Film Review : Love, Rosie

Love, Rosie

Review by Sam Wyatt

Director: Christian Ditter

Starring: Lily Collins, Sam Claflin, Lorcan Cranitch

Rating: M

In cinemas on the 6th of November 2014

Almost straight out of Mills and Boon territory Love, Rosie is an Irish romantic comedy based on the novel Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern of P.S I Love You fame. The typically farcical affair (but what love story isn’t) is given real life through the very natural but subtle seeping of truth throughout the characters’ journeys.

Love, Rosie follows best friends Rosie (Lily Collins) and Alex (Sam Claflin) through 12 years from when they leave school. Holding a common dream to move to America to attend university, their shared future seems bright until Rosie falls pregnant after a hookup. With her ambitions of study and of one day owning a hotel seemingly in pieces, Rosie grows more and more distant from Alex but their ultimately inseparable connection keeps drawing them back to each other.

In some ways it is a shame that more is not made of the meaning of dreams and the leading duos’ pursuit or otherwise of them. The mindfulness of the universal desire to feel fulfilment in life, albeit limited, is what keeps the otherwise predictably and tiresomely agonising journey of the characters natural and sensitive. What there is of this theme is delightful and refreshingly down to earth compared with Hollywood films of a similar ilk. But perhaps that’s my overly sentimental nature speaking. The truth and comedy of the writing is where Love, Rosie really shines. Spontaneous and genuine humour is the joy of this film and the tragicomedy elements more than the rom com are delivered with wonderful quirkiness.

Both Lily Collins and Sam Claflin are very well cast and there are gems among the supporting actors. Most notably Lorcan Cranitch as Rosie’s unassuming, wise and loving father, as well as Tamsin Egerton, Alex’s ice queen of a love interest. Cranitch has been a stalwart of the British and Irish scene and a favourite of mine for many years, and here’s hoping we see more of Egerton.

While Love, Rosie is plainly a Gen Y tale of love the film does have a certain charm and sensibility to give it real appeal to any generation. However, prepare to feel the weight of emotional baggage by the removal van load!

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