Movie Review: The Unusually Entertaining 'Rosaline'
- By Shargeel Sheikh -
- Oct 22, 2022
Inspired from the past, aspiring to be the present, Rosaline is a tragedy turned comedy everyone should have on their watch-list.
In this movie, the peculiar reimagining of the Shakespearean epic sheds lights on a character that has been referred but never remembered before.
On a dreamy night in the scenic Italian city of Verona is the beloved, immature, and the hapless romantic Romeo (Kyle Allen), reciting soliloquies and poetries to whom he claims the eternal love of his life: Rosaline (Kaitlyn Dever), the forthright and ambitious cousin of Juliet (Isabela Merced).
Romeo stands at the balcony, having appeared in clandestine into the Capulet family territory. He sees nothing but Rosaline, he hears nothing but Rosaline, and he speaks nothing but of Rosaline, but does her love feel the same?
In a highly dramatized scene, Rosaline seems to be utterly effused with the words of her lover Romeo. All seems a fancy fairytale romance until Romeo says “I Love You” to her. Rosaline is baffled and stays keeps her voice silent for a moment, hence pushing her lover into a well of doubt of whether her love is true at all.
Rosaline is flaming with today’s young spirit of feminism and independence. She wants to be free and travel the world and marry for romance’s sake only.
Romeo on the other hand is a handsome but a puerile man living in the whims of fantasies without any space for logic or reason.
Always finding quick escapes from the proposals her father brings to her, Rosaline is adamant and is clung to her one true man. Until she misses the masquerade, an event she has requested Romero to visit. There Romeo falls for Juliet.
She, just like Juliet, is one of the members of the Capulet family who live as nemesis to the Montague family from whom her beloved Romeo hails from.
The movie Rosaline is an astute attempt in reinvigorating the epic of Romero and Juliet with a speckle of humor, a minuscule of wit, and a verbal theme involving the modern English conversation.
It’s the beautiful historic city filled with fashionistas wear embellished corsets, bodices and coats, who boast of royalty and the finer things of life but are seen deprived of the old language etiquettes.
The characters can be seen furiously engaging in typical American accents of today which I believe was a stint to garner younger audience.
Karen Maine had overtaken this challenge of reshaping an iconic tragedy and dressing it with a spice of humor. The movie derives inspiration of modern setting which could have occurred in the past.
But what actually makes Rosaline worth watching?
Rosaline stands out as film with intricate and serious script masterfully made nimble and for the love of light laughs.
Moreover, the movie brings a number of events back to life in this attempt of recreation. The story portrays how Rosaline, known as the jilted lover of Romeo, managed an escapade for her former lover and his new squeeze Juliet.
The movie brings the suave gentleman Dario (Sean Teale) into existence who ultimately ends up with Rosaline.
The experience does incite fun with an engaging storyline in which Rosaline struggles to convince Romeo firstly for herself and then for her cousin.
Even though the original script has atrociously been tempered with, we get to see some good juvenile stuff on the screen. Romeo and Juliet escape together to another place while in the original script they died.
Rosaline, for once contemplates whether she would be remembered in any of this outrageous drama.
“You think you and I will ever be mentioned?” Rosaline asks Dario.
Karen’s movie actually stems from the prevalent of making movies from the novels, and from classic literature. But that is probably what differs it from major mainstream Hollywood projects.
Laurie Rose, the cinematographer gives the tale a modern touch for the sake of the market, and he does it good. The style Laurie opted for Rosaline resembles very much with the modern American rom-coms. I believe he does it to blend and make it a part of the modern Hollywood perspective.
The duo of writers Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter prepared a witty script. They’re work depicts their desire to reach the modern fast generation of today, maybe that justifies why all the characters speak with modern Jargon , and maybe that’s why the film is around 90 mins long only.
Rosaline, to conclude, isn’t the most perfect movie, but it does seem to strike an entertaining chord with its audience. It may not have the exemplary bells and whistles but it does make your time worthwhile as one is very likely to reminisce the quirky moments.
And it may not be a suitable tribute to the mighty Shakespeare, but it does make us ponder over the fact that everything and everyone has a story, even someone you haven’t been mentioned- even the former lover of Romeo.