In the day and age where life and culture are swayed tremendously by the small computers we hold in our hands for hours a day, almost nothing is as it used to be. Except, of course, the ways of the heart. Carey Williams debut feature, R#J, touches on all of the above; exploring love while telling a story older than technology itself. R#J is a new age telling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, but solely through social media and iPhone screens. The movie begins with Romeo recording a beautiful scene for his Instagram story geotagging Verona to notify his followers he’s in town. The story keeps all of the main players the same – centering on the Montague and Capulet families, however, the Montague’s are a Black family while the Capulet’s are Hispanic. Williams perhaps intentionally uses Black and Brown characters in the movie to parallel the cultural tensions that are evident in real life. Although the story is told in new age style, Williams blends Shakespearean dialect seamlessly with modern day vernacular. At the beginning of the film, Romeo (a young Black man), is actually after another young woman who constantly leaves him on read. That’s until the young artist Juliet (a young Hispanic woman) catches his eye and heart all in the same moment. The love story begins here and continues true to the original. However, what changes is the way that love gestures have morphed over the centuries; exchanging of playlists, full conversations held via gif’s, and liking and commenting on your crushes Instagram pics. Shakespeare’s romance was able to be adapted in such away because as much things change they also stay the same. The film magnifies the same principles that drove Romeo and Juliet to make such bad choices – the influence of outside opinions, the sins of parents dictating their children’s lives, and deep misunderstandings. Sundance 2021 Next Review: ‘R#J’ Sundance 2021 Next Review: ‘R#J’
R#J was impressive in the way that it told the classic story of love and tragedy. To be honest, as confusing as classic Shakespearean tales can be to read, so could keeping up with R#J at times. The use of the original dialect and the storytelling through phone screens ensures that a viewer stays glued to the screen for the entirety of the movie. If you were to miss a text or a quick yet important gesture shown on Instagram – the viewer could lose an important detail of the story. With that said, though, Carey’s slick new age translation of Romeo and Juliet to modern day terms helps someone grasp the story of Romeo and Juliet better. Perhaps, before R#J, one could not comprehend how someone would die for love or why outside opinions could influence someone to extreme measures. However, when you parallel it to social media and the deep influence it has over our lives today – it makes complete sense.
Outside of the story, the visuals reminded you of a 90’s teen romance mixed with new age aesthetic, say, Cruel Intentions meets Black Mirror. Though, most of the movie is experienced through a phone screen, which could leave the viewer thinking “when is the last time I’ve seen an actual person?” at moments. At a point, I even thought maybe the movie would be great to view from a phone. Sundance 2021 Next Review: ‘R#J’
Here’s our take: whether you’re a Shakespeare fan or not, R#J was a fun yet sobering take on the story while raising a mirror to the way we love in the modern age and how technology has effected it. Also, don’t let the heavy usage of social media sway you from catching this flick. The film will give the viewer a better overall understanding on Romeo and Juliet and how any anecdote about love can stand the test of time.
Sundance 2021 Next Review: ‘R#J’ Sundance 2021 Next Review: ‘R#J’
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