MOVIE REVIEWS Kids: Rosaline

Movie Night Romeo & Juliet Revamped

BY BONNIE L. HARRIS

IT SEEMS THAT EVERY decade we get a new cinematic version of the Romeo & Juliet tragedy, and it’s usually told from the point of view of one or both of the lovers. In Rosaline, the new light-hearted teenage feature from director Karen Maine, Romeo falls in love with Rosaline before he ever meets Juliet, and a madcap romp of the “jilted lover” takes center stage. With gorgeous costumes set in a small Italian village (for real) and a terrific pop soundtrack, Maine brings her deft comedic touch to a fun-filled script that’s laugh-out-loud funny. Of course, the Capulets are still fighting the Montagues, and Tybalt dies by Romeo’s sword, but not before Rosaline tries to convince Juliet that her true love is the town gigolo. Letters replace the Internet in this story, and Steve the Courier is less than reliable. But social media is alive & well in the local pub where Rosaline introduces Juliet to “the buffet of life” and the town’s eligible bachelors. Unfortunately, fate turns Rosaline’s efforts to get Romeo back into a total disaster that she must put right with the help of the handsome Dario. He’s not too keen on arranged marriages either and decides to help Rosaline on her quest. In the cemetery vault with the seemingly dead lovers, Rosaline’s nurse, played by the wonderful Minnie Driver, is hilarious as she confirms that “Romeo and Juliet are no more!” Rosaline delivers the closing lines that place the blame squarely on the parents for their short-sighted feud. But when everyone leaves, Romeo & Juliet wake up and set out on their lives together leaving Rosaline & Dario wondering if history will remember the story of true love. Maybe history won’t, but you’ll remember that Rosaline is terrific family entertainment you’ll want to see again. ✦

ROSALINE

20th Century Studios Rated: PG-13 Streaming on Hulu Rosaline plans her gala evening.

FOR the PARENTS

Wings are for Flying

CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY Amazon Studios, Rated: PG-13 Streaming on Amazon Prime

WE DON’T USUALLY hear the words “medieval comedy” used together, but they certainly fit director Lena Dunham’s adaptation of the classic YA novel, Catherine Called Birdy. Although the movie focuses on a teenager, and the pop humor targets a young adult audience, Birdy’s struggle to maintain her independence in an overwhelmingly masculine world speaks directly to women of any age. Like most indie films, it’s quirky, funny, charming, and whole-heartedly brash in unexpected ways. Best of all, it pushes the audience to reconsider our relationships, rituals, cultural norms, and growing up. Fourteen-year-old Birdy must marry well to please her debt-ridden father, but the wealthy suitors are ghastly. And they do not appreciate her outspoken manner or her spur-ofthe-moment strange habits, which are contrived to revolt them. How she avoids marriage and discovers her individual worth is a whirlwind of adolescent angst, but the story is also full of exquisitely tender moments. Birdy discovers a deep love for her small community and her family despite their inflexible obedience to the unfair treatment of women. Dunham adds a killer soundtrack to a beautiful English setting and gorgeous costumes to make Catherine Called Birdy not only a great film, but also a visual work of art.

Friends against the enemy.