R&J In A Modern Setting

Rating: 10/10 (19 August 2000)

I sure enjoyed this adaptation of Romeo & Juliet. It was unsettling at first to see a modern setting and music score (especially since I've seen the traditional version in high school so many times for literature classes), but once I got used to it, it was actually quite innovative and stimulating.
It took a bit of getting used to seeing actors in modern garb spout Shakespearean English, but the movie, while taking poetic license with the script, did stick to the basic premise of the play. Claire Danes as Juliet was a perfect casting in my view, what I'd expect a traditional Juliet to look like, although I thought DiCaprio looked just a tad too 'soft' to be Shakespeare Romeo.