Review of Wild Rose

A British drama; A story about a young ex-con who chases her dreams to become a country music star while struggling with her responsibilities as a young mother and the approval of a sceptical mother. This is a touching musical drama that features a very good performance from Jessie Buckley, who is utterly convincing as the songstress with a soul-shaking voice, a woman of Glasgow grit, and a confident swagger. The film has a slightly misleading title, as the lead character is a product of past life choices rather than wayward or wild behaviour. The music and singing, some of it original and written for the screen, provided some delightful moments. But there is not enough backstory for the lead character, which probably explains an excess of swearing that was beyond an expression or strong emotion. The director hung sentimentality on many of the predictable scenes, though the story does resolve with purpose, even if a little rushed towards a resolution. As an aside, a minority of reviewers and critics expressed that "Rose-Lynn" was unlikeable. Rose-Lynn behaves stupidly and has flaws, palpably so, but there is a kernel of hope and ambition in her that she is driven to follow or exorcise. That has nothing to do with how virtuous or good she was supposed to be in the eyes of the viewer, which the filmmaker cannot control. She faces her dream-the cradle of country music-which is her own reckoning. A good mother would always want to see her daughter have some respite from the grind of life. That was the heartwarming moment. Not the girl and her dream, but the mother.