Wild Rose

I watched this at home on DVD from my public library.

I didn't know of Jessie Buckley before I saw this movie but I quickly became a fan. She is a wonderful, convincing actress and has a really beautiful singing voice, the kind you just want to listen to. She could also make a good Janis Joplin, she has the looks, sassiness, and can sing in that raspy style.

Here she is Rose-Lynn who has, at her early 20s age, already made her life very difficult for herself. She had two children by the time she was 18 and, as the movie starts she is just getting out of 12 months in jail for a failed drug delivery which involved trying to throw it over a prison wall. Her mother has been caring for her girl and her boy.

We see right away she is very carefree and mostly irresponsible. She feels entitled, she wants to sing country in Nashville, she doesn't want her children or anything else to block her path. She has performed regularly at the Glasgow (Scotland) Grand Ole Opry.

While this appears to mostly be a movie about an aspiring singer getting to Nashville, it is more a character study about this young woman who needs to dig deep and get her priorities straight, and to be a responsible mother to her two children. She does get to Nashville, in a peculiar twist of fate, but in the end she discovers that there's no place like home.

There's an abundance of very salty language, as seems to be common for many British movies, but if one can get past that then it is a really good movie, Jessie Buckley really shines. I want to see her in additional lead roles. Her interview on the DVD "extras" is really delightful and also serves to show how much the character Rose-Lynn is unlike her.

DEC 2020 Edit: Since my first viewing I have seen Buckley in several different roles and she is the real deal, she is always great. I just watched this movie again after 14 months and came away as impressed as I was the first time.

SEPT 2024 Edit: Ditto on this viewing. I am freshly amazed at how good Buckley is, as both a singer and an actress.

Wild Rose Review:

Wild Rose tells the complicated story of Rose-Lynn (Jessie Buckley), a Scottish woman on a quest to become a country music star in Nashville, while also grappling with the responsibilities of being recently released from prison and a young mother of two children. Firstly I'd like to apologize for how late this review is. It's been a very busy week and now is my chance. For the second film for the Inaugural Northwoods Film Festival, Wild Rose was chosen for a screening. This came out back in June. I debated on going to see it at some point but there was no time since I'd have to drive two hours to go and see it. I'm so happy to have seen this. Wild Rose is one of the best films of the year. It's such an interesting screenplay and inspiring. Jessie Buckley's character of Rose-Lynn is a very complex character. She has her dreams but is restrained with the stresses and disappointments of life. She's also not afraid to hide her true self. I'm very confused why Buckley hasn't really been talked about in the Oscar race for later this year. On Gold Derby I've been checking daily on my Oscar nominations predictions (yes I'm already doing that and so are many people). Jessie Buckley isn't even listed as an option for the nominations so I can't even put her on my list for Best Actress. She's absolutely amazing. Definitely in my top five for best performances of the year. She's also a really good singer. The songs in the film are very good and on my mind. In particular one of the later original songs called Glasgow is brilliant. I really hope it can get into Best Original Song. The scene with that song is also just so emotional and brought tears to my eyes. I purposely decided not to listen to it until I saw the film. Listen to this song! For other performances, Julie Walters plays Rose-Lynn's mother and brings another strong performance. Her scenes with Buckley are very good. Their conflicting views bring for an interesting plot and great scenes. Sophie Okonedo plays Suzannah, the woman who Rose-Lynn works for as a maid. She was so enjoyable to watch and it just made me happy that she was actually interested in trying to help her with her career. I loved her. It's just a shame that when an event happens she's kind of out of the film for a while and nothing much with her anymore. I wish they had a little bit with her when she's back again. The acting in this is just superb! The screenplay by Nicole Taylor is very good. The only thing I'd say is some parts I could just tell how they would play out but I still liked it. Side note: I don't know if this was written in the script but sometimes when Rose-Lynn was singing by herself we'd get beautiful cinematography showing her singing, walking around and people were just playing instruments in the background. That was just a perfect way to see her view. If it wasn't in the screenplay then Tom Harper had a beautiful vision with his amazing directing. This is an overlooked film this year in my opinion. I don't want to spoil anything else. Everyone in our audience just adored it. The two people I saw it with really liked it as well. Here's some comments from Landen Alft who thought this was a perfect A+ film: Amazing acting, emotion and comedy. Amazing cinematography especially the singing scene in the house with the band appearing. Amazing everything. Definitely check this out when it comes out on digital and blu ray. I just really hope it's considered in the award race.

My Grade: A-

I've struggled to conjure sufficient praiseworthy adjectives to describe this movie but ultimately they would all relate to the sublime Jessie Buckley who provides us with a 'to die for' performance that takes your breath away and leaves you absolutely astounded and in awe that such talent exists - absolutely outstanding!

For a long time I always said that crime thrillers were my favorite genre, but it's becoming increasingly clear that music based movies have overtaken that genre with the new release of Wild Rose. A movie that will inevitably (but unfairly) be compared to 2018's A Star is Born because of the subject matter, but it tells a different story about a musicians dream to be a star. Starring the up and comer Jessie Buckley, Wild Rose is a hard edge but sweetly rounded coming of age tale of a single mother who dreams of leaving Glasgow for Nashville, because she believes it's the only place where she can become a country music star. For someone who doesn't like country music (and that's being kind), I was instantly entranced by Buckley's voice and the catchy but emotionally resonant songs throughout the feature. And much like her work in last year's 'Beast', Buckley proves she is someone to be reckoned with, and through her performance as Rose, that there's simply no place like home.

9.7/10

The whole story was excellently portrayed. Buckley excels both vocally and portraying the problems of so many in similar positions. It has ups and downs and doesn't shy away from challenging issues nor glorify them. Julie Walters alongside Buckley was perfect also. Although their greatness on set did outshine most of the supporting cast who had a daytime cheap tv drama feel about them although this did not take to much away. Also anything involving whispering Bob Harris has to be worth seeing. A feel good romp of a film.