Sundance: R#J

Starring: Camaron Engels, Francesca Noel, RJ Cyler, David Zayas, Siddiq Saunderson, Diego Tinoco, Jacob Ming-Trent

Director: Carey Williams

Based on the play " Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare

In fair Verona, the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues rages and police are struggling to stop the fighting. After Young Romeo (Camaron Engels) and his buddies Benvolio (RJ Cyler) and Mercutio (Siddiq Saunderson) sneak into a Capulet party, Romeo finds himself enraptured by Juliet Capulet's (Francesca Noel) art. He messages her on Instagram and they begin a forbidden romance that angers both of their fathers. As the star crossed lovers decide to follow their hearts and be with each other, will it be enough to end the feud between their two families?

This was an interesting experience, as Shakespeare's play has been modernized and is told mostly through social media with the families being played by actors of color. There is a reason the play is considered one of the best, if not the best love story of all time. It was only a matter of time before it was given this type of modern day spin (Yes, I know Baz Luhrmann tried in the 90's).

Maybe because I am not the biggest proponent of social media, but this addition did little to interest me. In fact, I found this aspect of the film rather dull. For me, some of the ways that the movie used the medium to tell the story felt a little unrealistic. I will say, without going into spoilers, the movie does find an ingenious way to use technology for the tragic ending.

I did enjoy the young cast, which brings a refreshing take on the classic characters. The fact the characters do feel like rash young kids makes the speed at which Romeo and Juliet fall in love believable. I will also give the social media aspect a little credit here as well, helping speed up their romance due to the ease of communication between the two. As seems to be the case for any production of Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio steals the show and Siddiq Saunderson's portrayal is no exception. The movie gets a much needed boost of energy whenever he appears.

If anything, this adaptation might open up the works of Shakespeare to new audiences. While I liked this adaptation more than I was expecting, it still failed to engage me as much as some other takes on the source material.

Grade: C