Fresh out of prison, a Scottish woman juggles her job and two children while pursuing her dream of becoming a country music star. She soon gets her chance when she travels to Nashville, Tenn., on a life-changing journey to discover her true voice.
With Wild Rose there have been many comparisons to A Star Is Born, but what we have here is much more grounded than that. It lacks every ounce of extravagance but, as a consequence, is much more realistic and relatable.
The film stars Jessie Buckley as the titular Rose; an Irish singer portraying a Scottish singer. The accent is legitimately difficult to comprehend unless you've been exposed to it a lot before, and for those that struggle with accents, you may be best to wait until it's out on DVD so you can switch the subtitles on.
What was an interesting direction to take, was Rose's character in general. Her portrayal is that of an extremely selfish person; someone that reacts to situations instead of responding, an alcoholic, absentee mother, and convicted criminal. All of this is communicated in the opening scenes and, as would be expected, do not show Rose in the best light. But it's through these flaws that we truly relate to Rose.
Her behaviour continually gets in her own way and despite some great charisma, as an audience member, you can't help but feel frustrated as opportunity after opportunity slips away. The film plays off on the conflict between the two main themes of the film; achieving your dreams, and stepping up to your responsibilities. Through this conflict, we get a great character development arc for our main protagonist that really hooks you in.
Despite the major developments that occur in the film, it feels like the writers and director were not willing to commit to what they put forward, and as a result, the conclusion of the film doesn't necessarily feel earned. Suddenly characters behaviours have done a complete turnaround and are inconsistent with what has already been set up.
Even if you are not a big country and western fan (sorry, just country, not western), you can still appreciate the talent that Jessie Buckley shows off in her country renditions. Her Glaswegian accent works wonders for the country genre and she performs with a great amount of passion.
The film does a great job to show the struggles that go on in the lower classes, how a bad decision can cascade, and how it doesn't matter how much talent you have if you don't know the right people. I honestly would have preferred if the film had ended 20 minutes earlier, but for all of those people going through a mid-life crisis, seeing it through to fruition would be a necessary step.
There is a purpose to this story, but it gets lost in its quest for a happy ending, and it doesn't do the characters justice. We have all had to balance our dreams and our responsibilities, and it's nice to be reminded that we are not the only one that struggles.