Rosie imitates life

Movie review

We are in a crisis, for so long now that art is imitating life. We have a housing crisis movie. Rosie brought back the distressing feeling I had put aside linked to the impossibility of finding a suitable place to live, so beware.  

Paddy Breathnach takes us for a drive around Dublin with Rosie and her four kids. They are searching for accommodation; at the words “county council credit card”, hotels reject her request of a family room, they are six counting her partner John Paul, who works at a restaurant. We may hear that same exchange of words many times, none of them make the heroine lose her calm or lose our hope.

Roddy Doyle delivers a non-judgemental script that describes the reality of looking for a home in Dublin these days. The story is centred on a family, but there are common places for most of us renters or ex-renters in the Irish capital can relate to. It can sound overly dramatic, but how many times did you see yourself auditioning for an apartment? And right there, when you are sharing the room with 30 other people in a viewing, also getting that dirty look as if you were that actress they think is a few years too old to get the role.  

Cathal Watters gives a beautiful realism to the housing states and the out-of-the-way places where most hotels that would take Rosie’s family in for the night seem to be located. Sarah Greene holds the weight with her magnificent depiction of a mother in challenging times. Her meeting with Ms Hennessy is heart-breaking and the breaking point for a stoic woman that fights to maintain her family routines. She does not live in denial; she does what she is expected to even though her family is missing one basic element: a home.

Kids who can act naturally are hard to come by, however, the children cast are nothing short of talented and believable. The situations are all very familiar, a tantrum because there is no space to move in a car (seriously, there’s no need to be an active child to get freaked out after spending days inside a vehicle), a teen escaping her misery by staying at a friend’s house or an upset child because she is being mocked about her particular circumstances.

Rosie reminds us of the best Ken Loach, the one that makes you uneasy when you leave the cinema and at the same time can marvel you with well-articulated story that is absolutely worthy of your time.

It was not long ago the county councils built houses that until date stand as examples of quality and solid construction, they were for people to live in. The art is imitating life, because life as it is, the housing crisis as it is, has been happening for a few years now. Hopefully we don’t have to wait for a novel to awaken consciences.

Let the Right One In... at the Theatre?

Soft and gentle Oskar could not be found at the Abbey tonight. It is hard and sometimes unfair to compare an adaptation with a very accomplished original. Let the Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008) is one of those gems people hesitate to recommend, but never because of its lack of quality and only perhaps due to how odd or inadequate it feels at times.

Let the Right One In opens with the story of Oskar, a quiet kid who is systematically bullied at school. Not an original topic. But see, the only friend Oskar manages to get close to and keep is Eli, a slightly older girl who incidentally needs to be fed blood to survive.

John Lindqvist's script is a difficult one to stage. Adapted by Jack Thorne with choreography by Steven Hoggett, it is the story of a young girl condemned to lose the love of her life over and over. Some may say it is also problematic to make into a film, since the girl’s life partner’s character could be misinterpreted easily. The horrors of her double life and her need for blood are challenges this production at the Abbey accepts and presents successfully to a more than frightened and engaged audience. Be aware, my companion at the play got accidentally slapped on the face by the lady sitting next to him at one of the jumpy bits.

On stage we found without difficulty the animalistic impulse that makes Eli an unsettling friend for Oskar. We discover too, how isolated and detached the boy feels as his relationships with those around him get icy, no matter if they are family or school mates. The lucky charm for Alfredson’s production was a couple of young actors whose natural ability and undeniable chemistry made of the 2008 film an appealing and delightful coming-of-age story. But Oskar’s hesitant voice was nowhere to be found on the Abbey stage, neither was Eli’s angst and profound sadness. Craig Connolly attempts to convey the naiveté and enthusiasm of Oskar but he is far from Kåre Hedebrant’s performance. Katie Hunan misses the serenity and maturity that Lina Leandersson gave to Eli. Are these elements missing only because of a much older cast?

The stage design (Christine Jones) and effects deserve great credit in this adaptation. The snow covered forest, where terrible things are about to change Oskar’s town forever, is a wonderful background and resourceful backdrop to express the coldness and desolation most characters suffer throughout the story. Winter trees and a climbing frame that holds one of the most impressive visual artifices of this production offers in its final scene, are the basic elements that remain visible. Others such as the candy shop, Oskar’s bed or the gym lockers are brought in with subtlety and discreet flow with the help of Hoggett’s choreography.

Thorne’s adaptation translates well the horror elements onto stage, almost impeccably, with some exceptions such as its last scene. Despite the marvelous ace in the sleeve of designer Jones in the closing scene, the spectator is at risk of feeling overwhelmed by the strident lighting and disco effects. A pity the play does not leave room for the imagination in its final moment.