Rosaline (10.21.22)

 

We are all the main characters of our stories, a fact that has led to many overinflated egos and sociopathic tendencies. This illusion is further reinforced by the very nature of narrative itself, as individual histories and circumstances are eliminated inasmuch as they do not service the main plot. Who spent any time thinking of Hamlet’s childhood friends before Tom Stoppard wrote Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead? Who has time to think of the little guy? Much like Stoppard’s 1966 tragicomedy, Rosaline offers a fresh new perspective on a classic Shakespearean tragedy by shining the spotlight not on the much-explored titular characters of Romeo and Juliet, but on a character who was originally more plot device than person. The resulting romcom about Romeo’s ex-girlfriend Rosaline is a bubbly romp that offers plenty of laughs and sweet moments but is ultimately a bit short on plot.  

Much of the humor of Rosaline is derived from taking the tropes of modern-day romantic comedies and putting them in fair Verona, where we lay our scene, and it is surprising how much mileage the film gets out of this alone. Despite the classical setting, the soundtrack is full of modern songs, the language casual and iambic pentameter-free, and sass abounds but never becomes annoying.

Kaitlyn Dever plays Rosaline with charm to spare, proving to be a more-than-competent leading lady who shows command of both comedy and drama as her character tries to win back her man and instead ends up learning things about herself in the process. The supporting cast is equally as fun to watch, particularly Spencer Stevenson as Paris, here brilliantly reinterpreted as Rosaline’s sassy gay best friend who only asks Juliet to marry him to get his parents and society off his back. And don’t worry, even though this is a story based on one of the most famous tragedies of all time things still end on a bright note with everyone happy and in love and stuff.  

If all of this sounds a bit cliché to you, you would certainly not be wrong. For the most part the modern cliches are welcome, helping to illustrate just how timely and applicable the Bard’s tales can be to our day and age, just as 10 Things I Hate About You did with The Taming of the Shrew and She’s The Man did with Twelfth Night before it. The only problem I have is that the cliches also serve to make things overly predictable; the plot of Rosaline is a bit thin overall, and unless you’ve never seen a romcom in your life you can probably guess everything that happens long before it happens. Rosaline by no means sets out to reinvent the wheel, but it is a perfectly enjoyable time despite its sometimes stagnant story.  

So if you ever feel like a supporting character in someone else’s story, just remember that Rosaline was not even listed in the cast of Romeo and Juliet, let alone had any lines, and she still ended up getting a fun little movie made about her. Who’s to say the same won’t happen to you?  

Rosaline is now available on Hulu. 

 

This review was first published in The Keizertimes on October 21st, 2022. Visit at http://keizertimes.com/