From NetFlix:
The Montagues and Capulets have moved to the sweltering suburb of
Verona Beach in this contemporary take on William Shakespeare’s
classic play. Though the film is visually modern, the bard’s dialogue
is intact as the feuding families’ children fall desperately in love.
The families nix the union, so Romeo (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Juliet
(Claire Danes) wed secretly. But just as it seems there’s hope of
uniting the warring clans, events turn tragic.
You would have no clue from the NetFlix description that this is a musical as well as a contemporary setting of “Romeo and Juliet”. Note the plus sign in the title. Yes, believe it or not, Leonard DiCaprio sings, which just adds to his list of accomplishments. John Leguizamo plays a great villain. And yes the film is faithful to Shakespeare, using the original text. But be warned: this is an unusual film that will NOT be to everyone’s liking.
I love this version of R&J – the soundtrack is great and I really liked Baz Luhrman’s stylization. I’m a big Shakespeare fan and enjoy seeing different interpretations of his plays – that’s what keeps them alive and interesting, production after production.