Rent The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005)

Relationship drama - Not your average family film. - The Ballad of Jack and Rose review by CP Customer

The underlying theme of this film is about how living outside of society carries the danger of transgressing the healthy boundaries of relationships. While Daniel Day-Lewis as Jack delivers an outstanding performace and truly conveys the conflicting interests and emotions of his character, the script sometimes offers little explanation for the unmotivated actions of Rose, who remains a bit obscure. Having said that, Camilla Belle as Rose makes the most of the script. The editing could be a bit tighter, which would bring some pace into the first part of the movie. The pace does pick up towards the end of the film.

Not your average family film.

Complex and haunting. - The Ballad of Jack and Rose review by CP Customer

It’s 1986 and Rose and her father Jack live on a secluded island off the East coast of America. On what is now an abandoned environmental commune set up by Jack in the early 70’s, the pair live a quiet idyllic life living off the land subsidised by money inherited from Jack’s family business and share a rare level of emotional intimacy unusual for parent and child. As Jack is terminally ill with a heart condition and Rose now in her mid teens, he asks Kathleen, his lover from the mainland, to bring her two teenage sons and come live on the island with them in the hope that she will become some sort of surrogate mother to Rose. But as Rose has to share the affection of her father it’s not long before jealousy breeds and personality’s clash which leads each of them in directions none of them expected. To complicate matters further a property developer has bought a substantial part of the island and has started building new homes. This is fiercely opposed by Jack who despite his best efforts is powerless to stop it. The sub-plot of the developer who sees himself creating a modern utopia and creating a new community and Jack who is living in what is a now a unsuccessful and aborted community adds another dimension to the film. This is a beautifully written, directed and acted film which is both complex and haunting, and the strained relationship between Jack and Rose in which both try to exercise control over each other often makes for uncomfortable viewing. If you like character led indie films then this really is a must see.