Romeo And Benvolio

Romeo And Benvolio, writer-director Anna Ma’s debut, is not a retelling of the William Shakespeare play. The romance uses the beloved star-crossed story to tell a comedy of errors akin to other works of the Bard. Does the film succeed as a Shakespearean lark, or is it trying too hard to emulate his style?

Charlie (Soren Michael Corbett) has just been cast as Romeo in his high school’s production. His best friend, Sophia (Jolinna Li), is Benvolio, and the two rehearse while in martial arts practice. Juliet is Amanda (Anya Rothman), a classmate with whom he has good chemistry. But Charlie is crushing on Sophia but isn’t sure how to tell her.

However, chaos ensues when Charlie’s sister Rudy (Virginia Gearhart) sneaks into his room and unintentionally switches cards on the gifts Charlie intends to give his co-stars. This causes havoc amongst Charlie, Sophia, and Amanda, as now who likes who is thrown into question. Soon enough, Charlie and Amanda start dating, and it goes rather smoothly until real-life issues intrude upon the high school students, further complicating everything.

“…causes havoc amongst Charlie, Sophia, and Amanda, as now who likes who is thrown into question.”

Romeo And Benvolio is a charming affair that feels authentically high school. Charlie, Sophia, and Amanda are not just characters; they are real teens dealing with actual issues that many of us have faced between 14 and 17. Their problems, though seemingly small in the grand scheme of things, feel insurmountable to them. Ma does an excellent job of making audiences understand the teenage perspective and why a breakup is the end of the world throughout the 80-minute runtime.

While the shot compositions are simple and boring, there’s a certain charm to the plotting. The way the tragedy of Romeo & Juliet unfurls into a Much Ado About Nothing scenario is a clever way to use Shakespeare’s most well-known play while bringing the lighter side of his best work (for the record, it’s As You Like It) to the forefront. Whenever the direction is middling and the cinematography unappealing, the narrative keeps all watching invested.

The teen actors are good, a little green with the occasional wooden delivery, but for the most part, they sell the romance and friendship entanglements well. Gearhart generates a couple of laughs with her sassy attitude. Holly Heidberg plays Coco, Charlie’s grandma, with whom he is very close. She’s effortlessly charming and helps keep the crazy shenanigans in check with folksy, humorous wisdom. Their performances are commendable and will surely be appreciated by the audience.

Romeo And Benvolio is a delightful little film. While the direction and cinematography are lackluster, the writing is astute and witty. The characters are interesting and performed well enough to be believable. Ma ably captures the essence of adolescent love and how big it feels at that age between childhood and adulthood. This is a flawed but promising start that Shakespeare fans, teens, and, most of all, teenage Shakespeare fans will have a good time watching.

For more information, visit the official Romeo And Benvolio Facebook page.