Wild Rose
Ten Second Review: An endearing and well made film with a distinctly British take on achieving stardom.
It’s difficult to hear that there is an upcoming film following a female lead trying to reach her dream of stardom in the music industry and not think about A Star is Born even just accidentally. Going in to this film I did have A Star is Born in my mind and it wasn’t till I left the cinema that it creeped in again. While the one line synopsis might make you think the two films have a lot in common, on an actual viewing they really couldn’t be further apart.
We open on Rose (Jessie Buckley) on her last day in prison. Donning her cowboy boots and white leather jacket she leaves her friends, made it would seem of both inmates and staff, and returns to her mum’s (Julie Walters) house where her kids have been living. After a frosty dinner, Rose explains that she is still going to try and chase her dream of becoming a country music star. When she returns to her old gig venue she doesn’t get the warm welcome she expected but also finds that her slot has been filled. In need of a job she starts working as a cleaner for wealthy woman (Sophie Okonedo) who falls in love with her music. With her mum saying that she should build a stable life for her family and her new friend telling her to chase her dreams, Rose will have to decide what matters right now and what path she should take.
The first thing to say about this film is how great the acting is. I think the key is that you don’t actually like each of the characters all the way through. They each make decisions that you disagree with but you’d be hard pressed to suggest that each character isn’t trying to do the right thing. It feels less like a film that wants you to fall in love with it's characters and more one about falling in love with its journey, and the acting from its three main characters (and the supporting cast) is central to its success in this.
The film making is also another reason this film is such a joy to watch. It’s not perfect and sometimes that’s for the better and sometimes that’s for the worse. There was some glaring continuity errors and moments where the music playing in the film was clearly not being played while the scene was being filmed but I think most of these will be forgiven. The reason is that when the film is good you really get a genuine sense of struggle coming from it. The struggle of the mother and the grandmother in trying to do what’s best for their kids without hurting them. There’s a level of sincerity that this films offers that I think audiences will enjoy seeing.
I think this is the main reason why you might think of A Star is Born before, and maybe again after, but probably not while you’re watching it. This isn’t the story of a person being plucked by dumb fate from her life and becoming a star, but the story of a person struggling with how to even get on the ladder to her dreams. While not a flawless film, excellent performances and some tender script writing lead to an enjoyable and well made story that takes a distinctly British approach to looking at the drive for stardom.
Wild Rose will be in theatres from the 12th of April 2019
