ROSIE

Ireland, 2019, 86 minutes, Colour.

Sarah Greene, Molly Mc Cann, Darren McKenzie, Ruby Dunne, Ellie O'Halloran, Moe Dunford.

Directed by Paddy Breathnach.

Rosie is an Irish drama, with a top screenplay by novelist Roddy Doyle (The Commitments) and directed by veteran Irish director, Paddy Breathnach (I Went Down, Blow Dry, Viva). It was strongly topical at the time of its release at the end of the 2010 is. It continues to be relevant, with the problems of high rental, scarcity of accommodation, evictions, families living in cars and the consequences for relationships.

Sarah Greene is a strong Rosie, mother of four children, wife to John Paul who has to keep working after the family is evicted because the landlord wants the house and land for redevelopment. For much of the film, Rosie and the children are in their car, even having to spend the night in the car. And there are consequences for the young children, problems at school and the authorities wanting reassurance that the family is stable, one of the little boys running off to the old home to play on the trampoline, care for the youngest children.

The film is quite harrowing to watch because it is so well written and so well acted. Many audiences will identify with the situation, with the characters – but it is an appeal for compassion and understanding.

1. Dublin, 21^st-century, the homeless? A Roddy Doyle script? Insight? Compassion?
2. The city of Dublin, ordinary streets, homes, hotels and interiors, schools? Authentic feel? The musical score?
3. The action taking place over two days? The effect? Identifying with the family, with Rosie, the children? In the car?
4. The situation, the landlord selling the house, the family homeless? Arrangements for hotel accommodation, booked out? Continuous phone calls? Travelling around in the car?
5. Audience identifying with Rosie, her age, background, bad memories of her father, clashes with her mother, not wanting to stay in the family house, her sister also not visiting? Young with her first child, the other three? Her relationship with John Paul? Strong, moments of desperation, emotional, the impact of the refusals at the hotels, the night at the hotel and managing? Getting the children to school, picking them up? Kayleigh and her disappearance, tracking her down, at her friends? The discussion with the school principal? The girls criticising for the sister being smelly? Her losing her temper with the children, dragging Archie from the trampoline?
6. John Paul, love for Rosie, his work, overtime, the phone calls, coming to meet them, discussions with his boss, the meals, in the car, the search for Kayleigh? His sitting out in the parking lot?
7. The four children, their ages, personalities, the three girls, Archie? In the car, behaviour according to their age, squabbling, wanting to go to the toilet, the dolls, the visit to the old house, the trampoline? Kayleigh, at school, going off with her friend? The two girls, travelling, at school, smelly? Needing to go to the toilet? The grandmother? The experience of being in the car, homeless, the hotels? The final, sleeping in the car?
8. Work situations? Hotels, accommodation, the city of Dublin’s help? Booked out? Getting ready for bed in the toilet at the diner?
9. Rosie’s mother, memories of the past, Rosie resenting her father? The invitation to stay? Her having to make an ultimate decision about staying?
10. A gruelling experience to watch, identifying, compassion?