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With: Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Kyle Allen, Sean Teale, Christopher McDonald, Minnie Driver, Bradley Whitford
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Written by: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber, based on a novel by Rebecca Serle
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Directed by: Karen Maine
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some suggestive material and brief strong language
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Running Time: 96
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Date: 10/14/2022
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I Bite My Thumb at Thee
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
This teen romantic comedy has a fantastic idea, but it seems too afraid of Shakespeare to be anything very clever or meta; it's mostly about girls finding their Prince Charmings. Kicking off slightly before the events of Romeo & Juliet, we find Romeo (Kyle Allen) confessing his everlasting love to Rosaline (Kaitlyn Dever, Booksmart). He gives her a flowery speech, and she responds with "why are you talking like that?" hence giving the screenwriters an out from having to write like the Bard. Their romance — they each belong to opposite sides of feuding families — is all the more passionate for its clandestine nature. But when her family tries to fix Rosaline up with a suitor, Dario (Sean Teale), and she finds herself stuck on a boat, Romeo goes to a masquerade party alone and accidentally meets Juliet (Isabela Merced). Romeo ghosts Rosaline, and, even worse, Juliet is actually Rosaline's cousin! Much to Rosaline's chagrin, Dario keeps turning up, and their bickering can only mean one thing. Rosaline even has a gay best friend, who helps her in her plan to break up the new lovers. It's all disappointingly standard issue stuff for the rom-com genre, and needed more of a dose of sweet sorrow.
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