Rome & Jewel
| Rome & Jewel | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by |
Charles T. Kanganis Neil Bagg |
| Produced by | Charles T. Kanganis |
| Written by | Charles T. Kanganis |
| Based on |
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare |
| Starring |
Nate Parker Lindsey Haun Allen Maldonado Elijah Kelley Cleavant Derricks John Rubinstein |
| Music by | Eric Monsanty |
| Cinematography | John Buckley |
| Edited by | Lee Grubin |
| Distributed by | Emerging Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $470 |
Rome & Jewel is a 2006 hip-hop musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet set in Los Angeles that deals with interracial love. The film stars Nate Parker as Rome and Lindsey Haun as Jewel. The 2008 re-release had modest box office results and mostly negative critical commentary.
Plot
Compton-native Rome (Nate Parker) is the son of Reverend Q (Cleavant Derricks) and has angst for Jewel (Lindsey Haun), the daughter of Los Angeles Mayor Capps (John Rubinstein) who lives in Beverly Hills. Using a reworked dialogue such as "deep inside I’m tender/sweeter than Splenda/and if you must know the truth/my heart's not bulletproof" and despite his father's wishes that he avoid upper-class white women, Rome meets Jewel at her sweet 16 party. They achieve love-at-first sight over bilateral rap discourse and have a quick wedding in Las Vegas. After the tragic ending befalls both teens, the fathers come to a realization that color should not distinguish humanity.
Cast
- Nate Parker as Rome
- Lindsey Haun as Jewel
- Allen Maldonado as Mercury
- Elijah Kelley as Ben
- John Rubinstein as Mayor Capps
- Cleavant Derricks as Reverend Q
- Greg Siff as Ty
- Stephanie Dyann as Kara
- Russell Howard as Perry
- Cole Griffin as Jay
- Ted Lyde as Parishoner
- Alison Coster as Vegas Cop
- Joe Palese as Vegas Cop
- Les Feltmate as Policeman
- Thomas Magazeno as Security Guard
- Faith Yascone as Jasmine
- Raul G. Perez as Man #1 in alley
- Jeran Pascascio as Man #2 in alley
- David Cubero as LA Cop
Release
The film was released for theatrical presentation on February 22, 2006[1] and November 28, 2008 and released on DVD on March 9, 2010.[2] Its 2008 re-release was in one theater for one week earning $470.[3]
Critical commentary
Aaron Hillis of The Village Voice described the movie as a "soapy, contemporary L.A.-set adaptation".[4] Nathan Lee of The New York Times said the film was "a retrograde, thoroughly schematic conflict between rich, snooty white kids and working-class blacks".[5] Robert Koehler, writing for Variety, said it was a "tone-deaf and culturally silly adaptation, which pits Beverly Hills whites against Compton blacks".[6] Lee also indicated that the divisiveness was a bit contrived and that the film breathes life into the socioeconomic consideration it hopes to fight.[5]
Notes
- ↑ "Rome and Jewel (2006)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
- ↑ "Rome and Jewel (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
- ↑ "Rome & Jewel". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
- ↑ Hillis, Aaron (2008-11-26). "Rome & Jewel's Soapy, Contemporary Take On Shakespeare Not As Good As Baz Luhrmann's". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lee, Nathan (2008-11-27). "A Rap for Star-Crossed Lovers". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
- ↑ Koehler, Robert (2008-12-02). "Review: ‘Rome & Jewel’". Variety. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
External links
- Rome & Jewel at the Internet Movie Database
- Rome & Jewel at Box Office Mojo
- Rome & Jewel (2006) at Rotten Tomatoes
- Rome & Jewel (2008) at Rotten Tomatoes
