The nurse’s statement of, “I must say, you have good taste in men” cannot be more true, as audiences are dazzled by Romeo (Douglas Booth) as soon as they see him.

The newest adaptation of William Shakespeare’s classic, “Romeo and Juliet” observes a fine line of contrast between new and old. Newer elements are evident in moving away from the original text.  In contrast, having much of the film set in Verona and Mantua brings a Shakespearean touch to the story.

This version of “Romeo and Juliet” is more comparable to Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 adaptation than Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 “Romeo + Juliet”. The structure and background of many early scenes seemed very familiar from Zeffirelli’s version, but are by no means the same.

The scenes in this film are much livelier and vivid than Zeffirelli’s version without taking away from the story’s original scenery. It does not have the comic, modern-day feel of Luhrmann’s film, but is much easier for the audience to relate to than Zeffirelli’s film. In essence, Carlo Calei’s 2013 adaptation of “Romeo & Juliet” is a perfect balance of old and new.

One character in this film seems especially natural in his role.

The role of a wealthy young gentleman suits Booth very well, as is evident by one of his other performances in “Great Expectations” two years prior. Booth played the grown Pip that suddenly became a wealthy gentleman after living his life as a blacksmith.

This adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” is a romantic film with a runtime of 118 minutes. It is rated PG-13 for some violence and thematic elements. It is directed by Calei and is based off of Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet.” This movie stars Booth, Hailee Steinfeld, Ed Westwick, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Paul Giamatti, Stellan Skarsgård, and Christian Cooke.