Rosaline 2022 | A Movie Review

Title: Rosaline
Country: America
Year: 2022

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

I am not a big Romeo and Juliet fan. I was when I was in my teenage years but after awhile the flavor became bland however I came across this wonderful trailer with a sassy and spunky female lead that just looked so good I had to watch it!

So I waited. And the wait was well worth it.

Let’s face it everyone knows Romeo and Juliet but not everyone knows about Juliet’s cousin Rosaline.

The story starts by introducing us to Rosaline. She was a side character in Shakespeare novel that has been a bit forgotten. I don’t actually know her to be honest and never cared for her. She was only a side character in the story.

It shows us a different side of the story. Instead of Romeo having a one-sided affection towards Rosaline of whom he was initially interested in prior to Juliet it depicts a lovers that are secretly meeting behind their respective parents. It doesn’t show us how they met but it does show that Rosaline’s affections towards Romeo wasn’t non-existent unlike in Shakespeare’s work. It show a young naïve couple having a secret relationship with each other rather than being completely one sided. Aside from two servants who help the secret couple pass messages it was a restricted information.

Although the relationship is questionable it is apparent that Rosaline is in love….. at the idea of being in love especially with a Montague. The forbidden love aspect is part of the thrill for Rosaline who is clearly in love with the idea of true love. She has been aspiring for a love of a lifetime. At one point she even ask Romeo if their story would transcend the ages showing how she envisioned their love.

During one night Romeo professes his love for Rosaline but she couldn’t say the words back upsetting a young Romeo. She believes she is in love with the young lad that she encourages him to come to the masked ball where they can dance freely and fall in love all over again. Come the day of the ball and Rosaline’s father introduces her to a young war hero Dario. It doesn’t go well since she already has her prejudice about the young lad and refuses to give him the time of day but because of her father’s insistence she reluctantly goes to the date he plans out for them.

As you can imagine it ties up Rosaline and while she was away with Dario young Romeo catches a glimpse of Juliet and fancies himself in love completely forgetting the woman he professed his love to just the day before. This is where I stop narrating the story. I don’t want to spoil anymore plus it’s not that hard to envision what happens since this is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet.

In the past I was in awe of the love between Romeo and Juliet that was ready for the death for the sake of the person they love. Then I grew older and rational realizing they were nothing more than stupid kids who knew nothing about love. In my interpretation it wasn’t written for love but to show the idiocy of teenage puppy love. After all how could Romeo know Juliet just by looking at her and compare the moon and the sun if he has never spoken to her. Beauty fades.

The story was entertaining. It was Romeo and Juliet but somehow it had it’s won identity. This wasn’t their story it was hers. I loved Rosaline. She was a strong young woman I can’t help but root for. She knows what she wants and although her emotions could lead her astray she has a good heart that it always sets her back to the right place. I would love to know more about Rosaline and Dario really. I believe they will have wonderful adventures together. They represent what love is. It is respect, adoration, emotional investment, and it is something to be worked on constantly. Unlike Romeo and Juliet who rushes into things Rosaline and Dario would work to get things to where they need it to be.

This movie is not something that takes itself seriously. It isn’t perfect but it is certainly different. I see a few changes that could be beneficial to the story namely the length of time they use to setup Romeo and Juliet’s arc. They could have focused more on Rosaline and what made her a bad-ass. It is apparent that there is more of her character we need to see. The exploration of the side characters such as Nurse would be a wonderful addition too. But all in all it was a good watch.

I would recommend to watch this light hearted movie. It does speak of love but it’s not just the romance we see on television. I also stand by that Romeo and Juliet isn’t a love story but a tragedy brought on by lust. I might make another article about that since it’s almost Valentine’s.

The movie kept reminding me of W.I.T.C.H. by Devon Cole for some reason.

Thanks for reading.