Rosaline Review: Kaitlyn Dever Is A Winning Lead In Flawed Revisionist Tale

Retellings of Shakespeare's plays are as classic as the famed playwright himself. Whether they be a faithful adaptation of his works or a modern-day transplant, it feels there is virtually no shortage to what filmmakers can do with those iconic stories.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY Everyone knows the story of star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet, who meet by chance at a ball and fall head over heels for each other despite their warring families. However, one detail that is often overlooked is that Romeo initially had his sights set on another Capulet — Rosaline , who in this story is dreaming of a life of adventure with Romeo while dodging the potential suitors her father keeps throwing her way.

Rosaline isn't an easy character to like, with her constantly scoffing at those around her and refusing to consider other people's feelings. Her single-minded pursuit of Romeo gives the impression that she won't care if she hurts Juliet. However, Rosaline dodges some expectations by having a sweet friendship emerge between the two girls.

While the plot grows more predictable, Rosaline is enhanced by Dever's lead performance. Already an impressive talent with projects like Booksmart and Dopesick under her belt, Dever steps into leading lady territory here and proves she can handle humor, vulnerability, and a scheming wit quite well. Merced is an angelic Juliet; in her scenes with Rosaline she gets to explore the innocence of this hopeless romantic.

Ultimately, Rosaline isn't quite the subversive take on Shakespeare that it wants to be, but it still is pretty fun. There's a certain level of charm to it that is hard to ignore, and that's largely thanks to Dever. The first half is stronger than the end, though the writers do sneak in a pointed jab at Shakespeare's play during the credits.

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