Review of Romeo & Juliet

I was very excited about this re-make of Shakespeare's timeless love story - the trailer made it look great... however I was disappointed to find that the original dialogue had been slightly altered. I don't think that this is something that a screenwriter can do half-heartedly - in my opinion, either completely stick to the original or completely modernise it. I did find myself irritated throughout at the lack of authenticity (although I expect that viewers not too familiar with or bothered by the original text will not mind this too much). I did also think that the acting lacked some depth and sincerity. That said, the visuals of this film do have to be commended - the sets and costumes are beautiful throughout.

Overall, I did not entirely hate this film - it has a lot of redeeming qualities, however I think that fan's of Shakespeare's original will not be impressed...