Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

A complex affair
By Sumaya Samarasinghe
The Ballad Of Jack And Rose
Directed by Rebecca Miller
Starring Daniel Day Lewis, Catherine Keener and Camilla Belle
Rebecca Miller who is Arthur Miller’s daughter made her directorial debut with a film called Terminal Velocity, which wasn't bad. She married Daniel Day Lewis, probably one of the most intense actors of this decade, who won an Oscar for My Left Foot. They each pursued their careers, she as a writer/director, and he as an actor, and then of course what had to happen did happen; their talents met and a movie was the result.

The Ballad Of Jack And Rose is about Jack and his 16-year-old daughter, Rose, who live on an isolated island in the East Coast. Rose does not go to school, nor does she have any friends her age. Her life revolves around her father and their home, which was once the location of a commune. But Jack is seriously ill, and knows that soon Rose will be alone.

One day he asks his mainland girlfriend and her two teenage sons to move in. The anti-social Rose, who has never really been exposed to any form of society, discovers a whole new world, which clashes with her hippy type of lifestyle.

The location is great, the filming very good, the acting excellent, but from the very beginning the seasoned cinema viewers know what is going to happen at the end, and I find that a little disappointing.

It is quite obvious that Rose is in love with her father, because she is so possessive of him, and goes through extensive trouble to get the girlfriend and her family out of her way. Sometimes her methods are bordering on childish – putting snakes near the girlfriend, who of course ends up jumping on top of her bed, screaming. The father and daughter understand and support each other, and that’s what all good fathers do. But Rose’s bond goes beyond that; perhaps a result of her isolation. But I would dare not theorise on this.

If you have some extra time on your hands during a weekend, do watch this film, because other than being a little slow moving and predictable, The Ballad Of Jack And Rose really does not have anything wrong with it.
Plus, having Daniel Day Lewis in a film is a bit of an event!

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