Critics reviews

Just as EL TOPO and DEAD MAN were labeled acid Westerns (by, respectively, Pauline Kael and Jonathan Rosenbaum, for better or worse) because of their countercultural leanings, one might consider Baz Luhrmann's ROMEO + JULIET to be "acid Shakespeare," not only because of its polychrome aesthetics but also it's nonpareil interpretation of the timeless classic.

You want the rowdy guitars of Everclear's ‘Local God' as the Montague blokes speed along the freeway? You want Mercutio in sparkly drag leading a drugged up party in a rendition of Kym Mazelle's ‘Young Hearts Run Free'? The range of music on this soundtrack – which also includes Garbage, The Cardigans and The Wannadies – is brilliant, with each song perfectly matched to moments that bring out their pulse.