Using the same Screenlife technology that powered films like 2018’s innovative
Searching, director
Romeo and Juliet through phone screens and social media accounts in his debut feature
R#J. That approach might sound obnoxious, but for the most part, it works surprisingly well. Just as Baz Luhrmann did in 1996 with his stylish
Romeo + Juliet, Williams aims to keep the story fresh for the next generation, and despite using Instagram and FaceTime as the key methods of communication between his characters, he’s able to tap into the raw romance at the core of this star-crossed lovers’ tale.
Before the movie started, Romeo Montague (
‘R#J’ Film Review: Shakespeare for Social Media? LOL, OK
Sundance 2021: Carey Williams’ ambitious attempt to adapt star-crossed lovers to Instagram feels awkward and instantly datedElizabeth Weitzman | January 30, 2021 @ 8:42 PM Last Updated: January 30, 2021 @ 9:17 PM
Charles Murphy/Sundance Institute
If every generation gets the “Romeo and Juliet” it deserves, well, Gen Z may need to wait a little longer for theirs. It probably won’t be Sundance entry “R#J,” which is so intently of-the-moment it almost feels dated before the credits roll.
For his first feature, director Carey Williams uses Screenlife in which the entire story unfolds on devices to retell Shakespeare’s timeless tale, with a few notable twists. This time, Romeo and Juliet fall in love while DMing each other emojis and gifs from “The Office.” Purists need not apply, of course, but that’s OK: the Bard can stand up to interpretations from any era. Then again, where’s the
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Currently Reading R#J Review: Confined to Digital Screens, Romeo and Juliet Update Feels More Like an Experiment Than a Movie
Carey Williams bold technological gamble finds some contemporary relevance but eschews narrative purpose for its unique setting.
Tomris Laffly, provided by
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Director: Carey Williams
With: Camaron Engels, Sydney Graham, Moe Irvin, RJ Cyler, Siddiq Saunderson, Francesca Noel, Maria Gabriela de Faria, Diego Tinoco, Russell Hornsby.
Running time: Running time: 91 MIN.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
There are instances in director Carey Williams’ boldly experimental yet wearisome “R#J” that genuinely grasp the essence of romance, identity and existence in the age of social media. Those fleeting but relatable moments feel like major triumphs in Williams’ Gen Z-centric adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet,” a movie that unfolds almost entirely on electronic screens. And you get a taste of them enough times
18 movies you can see at Sidewalk during Sundance Film Festival
Updated Jan 13, 2021;
Posted Jan 11, 2021 Philly D.A., a documentary about Larry Krasner, Philadelphia’s district attorney, will be screened in Birmingham on Feb. 2, 2021, at the Sidewalk Cinema and Sidewalk Starlite Pop-Up Drive-In. The screenings are part of the Sidewalk lineup as a satellite venue for the Sundance Film Festival.(PBS)
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The Sidewalk Film Festival has announced the lineup of movies that will screen in Birmingham as part of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Fifteen films will be presented, Jan. 28-Feb. 3, at the Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema, 1821 Second Ave. North, and the Sidewalk Starlite Pop-Up Drive-In, 1801 First Ave. North.