Jessie Buckley. What an interesting CV in only a few years! Her name kept popping up, and having lived in Glasgow for a decade, it was not rare to bump into folk who knew her or knew of her. Even a few actors I knew locally had been involved in the making of Wild Rose, a simple tale of a girl who longs to sing Country music in Scotland and starts on a journey of self discovery that may or may not lead to stardom.
I went into this expecting a perfectly nice British film with not a lot of new things to say. To an extent that is true. It isn’t flashy. It is down to earth and natural in its narrative. Nothing about it feels overly important – it is just the story of a young artist with dreams, and how she faces up to those dreams when opposed with the harsh realities of daily life and the grind of “real” work. What elevates it above the mundane then is the incredible central performance from Buckley. It is pretty special; charming, soulful, modest, restrained and full of wonder – especially when she sings.
It matters little if Country music is not your bag. In the same way that not needing to be a fan of a certain sport doesn’t stop you rooting for the team or individual in a sports biopic. The director, London born Tom Harper who directed Buckley in the mini series War and Peace in 2016, does a terrific job of holding back her talent until it can acheive maximum impact. He hints at the power of her voice for about an hour, before she is finally released to sing a full song that raises the hair on the arms. From that moment on what has been a mildly amusing distraction becomes a heartfelt ride where all you want is for her to win!
Want to know if it takes you to that finish line or whether Glaswegian reality drags her down again… I promise, if you haven’t seen it, that the compromise it presents ultimately is better than either of those extremes. An average movie in many creative or technical ways, but an enjoyable and recommended experience for all its shortcomings. Worth a 64 Decinemal without Buckley. With her, it is raised to…
Decinemal Rating: 68
The Wasteland 