Wild Rose

Wild Rose is a musical drama starring Jessie Buckley and directed by Tom Harper, which follows a Scottish mother of two with dreams of becoming a country singer. Jessie Buckley proves herself as a talented actress and singer with a heartfelt performance. Her voice is beautiful, and she expresses the character’s love for country music with so much passion you can’t help but feel connected to her. Julie Walters, playing Rose’s mother, does an excellent job and shows the character’s care for her daughter despite being harsh. You don’t have to know about country artists to understand the plot and feel for Rose, however you will probably enjoy the film more if you are a fan of this type of music. Having no knowledge of country music, I was unsure of what music in the film was original, however the song sang in the final scene “There’s No Place Like Home” was definitely written for Wild Rose and is powerful and touching. I loved how honest Wild Rose was about aspirations: it didn’t pretend that making your dreams a reality was easy, but acknowledged how strongly people can want something and how much they are willing to give up to get it. You constantly willed Rose to reach her goal and had faith she could do it, even though you knew it probably wouldn’t happen. The relationship between Rose and her children was heartbreakingly realistic, as the unease and lack of trust between them due to Rose’s irresponsibility was a true depiction of how many families sadly are. The whole film felt very small, therefore I feel it would have been better as a TV drama. Rose’s wealthy employer helps her to get closer to her dream, and despite her being played very well by Sophie Okonedo, I found her unbelievable. It seemed too unrealistic to me for a woman of her class to want to help Rose, but the character’s kindness and warm nature meant it wasn’t too much of an issue for me and it didn’t take me out of the film. I would have wanted the third act of the film to be more dramatic, as it didn’t reach enough of a climax for me. In conclusion, I don’t think Wild Rose’s audience is going to be huge, but it’s a lovely indie with well-developed characters and leaves you smiling.