Bazzed Out

Explosions, high-speed fight sequences, a veritable war between two mobbish families, a hero on hallucinogens, a cross-dressing sidekick, and somehow William Shakespeare all fit into the mix. Bombastic filmmaker Baz Luhrmann puts together a gorgeous, albeit a little campy, film in his modernized remake of Romeo + Juliet. While it might be a little much for the blue-hair crowd (“Oh, goodness, what have they done to Shakespeare?”), the film went to great strides to renew the debate of high art versus low art by taking the performance off the stage and putting it into multiplex theaters. Luhrmann dares to make his cast use the original dialogue, which, at times, strains the acting abilities of stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. Like other Luhrmann films (Moulin Rouge, Strictly Ballroom), the environment in Romeo + Juliet is lush, engrossing and layered. The play between characters is outrageous and over the top, all of which makes for a very entertaining film. Just in time for a cheap Valentine ’s Day date, you can catch it at 8 p.m. this Friday at the Sunrise Civic Center Theatre (10610 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Sunrise). Tickets cost $5. Call 954-747-4646.
Fri., Feb. 10