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: NAPOLEON

 

A look at the military commander's origins and his swift, ruthless climb to emperor, viewed through the prism of his addictive and often volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine.

Director: Ridley Scott

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Edouard Philipponnat, Rupert Everett, Matthew Needham, Cormac Hyde-Corrin, Anna Mawn, Tahar Rahim

Release Date: November 22, 2023

Genre: Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, History, War

Rated R for strong violence, some grisly images, sexual content and brief language

Runtime: 2h 38m

Ridley Scott's Napoleon is a lavishly crafted historical epic with strong turns from its leads but there's a disconnect from its central subject that keeps it from being a truly compelling film.  Scott's steady hand delivers a series of wonderfully shot moments with his prowess at large scale action on full display here with a collection of carnage filled sequences which are easily the high points of the film.  That shouldn't come as surprise to anyone familiar with the legendary auteur's extensive resume but the film never truly finds its footing whenever its off the battlefield.  In those quieter moments the film tries to balance its central love story and Napoleon's rise to power with varying levels of effectiveness.  The script paints Napoleon as a boorish and clumsy in its deconstruction of the man sometimes to darkly comedic effect. While it avoids some of the more clichéd approaches to its central figure, it also keeps the audience at arms length from his psyche and never granting us a window into his inner machinations.  The script paints him as ambitious but show him falling into power more as a result of others doing than his own drive.  Joaquin Phoenix brings what he can to role with his natural talent but he's mostly asked to stare blankly at people with occasional fits of anger sprinkled throughout.  Phoenix's understated line deliver works in smaller moments but we never get any bigger sequence that makes you believe his troops would follow him to their own ruin, something driven home during a late stage stand off sequence.  Vanessa Kirby fares a bit better as Josephine but script issues keeps her character and ultimately their relationship resonate the way it should.  The film rushes through their meeting and courtship so the audience never gets a true sense of whether its a transaction relationship or one based on actual affection.  There's a tangible sense that Phoenix and Kirby could do so much more with these characters if they'd had a better script to work with since their scenes together feel disjointed.  Its an issue that keeps the film from finding any sort of rhythm which makes the two hour and a half film feel far longer than its actual runtime.  The proposed four hour cut of the film might smooth some of these issues but the theatrical cut of Napoleon is a missed opportunity which stays afloat mostly due to the talent behind and in front of the camera.  

B-

Cindy Prascik's Review My Policeman

 

My dear reader(s), yesterday I finished up (maybe?) vacation with my most anticipated film of the year, My Policeman.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

In 1950s England, where homosexuality is illegal, a museum curator and a policeman fall in love.

My Policeman tells the story of forbidden love between Patrick (David Dawson/Rupert Everett) and Tom (Harry Styles/Linus Roche). The movie effortlessly flows among personal perspectives and time periods (the events of the 50s, and the individuals' lives and reflections some 40 years later). Every member of the cast is fantastic, with special kudos to Roche and Everett, who carry the heaviest bit of the emotional load. If you're wondering about Harry Styles, whose name is the one above the title, he's so good I didn't think of him as Harry at all while watching. (Harry Styles occupies approximately 95% of my brain, so kindly respect how terrific he had to be to achieve that.) The story is mature and deliberately paced, and the principals' influences and motivations are portrayed with painful nuance. There's no hint of sensationalism or of capitalizing on Styles' "other" career here. Rather, you get a feeling that all involved understood the weight they carried in telling this tale, and writing, performances, and even promotion show how seriously they took that responsibility. In these frightening times, when the world often seems to be moving backwards, My Policeman offers a somber and timely reminder of the cost of bigotry and hate.

My Policeman clocks in at 113 minutes and is rated R for sexual content.

My Policeman is a story of heartbreak and hope, well crafted and beautifully acted. Of a possible nine Weasleys, My Policeman gets eight and a half.

My Policeman continues to play in select theatres, and is now streaming worldwide on Amazon Prime.

Until next time...