer a noticeable lag between the musical numbers as the more traditional scenes serviceably move the narrative along but lack the energy of what came before and after.  Additionally, there is a bit of recalibration required as the script switches from Shakespearean style dialogue to a more modern spoken word throughout the film's runtime.  It’s an odd balancing act since the film is filmed in a real portion of Verona and the costuming as set it firmly in the 1300's while the songs and majority of the dialogue are clearly products of the present.  It takes a bit to get acclimated to mix and match approach which makes the transitions a bit clunkier than need be.  The aforementioned Ward and Rugaard power through it all with impressive enthusiasm and energy as they pour themselves into their performances.  Ward brings a brash, self-assured aura to his Romeo which softens when his character is around Rugaard's Juliet.  Rugaard's exudes a strong, self-assured confidence that gives their relationship more of an even balance than most adaptations.  Surrounding them are a bevy of recognizable character actors such as Rebel Wilson, Rupert Everett, Jason Isaacs, Derek Jacobi and Dan Fogler playing older characters who do the best they can in their limited screentime.  Derek Jacobi leaves the biggest impression as the well-intentioned Friar who sets off the action in the finale.  There are some surprises that pop up in Juliet & Romeo's final act which could lead to some intriguing narratives since this film kicks off a trilogy of films. 

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

 

In the early 1960s, 19-year-old Bob Dylan arrives in New York with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music. Forming his most intimate relationships during his rise to fame, he grows restless with the folk movement, making a controversial choice that reverberates worldwide.

Director: James Mangold

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, Dan Fogler, Norbert Leo Butz, Scoot McNairy

Release Date: December 25, 2024

Genre: Biography, Drama, Music

Rated R for language.

Runtime: 2h 20m

Review:

A Complete Unknown serves as a time capsule that focuses on four formative years of Bob Dylan's career in the 60s that places you firmly in the moment although it never gives you any insight into his headspace.  James Mangold's second foray into musical biopics finds the director in his wheelhouse as he recreates the look and feel of the early 60's folk music scene that Dylan walks into.  He directs the performances with ease allowing the performers and music to take center stage while avoiding some of the more obvious pitfalls and tropes that Walk The Line fell into.  There aren't nearly as many contrived moments were moments immediately lead into the creation of signature songs although there is still of relationship melodrama which just seems baked into these kind of stories.  As a result, the film has a more naturalistic and organic feel to it as we follow Dylan's rise from obscurity to mega stardom.  Interlaced into his personal journey are newsclips woven into the background about the major political and cultural events occurring during these nascent years of his career.  We assume these moments lead to the creation of some of Dylan's most famous songs but the film never overtly connects the two.  This is partly due to the fact that we are kept at arms length from Dylan's internal motivations as the audience is given very few glimpses into his psyche outside of being a mysterious, ambitious iconoclast.  There's painfully little insight provided throughout the film's runtime perhaps by design as we get little more than he's a genius but self centered jerk.  The supporting characters don't fare much better as we're given only the most basic information about everyone we meet.  Its a testament to the cast that they're performances are as engaging and effective as they are given the script's shortcomings. Timothée Chalamet leads the film by dissolving into Bob Dylan's mannerism and vocal inflections to deliver a truly impressive bit of cinematic mimicry.  Where his performance truly shines is during the musical portions of the film as Chalamet sings and plays Dylan's songs rarely missing a bit along the way.  Its an impressive fully formed performance that goes the extra step above the usual imitation game although you wish the script had given him a bit more meat to work with.  Edward Norton's Pete Seeger proves to be more fleshed out as the folk stalwart that is desperately hoping to fight back the electrical musical revolution.  It's a measured and thoughtful turn that humanizes the character by giving him varying levels of depth.  Elle Fanning and Monica Barbaro deliver strong performances as parts of the central love triangle although neither is given much depth on their own and an on stage moment between Dylan and Baez that feels lifted from Mangold's own Walk The Line comes off as overkill. Boyd Holbrook is solid in spots as Johnny Cash while we are left wishing Scoot McNairy had been given a bit more to do as Woody Guthrie.  A Complete Unknown lives up to its name as it gives the audience just enough about the people we are watching while never letting us truly understand them in any meaningful way.  

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: FANTASTIC BEAST: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD

In an effort to thwart Grindelwald's plans of raising pure-blood wizards to rule over all non-magical beings, Albus Dumbledore enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

Director: David Yates

Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, William Nadylam, Kevin Guthrie, Jude Law, Johnny Depp

Release Date: November 16, 2018

Genres: Adventure , Family , Fantasy

Rated PG-13 for some sequences of fantasy action

Runtime: 2h 14 min

Review:

I’ll start with a disclaimer; I’ve never been a die hard Harry Potter fan.  It’s a series that I warmed up too as the stories got more mature but I’d be lying if I said I loved them.  I appreciate them on multiple levels but if I never saw another film in the universe I’d be ok.  I enjoyed the first Fantastic Beast film because it was an enjoyable jaunt with some likeable characters starting with Eddie Redmayne’s Newt Scamander.  In this entry, Redmayne has clearly nailed the character and he’s even more likeable this go around even though he’s not the primary focus.  A large cast of returning faces and new faces, like Johnny Depp’s titular Grindelwald and Jude Law’s Albus Dumbledore, make this film feel much larger and busier than the first entry.  The movie is never uninteresting but it does feel like there are multiple story lines jammed into this entry with a hefty amount of exposition setting up future entries.  David Yates film clearly suffers from being a middle entry in a much larger story which leaves this feeling incomplete by design.  Still there is a lot to like and fans of the series will find plenty to like.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: EUROPA REPORT

Director Sebastian Cordero (Rage, Pescador) follows a team of intrepid space explorers to one of Jupiter's moons on a mission to investigate evidence of a subterranean ocean that could contain single-celled life in this ambitious sci-fi thriller produced in collaboration with NASA. Determined to explore the possibility that the oceans of Europa could harbor primitive life, a privately funded firm called Europa Ventures assembles six of planet Earth's best astronauts, and sends them deeper into the stars than any human has ever traveled. Sharlto Copley, Michael Nyqvist, and Christian Camargo star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Sebastian Cordero

Cast: Sharlto Copley, Michael Nyqvist, Christian Camargo, Embeth Davidtz, Dan Fogler

Release Date: Aug 02, 2013

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action and peril

Runtime: 1 hr. 30 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Documentary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

The trailer for Europa Report sold it as a straight up found footage sci-fi / horror film, something akin to the disappointing Apollo 18. The trailer really doesn’t do the film justice. Director Sebastian Cordero delivers an elegant looking, if emotionally detached sci-fi film. Cordero’s direction and handling of the story is all grounded firmly in reality. All the action progresses in a believable manner with the science being discussed ringing true. Its documentary feel adds to the authenticity of the whole thing but we never really connect with the characters. It’s a shame because there’s a solid cast assembled with Sharlto Copley and Michael Nyqvist being the most recognizable. Those expecting Copley to be front and center will be left disappointed as his role is rather limited. Additionally, those expecting a plus pounding thrill ride, like the trailer hints at, will be left just as disappointed. Europa Report is slow burn throughout, feeling more akin to Danny Boyles’s underrated Sunshine (first 2/3rds at least), Kubrick’s 2001 or Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris. The final reveal might leave some people disappointed because it not the big moment you’d expect. Eurpoa Report is far more pensive and grounded about itself, opting for a more realistic ending.

B