Rosaline – A Subversive Adaptation (Early Review)

Everybody has more or less heard of Shakespeare’s classic play Romeo & Juliet be it through print, stage, or screen as well as the plethora of adaptations or works inspired by it across print, stage, and screen. Seeing something done so many times in so many ways would inevitably lead to burnout. Hoping to breathe some fresh air into the story is Rosaline, a fun spin on the tale of Romeo & Juliet told from the perspective of the titular character, Romeo’s jilted ex. It might be a Shakespearean tale; it also feels very much like today therefore should be fairly accessible. That being said, the modernizing of the subject matter did not all work and wasn’t necessarily seamless. Adding to that accessibility, the film is also a quick watch that doesn’t waste time, running at a brisk 96 minutes. Sure, it could have done more but it is nonetheless a blast fueled by strong writing and above all else, a phenomenal lead performance from Kaitlyn Dever as Rosaline. If there was still any doubt out there, though there shouldn’t be any at this point, this film should prove that Dever is a bonafide movie star.

Rosaline, as mentioned, follows the titular ex of Romeo (Allen) and her failed exploits at love. A woman who has been around the block a few times, she believed in marrying for love rather than for duty despite her father Adrian’s (Bradley Whitford) attempts to whisk her away to marry some rich, high-class husband. Nevertheless, she resisted his attempts because she believed in being something more than the assigned gender roles of the time and that she had found her love in Romeo, a sleazy aspirational poet, in spite of the fact that he was part of a dueling family that had been at war with hers for generations. Therefore, Rosaline and Romeo were forced to carry on with their relationship in secret from each of their families. Even with those circumstances, the two made it work as they had even made plans for their futures. Whether or not those plans would ever materialize remained to be seen considering those circumstances that threatened any potential future. Rosaline and Romeo’s fortunes would turn for the worst after an unfortunate turn of events led to the latter meeting a woman named Juliet (Merced) in what was love at first sight.

Cast aside by who she believed to be her soulmate; the hurt only worsened upon figuring out that the woman Romeo had now developed feelings for someone who was none other than her younger cousin. Still having feeling for Romeo, herself, Rosaline devised a plan to try and get him back by taking Juliet under her wing to influence her relationship with Romeo. Watching two generations of women interact and have fun together while sharing their contrasting experiences with the world of the time was a blast as the two found themselves getting closer in spite of their relationship being rooted in Rosaline merely wanting to advance her own self-interest. Unfortunately, that dynamic was not going to last forever as the truth inevitably caught up with her as she had to face the consequences of her actions. Though she was well-intentioned, Rosaline may not have always gone about it the right away. In the end, she is more than capable to think on her feet to get out of the situation she put herself as well as Romeo and Juliet in. Watching her go about doing so was also a blast. Knowing the source material, the ultimate outcome is clear. However, the film still puts a fun spin on it.

On a technical level, Rosaline delivers production value all around which is a given. The biggest standouts were the writing and performances. In modernizing the subject matter, the process wasn’t necessarily seamless as not all the humor landed. Its saving grace was some sharp dialog. Everybody was definitely up to the task. However, at the end of the day, the best part of the film was Dever’s aforementioned phenomenal performance as Rosaline. She commands the screen and is an absolute delight to watch as the headstrong, quick-witted flawed heroine with her immense likability and relatability. Meanwhile, her stellar delivery and comedic timing were also a big plus. Though this was clearly her film, it also features some strong supporting performances from Allen and Merced as Romeo and Juliet to Sean Teale as an entertaining foil to Dever’s Rosaline.

Rosaline is simply a delight offering some fun and undemanding escapism. It’s short but sweet but also memorable.

still courtesy of 20th Century Studios

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.