‘Romeo & Juliet’ Review: Tom Holland Disappoints in Return to the Stage But Another Star Is Born

[hewontgo]

'Romeo & Juliet' Theater Review: Tom Holland Disappoints in Return to the Stage But Another Star Is Born https://t.co/y5o4Bg9X6l
- The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 26, 2024
Tom Holland is returning to the stage for the first time since Billy Elliot: The Musical

Comments

[plunaris]

i think it's more enjoyable if you view it as a satire about how stupid and melodramatic teenagers are.

That's literally what Romeo and Juliet is, though. The whole point is that because of their families' unwillingness to put their petty feud aside, two dumb teenagers end up making increasingly rash decisions that ultimately lead to their death. That's why Romeo moves on from Rosaline so quickly despite waxing poetic over her at first; it's to illustrate his impulsivity. Same with him stabbing himself when Juliet was just fake dead; if he'd just wait a few minutes then they'd both be fine.

[lightredemption]

R&J not being one of Shakespeare's best is one thing but 'not particularly a good play' is wild

[barbarbarian]

Romeo and Juliet: Performed and/or translated in almost every language over 100s of years, adapted into every known media type available, re-interpreted for modern audiences every few years, remains relevant in the global cultural zeitgeist no matter what's going on.

ONTD comment: Eh, it's mid.

...LMAO. bless. I love y'all fr.

[plunaris]

I very much disagree with the interpretation of Romeo as a fuckboy who lovebombed a child, for reasons @hellcatshalala already outlined far better than I ever could. Both Romeo and Juliet are naive children, not just Juliet, and it doesn't really matter whether or not they were actually in love with each other or if it was just infatuation, because at the end of the day they were robbed of the opportunity to even find out by having a normal relationship, all because of their families' pettiness. Romeo and Juliet make dumb and melodramatic decisions, but it's all because of their families' refusal to just let them be, and that's the tragedy.

[rihaty]

I like Baz Luhrman’s because Leo and Claire do seem really childish in the beginning so that really comes across.

[t_snake]

"it has taylor swift energy."

I've never thought about it that way and now I can't wait to put it in a sentence

[fernandocolunga]

You can say many things about Tom Holland and his Britishness and I won’t disagree but I think he looks his age

[automaticpeople]

Yeah, don’t people usually make comments about him still looking like a kid?

He doesn’t look 40.

[sarahvma]

Yes but this is ONTD where the average 40 year old user is still regularly carded and confused with a teenager so you see the confusion.

[loveology101]

OHNOYOUDIDNT! LMAO

BOOM!!

[alwayspolaris]

I made a longer comment down the thread I think we're too hasty to judge Romeo and Juliet by modern standards - by modern standards it is a terrible love story because we expect more from the people in love and a "believable" timeline. In more classical plays, the characters often end up feeling like caricatures to our eyes because they often lack dimension, feel things suddenly, or make seemingly terrible decisions because that is what the story requires. But that's what the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is - that the irrational hatred between these two families destines them all to lose what they love. When Romeo and Juliet seek love and try and find it in one another (impulsively, stupidly, too quickly, and whether you believe what they find is love or not) - they are doomed by the narrative. They can't act otherwise

[slaughtermatic]

not the good sis shakespeares hundred year old formative work getting hit with the swift energy I am shrieking. that hamlet and his fuckboy zayn shtick aint shit either

[hellcatshalala]

no, that's a very reductive way of interpreting it. it's not just about the love story, they are children who were impacted by a very violent environment, everything about their lives is revolved around a war nobody could explain how it started. they are doomed by their own families egoistical objectives and betrayed by their society. their rash impulsive decisions are a reflection of their wish to get out of that mentality and the fact that they are young just makes it more tragic. they see in eachother a way out of that place and falling in love is an act of rebellion. and the fact they didn't manage to do that is Shakespeare's biggest criticism on his own society. why couldn't two teenagers fall in love? if you think about it, you could cast two gay men to be Romeo and Juliet and it would fit perfectly.

there's a reason why people still study it and produce thousands new versions. it works and it's modern. but yeah, Tom Holland ain't shit lol