MOVIE MONDAYS: LOVE, ROSIE
If there is one book that I know I have read more than 3 times it is Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern. That book first fell into my hands back in Year 12 and I could have sworn Cecelia Ahern had me in mind when she was writing it because I just couldn't put it down. I never skimmed over passages; I had to absorb every single conversation between the characters. Needless to say, when I found out that finally (!!) a group of people had come together to make a film adaptation of it, I was ecstatic.
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Source: Lionsgate
Watching Love, Rosie was the perfect way to spend my Sunday afternoon. I was slightly annoyed I could not watch it on the day of its release (22nd of October- a month you know I love) but I am glad I have finally seen it because it was exactly what I needed yesterday. There were moments were I giggled, had my mouth open in shock, had a few rebellious tears escape my eyes, tapped my feet to quite a number of good beats and felt a surge of hope for what is to come. I cannot say this film is for everyone but what I can say is that it did not disappoint me one bit.
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Love, Rosie is a romantic comedy that drops us into the ever-dynamic world of Rosie and her best mate, Alex. It is a film filled with drama, characters with great sense of style, humour, a handful of memorable lines, warmth and some pretty great tunes. Based on Cecelia Ahern's Where Rainbows End, this heartwarming film was directed by Christian Ditter (The Crocodiles; French for Beginners) and its quite entertaining script which was dipped in a vat of hope was whipped up by Juliette Towhidi (Testament of Youth; Death Comes to Pemberley; Calendar Girls). Though I was easily swept up in the story being told, there were a few aspects of the film that definitely caught my eye. There were some lovely scenic locations used that made itching to go on holiday. Seeing how technology has progressed over the years (though I am not sure Rosie got the memo haha) made me appreciate just how far we've come. The way the homes of the characters were styled definitely gave my inner interior designer a few ideas. The characters' wardrobes had me wishing to have a chat with the costume design team to know where they sourced some of the pieces. And the soundtrack for this film is one that would a find a nice home on my ipod. As a whole, I think Love, Rosie was beautifully made.
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One of my favourite scenes// Source: Lionsgate
One of the things I love about Love, Rosie is that we get to see Rosie and Alex's friendship blossom and shrivel up, in a manner akin to the circle of life for a phoenix, over about 20 years. The feisty, caring and dependable Rosie Dunne was played by Lily Collins (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones; Stuck in Love; The Blind Side) whilst the hopeful, loyal and charming Alex Stewart was played by Sam Claflin (The Riot Club; The Hunger Games: Catching Fire; Snow White and the Huntsman). And as the decisions they make take them down paths they never quite envisaged we are introduced to a few notable people that definitely make Rosie and Alex's lives even more interesting e.g. Ruby, Greg and Bethany. I have to say the vibrant, tells-it-like-it-is Ruby, played by Jaime Winstone (Made in Dagenham; Anuvahood; Kidulthood), is definitely one of my favourite characters. Her hair colour is one that I wish I had the guts to try out and the "cool" to pull it off. Greg, a good looking opportunist was played by Christian Cooke (Electricity; Romeo & Juliet; Where the Heart Is) and Suki Waterhouse (Pusher) played the role of the beautiful, cool and seemingly perfect Bethany. As complicated as Rosie and Alex's story is, it is one that I find easy to relate to.
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So, if you are in the mood for a nice rom-com that is bound to make you giggle, will dredge up memories from when you were a teenager, has the potential make you tear up and will most likely brighten up your day, then I think this might be a film to give a go.
Mo x