I can claim no familiarity with filmmaker Jess Bond, but if nothing else is true, the cast is very noteworthy. Tony Shalhoub is a big get, even in only a supporting part, and Nat Wolff has shown his capability; even Johnny Knoxville is swell when he turns his attention toward earnest acting. Above all, I was highly impressed with Stacy Martin in her major role in Lars von Trier's 'Nymphomaniac,' and frankly it was her involvement that drew me in to check this out in the first place. The premise sits somewhere on a spectrum between curious and questionable, but that's never stopped me before, and I'll try just about anything. To actually sit and watch 'Rosy,' however? To be honest, I'm a little taken aback. I understand what Bond was doing. In this instance, sadly, I just don't think it especially works.
This sits somewhere at the intersection of dark comedy, thriller, and romance as the title character is abducted by a man she's never met who wants her to love him. It's certainly easy enough to think of other films that start with a grim central conceit (similar or not) and play it up with a wry, cheeky sense of humor; that notion is bolstered here with a score and soundtrack that's emphatically, drily playful. In fairness to Bond, at one point or another all these facets rise to the surface, and there are moments when it seems like the movie is really hitting on something good. Out of place as irregular flashbacks first seem, they're gradually woven into the active narrative with demonstrative purpose. The problem is that there is no consistency. Just when one is inclined to think that there's a distinct progression, the tale veers off with another mood. Elsewhere one might praise a picture for being unpredictable, and being inventive, but that's assuming that it's otherwise sufficiently well done to particularly deserve praise in the first place. The simple fact of the matter is that the writing here seems too scattered to strike any tone that feels complete and appropriate, or for we viewers to get a solid beat on what it's trying to do.
Even if we suppose for the sake of argument that 'Rosy' maintained pure dark comedy airs for the entirety of its length, or pure thriller vibes, it seems for all of these ninety minutes as though it's teetering on the edge, barely keeping its footing, and the slightest nudge will cast all to ruin. Now consider that it wavers between a few different tenors at multiple points, then comes back at the end and says "nah, it was this all along." The movie tries to achieve a very delicate balance, and I just don't think it can manage it. With this in mind, I'm inclined to say that the actors give strong, admirable performances, as they absolutely have elsewhere. Firstly, however, there are times where they seem as uncertain of the production as I am, and secondly - if the film can't decide what it wants, then on what basis is the acting to be assessed anyway? Likewise for Bond's direction. Those behind the scenes definitely turned in good work all around, but all told, I'm not sure how much those contributions matter when everything else of more ready importance is so up in the air.
I don't think this is bad. I sort of had a good time watching, and I appreciate the effort from all involved. Somewhere between Bond's screenplay and direction, however, this needed much greater focus, and a more firm, guiding ethos, to provide a more significant sense of unity to the project. 'Rosy' sits at a middling divide in terms of quality specifically because it also straddles such a split in terms of its content. I look forward to seeing more from all who participated here, but I just don't think this 2018 feature quite cuts it. It earns a soft recommendation, perhaps, if you're a big fan of someone involved; just keep your expectations in check, and don't go out of your way for it.
