Bravo!

Rating: 9/10 (6 June 2007)

Nowadays there is much criticism of lemming movie makers that follow the herd.
Well, here is an example of fresh, original movie-making that takes perhaps the most famous love story of all and gives it a unique treatment. Good on you, Mr. Luhrmann!
I'd like to take issue with those that excoriated this film - did you not know before you bought your ticket you were going to watch Romeo and Juliet set in a modern-day California with guns and stuff? If you didn't, that's too bad. It's like going on a roller-coaster and then complaining you got the heevy-jeevys. What did you expect, I ask you with tears in my cotton pickin' eyes? And it's not as though the brave, original Mr. Lurhmann butchered Shakespeare's text - he didn't. Sure, he edited it where he felt he needed to, and changed the ending (which I disagreed with) but every word you hear was written by the Bard himself - hence the title W.S.'s R&J.
Enough people enjoyed this movie to warrant its worthy place in the canon of Shakespeare on Film - and those (purists) that didn't should have know beforehand that it would not be their cup of tea. That's why we have the wonderful, definitive Zefferelli R&J - which this movie sure didn't attempt to compete with.
Personally, I thought this movie was a blast. That newscast opening scene (prologue) was wonderful. I rubbed my hands in imaginary glee when I saw it, because I knew I was in for a treat - and sure was. Let's not all take Shakespeare so seriously, just because he has this lofty place in our culture.