Mark Reviews Movies: ROSIE (2019)

Become a fan on Facebook Follow on Twitter

Review by Mark Dujsik | July 18, 2019

The eponymous protagonist of Rosie says, "Sorry," so many times that it starts to seem like a reflex. In truth, she has little for which to apologize, but circumstances have conditioned her to apologize for everything. That's what her life has become, as she and her family, through no real fault of their own, have found themselves without a home.

This story, set in present-day Dublin, addresses a housing crisis that has afflicted the working-class population of that city in recent years. Rents have gotten higher, while incomes are low. Roddy Doyle's screenplay doesn't dive into the causes or the potential solutions to this problem (An audio montage of news reports sets the scene). Instead, the story simply follows a single family, moving from—if they can find one—hotel room to hotel room on a credit system established by the city council, while also trying to get through the usual struggles and routines of daily life.

After recently being removed from their home after a rent increase, the goal for Rosie (Sarah Greene) and her husband John Paul (Moe Dunford), of course, is to find a new, consistent place to live for them and their four children. John Paul works long hours at a restaurant almost every day (He cannot understand how a hard-working man cannot provide the necessities for his family). After dropping off three of the kids at school and before picking them up again, Rosie spends her days calling local hotels, looking for a safe, warm place to sleep. There simply isn't time for them to look for a stable home.

That hectic scramble to maintain a normal life, while on a constant hunt for shelter, is the extent of the story, presented by director Paddy Breathnach in an up-close-and-personal documentary style. There's some outside conflict, primarily in Rosie's estrangement from her mother (Rosie has accused her father of abuse, and the mother refuses to believe her) and the temporary disappearance of the family's just-teenaged daughter Kayleigh (Ellie O'Halloran).

The drama of Rosie, though, is in the simple need to survive, as well as how wounded pride, mounting frustration, and a deep sense of shame about the situation puts the family, especially Rosie, closer and closer to falling into complete despair. Greene's performance is keenly observed and empathetic, and for that matter, so, too, is the film itself.

Back to Home

Buy Related Products