Wild Rose (2018) User Reviews (125)

Life Is About Compromise

[evanston_dad · 8/10 · 18 November 2019]

"Wild Rose" is perhaps a little formulaic, but I really liked the message it lands on at the end, which is that life is a series of compromises, and while few of us will ultimately achieve our dreams (if we have any to begin with), the alternative is not necessarily a life of dullness and misery.

No, despite what movies would have us believe, there is something in between. "Wild Rose" wraps things up a bit too patly -- in my actual personal experience I have not seen people as selfish as this film's heroine is suddenly turn things around and re-order her priorities. But it's nice to think that it's possible, and this is one of those films that reminds me that sometimes I turn to movies not to show me how things actually are, but how things could be.

Jessie Buckley is phenomenal in the title role. It takes a special actress to make a pretty unlikable character sympathetic and worth two hours of your time. Julie Walters is also wonderful as her fed up mom. Sophie Okonedo is stuck playing the film's most unrealistic character, a woman who is simply too good to be true.

I also liked that this movie, even if cursorily, examines the gulf that exists between people's romanticized perceptions of the entertainment world and the harsh realities of it. Anyone with an ounce of talent thinks they're special and the entire world will recognize it if they can just get their break. The reality is that talented people grow on trees, and you're most likely going nowhere if you don't know the right people and how to play the game.

Grade: A-

Wild Hearted Woman...

[Xstal · 8/10 · 30 April 2020]

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!

Three chords and the truth

[FrenchEddieFelson · 8/10 · 26 July 2019]

A young Scottish woman comes out of prison with the firm intention of fulfilling her dream and becoming a country singer in Nashville, Tennessee. Despite a bank account desperately empty. Despite two very young children she pathetically neglects.

The frontier between stubbornness and motivation is often very blurred and it is only a posteriori that one can judge, even if many external factors, perceptible or not, can influence the course of events. And, without unduly spoiling the script, I was expecting a sad ending. Moreover, the atmosphere of Wild Rose (2018) quite often resembles those of Ken Loach's films with this inevitability that seems inescapable.

A very pleasant surprise!

Three chords and the truth.

[bob-the-movie-man · 7/10 · 3 April 2019]

BAFTA named Jessie Buckley as one of their "Rising Stars" for 2019, and here she proves why.

Buckley plays Glaswegian Rose-Lynn Harlan, a decidedly wild child electronically tagged and released from the clink but straight down to some very public cowgirl sex with her erstwhile boyfriend. Only then does she have the afterthought of going round to the house of her Mum (Julie Walters) where two young children live. For Rose-Lynn is a single mum of two (#needs-to-be-more-careful-with-the-cowgirl-stuff), and the emotional damage metered out to the youngsters from her wayward life is fully evident.

Rose-Lynn is a frustrated 'country-and-weste'... no, sorry... just 'western' singer, and she has a talent for bringing the house down in Glasgow during a show. The desire to 'make it big' in Nashville is bordering on obsession, and nothing - not her mum, not her children, nothing - will get in her way.

Rose-Lynn has no idea how to make her dream come true. (And no, she doesn't bump into Bradley Cooper at this point). But things look up when she lies her way to a cleaning job for the middle class Susannah (Sophie Okonedo) who sees the talent in her and comes up with a couple of innovative ways to move her in the right direction.

Will she get out of her Glasgow poverty trap and rise to fame and fortune as a Nashville star?

Rose-Lynn is not an easy character to like. She is borderline sociopathic and has a self-centred selfish streak a mile wide. As she tramples all over her offspring's young lives, breaking each and every promise like clockwork, then you just want to shout at her and give her a good shaking. It's a difficult line for the film to walk (did the ghost of Johnny Cash make me write that?) and it only barely walks it unscathed.

A key shout-out needs to go to director Tom Harper ("Woman in Black 2", and the TV epic "War and Peace") and his cinematographer of choice George Steel. Some of the angles and framed shots are exquisitely done. A fantastic dance sequence through Susannah's house (the best since Hugh Grant's No. 10 "Jump" in "Love Actually") reveals the associated imaginary musicians in various alcoves reminiscent of the drummer in "Birdman". And there are a couple of great drone shots: one (no spoilers) showing Rose-Lynn leaving a party is particularly effective.

The camera simply loves Jessie Buckley. She delivers real energy in the good times and real pathos in the bad. She can - assuming it's her performing - also sing! (No surprise since she was, you might remember, runner up to Jodie Prenger in the BBC search for a "Maria" for Lloyd Webber's "Sound of Music"). She is certainly one to watch on the acting stage.

Supporting Buckley in prime roles are national treasure Julie Walters, effecting an impressive Glaswegian accent, and Sophie Okonedo, who is one of those well-known faces from TV that you can never quite place. BBC Radio 2's Bob Harris also turns up as himself, being marvellously unconvincing as an actor!

But I don't like country music you might say? Frankly neither do I. But it hardly matters. As long as you don't ABSOLUTELY LOATHE it, I predict you'll tolerate the tunes and enjoy the movie. Followers of this blog might remember that - against the general trend - I was highly unimpressed with "A Star is Born". This movie I enjoyed far, far more.

(For the full graphical review please visit One Mann's Movies on the web or Facebook. Thanks).

Wow...just wow!

[Rubyowl · 9/10 · 19 January 2020]

All the cast are great but Jessie Buckley is superb, portrayed a character which at times you could sympathise with, shake your head in disbelief and at the same time be urging her from the seat of your armchair to go for it! "Peace in this house" had me sobbing, the notes that Jessie hits, her tone beautiful. Dried my eyes and composed myself for the rest of the film and then left wiping my eyes again at the end of the last long; "Glasgow (no place like home)". Just wow!

We all struggle to make our own way through life. Some struggle more than others.

[TxMike · 6 October 2019]

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.

Worth a watch for Jessie Buckley's bravura performance

[pforrest-2 · 7/10 · 11 January 2020]

The main character is a foul-mouthed impulsive hard-drinking ex-con neglectful mother of two with delusions of making it big in Nashville. She somehow is also a sympathetic character, and is beautifully played by Jessie Buckley. You might need subtitles occasionally to catch the full Glaswegian abuse and humour she manages to spout out. Other standouts are her two little children - remarkable performances by both - and a pretty impressive bit of character acting by Julie Walters as her despairing mum - complete with what sounded a decent accent, if a Sassenach can judge that. As for the music and the plot.... it does the job but for me only occasionally hit the real emotional spot.

Three Chords and the Truth

[ThomasDrufke · 9/10 · 1 August 2019]

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

3 chords and the obvious cliches

[fostrhod · 6/10 · 9 May 2019]

Wild Rose 🥀 a film about Country and Western music . 3 chords and the truth. Singer as to choose between her kids or her dream of being a country singer ( not western) lead actor Jessie Buckley is great , real star quality. The music is incidental really. It's a film about relationship, mum n her kids , mother and daughter . It's not a classic but it's a decent film and well worth viewing 6/10

Overlooked Gem

[sweidman-28016 · 8/10 · 26 August 2019]

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-

A star is ... here

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 12 October 2020]

Without having seen A star is born, I reckon I might have taken even more liking to this. It is more than a decent movie don't get me wrong, but it reminded me of how good the Bradley Cooper directed movie was - sorry is! But let's try not to do a disservice to this movie and as we know there can be more than one, when it comes to movies and certain genres.

This is the underdog story, trying to get her life together and becoming the person they are or should be. Very good central performances overall and well shot too. Good music and drama as it should be ...

Full of heart

[muamba_eats_toast · 8/10 · 19 March 2019]

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.

A wonderful rose, surrounded by thorns.

[jditch · 7/10 · 28 February 2019]

Wild Rose is not a movie I'd ever watch, but I did! As part of the Odeons 'screen unseen', you pay £5 to watch an unreleased film, but you don't know what it is untill it starts. They're always excellent films. Wild rose was no exception. But it does have flaws.

Positives: The lead, Jessie Buckley is really strong. At times she's so strong that other actors looked really weak. For the most part the supporting actors somewhat let the film down. But Buckley is the star attraction anyway.

The soundtrack is really good and won't be too obvious to most people. Buckley's voice is ecstasy at times. Especially in a cinema theater.

The film is smarter than it appears. There was a jarring moment in which the whole film suddenly feels as though a different director has taken over. From that moment I felt the quality of the film really took of and was rather enjoyable.

Weaknesses: The first 20 minutes is marred by awful, cringy British comedy. Not the good kind. Just bad.

Supporting cast are at times, shocking.

Sophie Okonedo demolished her character with almost childish emotion. Her character is on the edge of believable. But the writing didn't allow for much relationship development. Sophie really had to nail her scenes to make it work and she just isn't up to the task.

You can tell the writers are up against it at times.

But that I felt emotional at the conclusion really sums up that the film is at least powerful enough to worth watching.

Let's be honest, this film lacked real heart

[chris_rowe-881-168820 · 3/10 · 29 August 2019]

Ok, I'll prefix this with a strange one, all acting was great, they all played their part however the story or lack of one for me made this a really hard to enjoy film.

To me these type of films have the big moment where the hardness falls away and you endear to the characters decision to be a better person or do the right thing, this didn't really happen. Everything was badly written to just get the character from a to be to c for the storyline.

A key issue was the fact she is massively hard to like, all the bland journalism reviews of raw etc are semi true, we don't know her life beyond her being banged up for getting hammered and throwing drugs into a prison so without a real back story bar being from the poorer side of the spectrum she is just an a hole. She's not someone likeable, she's ungrateful to the ridiculous character making her dreams come true for no reason, she lets her down yet is forgiven. She at no point became the good person! She improved slightly at things she should've been doing before. Without a huge hard knocks back story she just really is a brat. A common selfish person who says things that you can't justify, weren't done for any other reason than selfishness. Terrible mother and at no point bar a hug really ever seems to care about the kids, even the crying speech was guilt not realisation.

The woman she cleaned for inexplicably gave her an in to the one country music guy in the country, how lucky, bought her an expensive train ticket then offered to raise 5k to get her to USA, what awful writing, no rhyme no reason, the lead was rude and swore in front of her kids, stole alcohol, drunk at work and really did very little if anything to create a bond to justify that benevolence. It is just lazy and extremely frustrating, just a tweak to get her more likeable would of made than more realistic. Again with her mom giving her money, felt forced and a huge flip on character to necessitate the story rather than follow a plot.

The story overall is there isn't one, she's a selfish ex con who cares very little about her kids, gets an in with a music guy which realistically adds nothing to her career, gets two ways in to Nashville, goes and again gets very little from the experience. To go home to sing in front of the home town about how there's nothing like home. She clearly hates Glasgow yet again flips and loves it.

I hate how these films get reviewed on silly things when on basics they're awful, it lacks heart, character chemistry is none existent between absolutely all characters, not one relationship felt real, poor child actors, Julie was class as always. Accents too hard to understand clearly even on loud volume.

It's extremely dull, heartless and not funny at all, at no point do you want her to succeed, I actually hated her, she's got a great voice and plays the part but the part sucks! It's literally a pointless pointless film. I was so excited as musical films are a love of mine, fisherman friends was class.

With tweaks this could've been an epic, I feel they tried to not be super conventional and do it slightly differently but to me it killed the key points to make this sort of film a success, overrated hugely.

Great music with a decent story

[blott2319-1 · 6/10 · 30 June 2020]

I've definitely tired of the glut of films about a recording artist who lets fame ruin them, so I guess I have to hand it to Wild Rose, because it takes a somewhat different path. Instead of watching her career drive her to drugs, alcohol, and irresponsibility, she starts out hooked on all that stuff. That's right, she is already a frustrating character that you kind of dislike from the first scene (when she's being released from jail.) Needless to say her career takes a somewhat different path as she seeks a career as a country singer, which isn't exactly the most common genre of music in Scotland. It took a long time for this movie to get me on the side of Rose, which I think is a problem when you're trying to center the entire film on her life. Even when she starts to get things right, it seems she is still misguided and making terrible decisions.

The final act of Wild Rose is what won me over. It is here that I saw the kind of story about a singer that I'd like to see more often. Instead of being completely torn down by the career in making music, she finds strength in it, and a balance in her life. I also appreciated the way reality struck in Wild Rose. There were a couple opportunities to head towards a storybook ending, but this movie shows how difficult making it in the real world can be. I was emotionally invested in this journey late in the film, and suddenly I cared, where before I was indifferent towards the character. It certainly helped that Jessie Buckley has an amazing singing voice. Any time she opened up and sang I was excited. She has a true talent for singing that might be even better than her acting skill. While Wild Rose might not be the greatest movie I've seen in this genre, at least it took a different path than all the others.

A funny and sad drama with some truly great acting performances full of passion and emotion.

[sbweightman · 8/10 · 20 March 2019]

The story isn't that original in concept and has some minor pacing issues, but it also has a lot of depth as it shows the struggle to balance your dreams with your responsibilities. It has plenty of heart and toe tapping country music which keeps it entertaining and enjoyable throughout, although I felt a bit more could have been done with Glasgow and Nashville's cultures and settings.

Good but not that good

[annabates · 6/10 · 1 September 2019]

Jessie Buckley was very good, as were all the other players. I can't give the film the high accolades some reviewers have, though. The story just didn't hang together for me. For example, what is the real pivotal moment when the daughter decides to acknowledge her mother again? That and other things are not clear. And who would leave Scotland and fly to Nashville with absolutely no kind of plan what to do once they got there? There are other gaps in the story. The feel of the movie is good, and parts of the story feel genuine, but I didn't love it.

Movie of the year!

[Indianagard · 10/10 · 30 March 2019]

The best movie of the year : I'm still buzzing after the preview.

Uplifting movie that embraces the human spirit. What going to the cinema is all about.

A star-making turn from Buckley makes Wild Rose fly

[eddie_baggins · 6/10 · 25 September 2019]

A few times a year if we are lucky, we get to witness a star making performance from an actor/actress that sets the foundation for their rise up the cinematic ranks and for 2019 one of these turns is Jessie Buckley as fiery Glaswegian country singer/ex-prison inmate Rose-Lynn in English drama Wild Rose.

Making her mark in the independent critical hit Beast and appearing in renowned TV shows/mini-series such as War and Peace, Taboo and Chernobyl, Buckley has proven herself to be a solid presence in times past, but her fully committed and memorable turn in Tom Harper's familiar but enjoyable ride is an astounding piece of work that will see Buckley's reputation in the industry sky rocket on the back of this star-making vehicle.

Wild Rose as a film feels like a hybrid of any other redemption/against the odds character study type tale but with Buckley embedding the fiery and even at times downright unlikeable Rose-Lynn with a seriously impressive verve and energy, it's hard not to be up for the tale of a simple yet determined Glasgow native trying to crack Nashville and the country music scene with nothing more than a can do attitude too set her on her way.

It helps that Buckley is a talented songstress, with Wild Rose providing Buckley with more than a few moments to showcase a seriously impressive vocal range, that is highlighted in an emotionally charged scene where Rose-Lynn sings in front of a computer for an audition or at another moment to an empty auditorium in Nashville and with Wild Rose's collection of original and toe-tapping tunes at the forefront of proceedings, those that love their movies with a killer soundtrack and musical vibe will be having the time of their lives with this sleeper hit.

With Buckley knocking it out of the park and Harper showing some neat directional tricks (an extended scene where Rose-Lynn vacuums and dances her way through an up market house is a visual delight), it's a shame Wild Rose's predictable and rather twee story couldn't of pulled off more surprises for a character that deserved to be a part of a film that wasn't so cookie-cutter in more ways than it is here.

The film is no doubt Buckley's but outside of Rose-Lynn there's nothing else to see here character wise with the film failing to capitalise on its asset of Julie Walters as Rose's long suffering mother Marion, while the other main cast member in the form of Sophie Okonedo's wealthy but kind-hearted Susannah is so generic and unbelievable that you'd think she walked in from another film.

It's always risky for a film of this nature to forgo the rulebook too much, with these stories of good-natured souls overcoming setbacks too reach their goals first and foremost needing to please their audiences with the right emotional feels but you can't help but escape the feeling Harper's film fails to capitalise on an out and out masterful lead performance and character so loaded with flair as it instead plays it relatively safe on a tale you will enjoy but not remember outside of its central performance.

Final Say -

Filled with great songs and a genuinely tremendous lead turn from its star actress, Wild Rose is solid stuff but arguably not the film it could've been had it taken more risks.

3 lost handbags out of 5

Really enjoyed

[jadecalvert-21621 · 10/10 · 20 February 2019]

For once a film with an amazing lead singer! Watched it screen unseen with odeon and so glad we did! Really enjoyed!

Feel good but formulaic

[ilovesaturdays · 7/10 · 4 April 2021]

I like country music and so I thought I was sure to like the movie. And I did like it but, to be honest, I didn't really love it. The storyline has a bit too many coincidences. Also, the protagonist is a selfish & obnoxious person who is surrounded by people who are unbelievably kind and forgiving, making one wonder if she truly deserves to have any of these people in her life!

Jessie Buckley is quite good but it's Julie Walters who steals the show with a face like a blessing and a beautiful accent!

Overall, it is a nice feel good kind of movie but its plot is a bit too generic & convenient. Also, the music could have been a whole lot better. Some tracks are good but I expected more since it is practically a musical.

Wow chills down my spine, what a performance !!!

[onlinevirtual · 10/10 · 9 August 2019]

A down to earth realistic , good and bad story with genuine actors (especially the main actor) who are destined to be stars. Bravo

An authentic Country album

[Chris_Ego · 6/10 · 3 January 2021]

Our troubled lead is captured in a sea of moody waves. The main character is perfectly drawn as a wild singer who rings with herself. The ups and downs of her life switch places way too often. Especially the scene where she is handed the opportunity to chase her dreams after a rollercoaster ride to find herself at the starting point again seemed weary. Like a combination of all episodes from "Californication" the pattern of rising and diminishing hopes wear off. Other than that the acting is emotional and even the kids are acting surprisingly good; more than convincing. The soundtrack is superb and it is no coincidence that Jessey took the stages by storm after the movie was so well received. Reminds me of the good old "Spinal Tap" story. Anyway the story with all its lovely details about passion and human flaws make a great authentic Country album that this movie is. And it is set in Glasgow.

Acting: fine. Characters: caricatures. Story: missed it.

[tomcrosbiemagic · 4/10 · 3 August 2020]

The characters are forever making decisions that no rational human would make. It makes it really difficult to empathise or sympathise with a character when they're sabotaging their own relationships, or disowning their own daughter.

The plot doesn't seem to go anywhere. It's just depressing setback after depressing setback.

The happiest part of the film is when she gets her ankle bracelet taken off: a plot point that seemed to have no bearing on the overall plot.

The acting was fine I guess. Acting is one of those things that you only notice it when it's bad.

Wild Rose will be put into my folder of films with half decent music but no real plot to speak of. Alongside Once, La La Land, A Star is Born & Sunshine on Leith.

not inspiring movie

[qqml · 6/10 · 26 October 2019]

2 children mom out of jail is struggling with life and chasing dream of singing. She wants to go to Nashville so bad but without a plan. Just having a tour there, spent all her mom's money, then came back home and became a hometown singer at a local pub. What an inspiring story.