How about some music in your movie this weekend? Yes, it’s a comedy/drama all about an unknown talent ready for their turn in the spotlight (and the recording studio). Sure, we just had a musical fantasy a couple of weeks ago with YESTERDAY (though it has a solid footing in the real world). And earlier this Summer we were treated to the musical biography of Sir Elton John in ROCKETMAN, just a few months after the story of the band Queen, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, nabbed a quartet of Oscars. Yes, those flicks are really set in the rock and roll/pop world. So how about some other music genres like country/western (whoops, more about that term later)? Here’s a sweet fiction film about a young woman chasing her Nashville dream. Now, here’s the unique twist: it’s set across the pond, too! The film’s lead is an aspiring singer from the poor side of Glasgow, Scotland. But here’s another curve, her tale is closer to WALK THE LINE than COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER (two terrific country music “biopics”). Alright folks, let’s give a listen to the song stylings of WILD ROSE….make her feel welcome…
Rose-Lynn (Jessie Buckley) is feeling especially wild when we meet her on the day of her release from a woman’s correctional facility (a nicer name for the big house, the joint, etc.). Before she gets her envelope of personal effects, she is fitted with an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet (tough to wear her white leather cowgirl boots over that). From 7 PM to 7 AM she has to be home, near the router that signals the police. Ah, but she’s thrilled to be out. First, it’s a quick “talk” with the ole’ boyfriend. Then it’s back to her “flat” (a public housing complex) where her dutiful mum Marion (Julie Walters) is tending to Rose’s kids, five-year-old Lyle (Adam Mitchell) and eight-year-old Wynonna (Daisy Littlefield) during their mom’s year-long absence. Lyle’s a hyper lil’ chatterbox that’s attached to his gran, while Wynonna barely says a word as she stares at Rose. After Marion goes over the kids’ schedules and organizes the bills, Rose has to get a job. She can’t go back to singing at the Glasgow “Grand Ole’ Opry'”, so she scores a house cleaning gig. But it’s at a plush mansion run by Susannah (Sophie Okonedo). While she’s out shopping, Rose vacuums while wearing headphones and belting out country (not country/western, she will insist vehemently) tunes near the top of her lungs. As she finishes her “set” Rose looks up to see the delighted faces of her employer and her two young kids. Susannah’s praise prompts Rose to “flat-out” ask her for money to travel to Nashville USA (um, that’s a “hard” no). But she has some connections to the BBC and records a video file of Rose-Lynn singing a tune, then sends it to their resident country DJ Bob Harris. Soon Rose-Lynn becomes a “project” for Susannah, who wants to organize a fund-raising concert. But as Rose-Lynn begins to see her dreams come true she relies too much on Marion and takes too much time away from her own kids. Can Rose-Lynn find a balance or must she compromise, and forget those hopes before she falls into her old bad habits?
This engaging tale hits all the right notes mainly due to the star-making turn by the titanic talents of Ms. Buckley. It’s quite a showcase, one that presents her wide range of musical and dramatic skills. Buckley gives us a heroine to roots for but doesn’t sugarcoat her. Though we get no flashbacks, it’s understood that Rose-Lynn led a very wild, irresponsible young life, with little regard for her family nor future. She’s got a tough outer shell, but Buckley shows us that her desire to be worthy of her beautiful children (and her mum) inspires her to really embrace the realities and responsibilities of adulthood. Still, she can frustrate us as she knowingly begins down the wrong path. With subtlety Buckley shows us that turmoil, as Rose-Lynn can’t ignore Lyle’s heart-wrenching pleas and Winonna’s disgusted blank glare. And then there’s that powerhouse singing voice, squeezing every bit of emotion from the lyrics that originated almost in another world. The sequence of her singing to the computer camera is as compelling as any CGI blockbuster battle. I’ll be very interested to see where this takes her career, one with many more great performances, no doubt. And she’s got two wonderful screen partners, first with Walters who is a true force of nature as mother Marion. We can see that Rose-Lynn has put her through the emotional wringer, so Marion has formed her own protective barrier against her daughter’s pleading and excuses. She’s quick to push Rose back to reality, tiring of being the “safety net” that accommodates her whims. But as the film winds down, Walters shows us her softer side as Marion might hope for a more fulfilling life for her offspring. On the “flip” side (ah, music recordings), there’s the lovely Ms. Okonedo as Rose-Lynn’s boss turned promoter/producer. She’s charmed by the crude crooner but doesn’t want to become the “fairy godmother” by granting every monetary wish. Okonedo shows us that Susannah was in a pampered unchallenging routine, one that needed a swift kick from those worn but shiny boots. This impressive trio gives the story wings, enabling it to soar.
At the controls of this high-flying fable is director Tom Harper, guided by the screenplay from Nicole Taylor. They create great bits of whimsy, as when members of her back-up band start to suddenly appear around the house as Rose-Lynn croons during her daily chores. But then they pull us back to reality as Rose-Lynn awakens during the pre-dawn hours to clean her own dingy apartment, and then keeping up to date on the kids’ schoolwork (even suppressing a “belly laugh” as she reads an essay, no doubt from the precocious Lyle). This sharpens the impact of those scenes of her letting those lovely kids down (Lyle’s cries of “I hate you!” cut deeper than any blade). The same is true of a brutal exchange between Rose-Lynn and Susanne’s hubby (he’s not a fan). Kudos to them for not giving us another standard rags to riches, “you can have it all” parable. They show us the harsh realities of chasing a dream, that sacrifices are made, and the past can’t be swept away. Even more important is the realization that your goals are not unique, that many others with even more talent are even closer to “grabbing that big brass ring”. Luckily these themes are balanced with the joyous musical sequences, even ending with a powerful “story summation” anthem that’s written by Oscar-winner Mary Steenbergen. Simply put WILD ROSE is wonderful. Tis’ a shame it’s not been on the air since 1997. I’d love to see Jessie Buckley pop up out of the cornfield on TV’s “Hee Haw”. Glasgow…saaluuute!
3.5 Out of 4 Stars
WILD ROSE opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas and Tivoli Theatre
