Indie Gems: Wild Rose

Not western, just country.

Rose-Lynn (Jessie Buckley) is fresh out of prison after a year long stint for a drug charged. She dreams of moving to Nashville and becoming a country music star, but the reality is she's not a convicted felon with two children she had before she turned 18. Her mother, Marion (Julie Walters) has been taking care of the while Rose-Lynn has been in prison. Now she must choose between following her dream and her responsibilities as a parent.

Like country music in general, Rose-Lynn is a damn mess. She drinks too much, she's an absent parent and she takes no responsibility for the mess she puts herself in. In fact, the only time Rose-Lynn is in any way put together is when she's on stage performing. Her talent cannot be denied. It's hard sometimes to watch a character like this when you'd rather shake them and tell them to get their priorities straight, but Rose-Lynn thankfully gets there.

Buckley is absolutely amazing in this film. You can tell no one saw it otherwise her name would be everywhere in the Best Actress race. She's a very talented singer, she does a very convincing Scottish accent and best of all she doesn't make Rose-Lynn unbearable which she easily could've been. Walters also gives a strong performance, as does Sophie Okonedo as Susannah, a woman who takes an interesting in Rose-Lynn.

Okonedo is a very sympathetic actress to me. I see her and just want to hug her, so I had a bit of anxiety/annoyance during part of this film because I expected it to go one way, but it was thankfully rectified. A lot about this film is familiar but little touches set it apart. I even enjoyed the music, despite not caring for country at all.

This is out on DVD now in the U.S Give it a watch if you come across it.

Grade: B

Watched on: DVD Netflix

Memorable Quote: "I should've been born in America" - Rose-Lynn (Jessie Buckley)