It's not a good time for R-rated movies, especially ones involving high school kids. There are strict limits on advertising and you run the risk of aggressive protests from parents and politicians. Quality and relevance to the present doesn't matter much. It's an uphill battle to get people into the theater.

"O," a modern retelling of Shakespeare's "Othello," has already had a tough time. Miramax decided to pass on releasing it domestically, possibly wanting to avoid any potential controversy. The future of the film looked bleak, but indie studio Lion's Gate came to the rescue, and now "O" will see the light of day.

Set at a ritzy private school in South Carolina, Othello has become Oden James (Mekhi Phifer), a popular superstar athlete. Oden, the only black student at the school, is good enough at basketball to have his pick of colleges or go straight to the NBA.

Oden is dating Desi Brable (Julia Stiles), the daughter of the school's dean (John Heard). His closest friends are Hugo Goulding (Josh Hartnett) and Michael Casio (Andrew Keegan). Hugo (Iago in the play) is also the son of the basketball coach, Duke Goulding (Martin Sheen).

Hugo confesses his jealousy to the audience early on. He is hurt by the fact that his father thinks of Oden as a son and doesn't show him affection. He's angry for not being considered the team's star and playing second fiddle to Oden. Hugo wants to be loved and adored by everyone the way Oden is and feels that he deserves this.

To strike back at Oden, he schemes and lies to everyone he possibly can. He convinces Roger (Elden Henson) to aid him by picking a fight with Michael. Michael beats him up and gets suspended from the team. Hugo then tells Michael that to get back on the team he needs to buddy up with Desi and have her talk to Oden about it. If only kids would study this hard.

At the same time, Hugo makes Oden believe that they are more than friends. He thinks of him as a brother. And then he proceeds to drop hints that Desi is not to be trusted. She is spending a lot of time with Michael and may be cheating on Oden.

The plan becomes more elaborate and violent. Hugo is bent on destroying Oden's life, and doesn't care who gets caught in the crossfire. Much like the play, a treasured scarf helps seal the deal and convince Oden that his beloved Desi is in fact being unfaithful.

Written by Brad Kaaya and directed by sometime actor Tim Blake Nelson ("O' Brother, Where Art Thou?"), "O" is an ambitious and powerful movie. It's a potent mix of Shakespearean tragedy and teenage life. The fact that it doesn't shy away from sex and violence is bound to upset some people.

The stellar cast helps give "O" much of its strength. Oden and Desi make a convincing couple, and Phifer and Stiles are both outstanding. You truly believe that they care about each other tremendously. Along with the rest of the characters, they behave, for better or worse, like normal teenagers.

"O" builds to a tense and exciting conclusion. Anyone familiar with the play knows that the ending is both sad and horrifying. The movie is no different.

It's not, however, without weaknesses. At 91 minutes, this is the rare case of a movie that is too short. More time should have been spent on developing Roger and Hugo. It's difficult to fully understand their motivation. We know hardly anything about Roger and little more about Hugo. The latter is a classic villain, and Hartnett is superb, but he should be on screen more.

Overall, "O" is a firecracker of a movie. It builds steadily before exploding, leaving the viewer profoundly affected. This is Shakespeare done right and hopefully people will be willing to give it a chance.

Grade: A-

"O" starts Fri., Aug. 31 at theatres everywhere. Click here for showtimes.