Written Review by John Delia
Teen worthy and charming, the film Rosaline gets released on HULU. It’s Romeo and Juliet with a new spin that includes a jilted lover. The acting is pretty good and the storyline not anything to write an essay on for high school, but it’s still entertainment that’s family friendly.
Rosaline and Romeo are in a “high school” kind of relationship exploring what love is all about. Much like the Shakespeare version, Romeo spouts love lines to Rosaline and she accepts them with delight. However, a misunderstanding separates the two and Juliet comes into the picture stealing Romeo’s heart.
The film goes on from there with Rosaline trying to get Romeo back and in the meantime warding off a new boy in town looking for romance. Director Karen Maine does a good job of keeping the film an afterschool matinee with a lot of disagreements, confusion and a bit of tense conflict. The sets are very good, the costuming posh and the cinematography in line with most family teen fare.
Although Rosaline is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for some suggestive material and brief strong language. The raters could have easily rated it PG for the 21st Century viewers. I recommend the film for 11 and up as they will get a kick out of love in the 1500’s Verona Italy (3 out of 5 Stars).
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Kyle Allen and Sean Teale with Minnie Driver and Bradley Whitford
Directed by: Karen Maine
Genre: Comedy, Romance
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some suggestive material and brief strong language.
Running Time: 1 hr. 35 min.
Opening Date: October 14, 2022
Distributed by: 20th Century Studios
Released in: HULU