Direction: Joe Lawlor, Christine Molloy
Country: Ireland / UK
The third feature film from the team of directors Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy (Helen, 2008; Mister John, 2013) is a stone cold rape-revenge tale delivered with a deliberate resolve and languid pace.
Rose Plays Julie is a subtle film of nuances that never really burns at the surface, rather adopting a deceptively passive posture while making calculated moves that lead us, unhurriedly yet assuredly, toward an unimaginable finale.
The story, mostly set in Dublin, begins as Rose (Ann Skelly), a student of veterinary science who was given for adoption at birth, attempts to contact her biological mother, Ellen (Orla Brady), a celebrated actress. After knowing the motives that made her mother give up on her, she starts tracking down her father, Peter Doyle (Aidan Gillen), a successful archeologist who happens to be a noxious misogynist with a past stained by rape.
The stimulation comes from not knowing what are Rose’s real intentions, in this unremittingly hopeless tale with no room for forgiveness. In the end, it’s the darkness that prevails.
If you’re a fan of fast-paced, violent drama-thrillers, then this is not your dish. See it only if you want this genre to be served with prolonged sharp-tasting notes.
