Director: Christian Ditter
Starring: Lily Collins, Sam Claflin, Christian Cooke, Tamsin Egerton, Suki Waterhouse, Jaime Winstone
Certificate: 15
Running time: 102 minutes
Synopsis: Rosie (Collins) and Alex (Claflin) have been best friends since they were 5, so they couldn’t possibly be right for one another…or could they? When it comes to love, life and making the right choices, these two are their own worst enemies.
Adapted from the Cecelia Ahern novel ‘Where Rainbows End’, LOVE, ROSIE is a decade-spanning romantic comedy about friendship, true love and bad timing. For those about to give up there, although it’s admittedly a concept with about as much originality as most boy-meets-girl scenarios, LOVE, ROSIE has several key elements working in its’ favour allowing it to flourish.
The first of these is the screenplay, courtesy of Juliette Towhidi, whose other big screen credit is as co-writer of 2003’s tale of golden oldies CALENDAR GIRLS. Towhidi has kept the elements that will make the hopeless romantics smile but has also toned down Ahern’s oft saccharine story-telling in favour of a more grounded, adult tale with great comic timing. Gone are the longing glances, unrequited love and pining so often associated with this genre. Not quite gone is the Hollywood ending – Towhidi has changed the timeline of the book to adapt to a more audience-friendly resolution which, whilst actually making the storyline less convoluted, does involve a semblance of predictability.
As Rosie and Alex, Lily Collins and Sam Claflin both immerse themselves into the characters with great results. Collins is charming and playful when Rosie is a carefree teenager and retains her youth and vigour despite unexpected circumstances changing her path. Having to grow up almost overnight, Rosie is a character always in danger of becoming someone to pity but the actress side-steps this wonderfully, leaving the audience rooting for her for all the right reasons. Claflin’s Alex may go through less of a ‘journey’ but is none-the-less always an exciting and developing actor to see on screen.
The third and final piece of this puzzle is the man behind the camera, Christian Ditter. Ditter is a director mainly known for children’s films and to see him helm this picture, which manages to avoid the majority of pit-falls that romantic comedies succumb to, is a great achievement. Bringing together this story, two strong leads, a great ensemble cast including Christian Cooke, Tamsin Egerton, Suki Waterhouse and Jaime Winstone and leaving with a tone that is upbeat and tied-up with enough reality to remain froth-free bodes well for future projects. Collins, in fact, is already on board to star in Ditter’s next film. Another novel-turned-movie, this time from HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU author Liz Tuccillo, HOW TO BE SINGLE pairs Collins with Alison Brie and after LOVE, ROSIE we’ve got high hopes for Ditter’s future projects.
Mature, witty and lacking in the over-wrought sentimentality of so many of it’s predecessors, LOVE, ROSIE is an unexpectedly fresh entry into the rom-com genre.
[usr=4] LOVE, ROSIE is released in UK cinemas on 22nd October.
