Title: Love, Rosie

Starring: Lily Collins, Sam Claflin, Suki Waterhouse, Jaime Winstone, Christian Cooke and Lily Laight

Fearlessly pursuing your goals and dreams, no matter how many obstacles or conflicts stand in your way, is a praiseworthy stance not many people always have the courage to follow. But the two lead characters in director Christian Ditter’s new romantic comedy, ‘Love, Rosie,’ entrancingly proves that despite the continuous struggles people face in their personal and professional lives, their faith and persistence will lead them to their desires. The movie, which is based on Cecelia Ahearn’s acclaimed book, ‘Where Rainbows End,’ and penned by screenwriter Juliette Towhidi, mixes its relatable acting with its fascinating visuals to showcase that no matter what people go through in life, those who care the most for them will always be there to support them.

‘Love, Rosie’ follows the title character (Lily Collins) and her ever-evolving relationship with her long-time best friend, Alex (Sam Claflin), who have been close since they were children. While the two have secretly harbored romantic feelings for each other for years, both are afraid to reveal their true emotions to each other. After the two share their first kiss on Rosie’s 18th birthday, which she doesn’t remember after getting drunk, it’s a moment Alex continues to cherish afterward. As the two friends approach graduation and the decision of where they’ll attend college, Alex is accepted into medical school at Harvard on a full scholarship. Rosie also wishes to leave England and study hotel management at Boston College, partially to stay close to her friend, by

However, the friends’ plans to stay together suddenly change after Rosie realizes she became pregnant after a one night stand with their classmate, Greg (Christian Cooke), after the school dance. Rosie and Alex also drift apart after he brings another classmate, Bethany (Suki Waterhouse), to the dance, and they begin dating. So with the support of her new close friend, Ruby (Jaime Winstone), Rosie decides to stay in England and raise her daughter, Katie (Lily Laight plays the character as an adolescent). However, Rosie keeps both her pregnancy and the fact she received an acceptance letter from Boston College a secret from Alex, as she doesn’t hold him back.

But Alex eventually discovers the truth about Katie after she’s born, when he returns home to England during a school break. He’s determined to continue to offer Rosie emotional support as she raises her daughter and begins working in a local hotel with Ruby. While the two life-long friends remain in touch through emails and texts, Alex remains in Boston after he finishes college, and forms a long-term relationship with Sally (Alisha Heng). Although Rosie initially becomes disappointed over his new romance, he eventually realizes his differences with Sally years later, and ends the relationship.

Just when Rosie thinks she can finally be with Alex, as both aren’t involved in romances and Katie is becoming more independent as she develops into a pre-teen, Alex surprises Rosie again by announcing he reunited with Bethany, and they decided to get married. In the process, the childhood friends discover that even though they have a strong emotional connection, that doesn’t mean they’re destined to always be together, as they struggle to find out what really makes them happy, and where life is meant to bring them.

‘Love, Rosie’ is an amusing, yet equally sentimental, adaptation of ‘Where Rainbows End,’ as Towhidi’s screenplay effortlessly showcased the decade-long emotional struggle within both Rosie and Alex, as they contemplate the person they truly want to spend the rest of their lives with. While the two are both committed to following their chosen career paths, and Rosie is equally devoted to raising Katie through her childhood, the two captivatingly ponder why their romantic paths never seem to cross at the same time. The screenwriter impeccably chose the perfect entries from Ahern’s novel that powerfully showcase the two endearing, but at-times flawed, protagonists, and emphasize the relatability of their difficult struggles of giving up their truest desires to make their friend happy. From Rosie keeping her pregnancy hidden from Alex, so that he wouldn’t feel obligated to stay in England with her, to his continuous consideration of how his relationship with her affects Katie’s upbringing, the story proves they selflessly don’t want to let their own faults ruin their relationship, or the other person’s happiness.

Not only did Towhidi’s personal, charming script adaptation of Ahern’s best-selling novel, and Collins and Claflin’s natural, effortless portrayals of the romantic comedy’s lead characters, make the film’s story emotionally engaging, but ‘Love, Rosie’s aesthetics were also visually appealing. Production designer Matthew Davies and locations manager Gordon Wycherley, who shepherded the locations while the majority of the film was shot in Dublin, chose perfect settings that helped foster the deep personal connection between Rosie and Alex.

Even though the romantic comedy had a modest budget and short shooting schedule, the designer and manager brilliantly infused each location with its own unique characteristics. From the intimate spots they shot in throughout Dublin Airport, which served as both the US and UK airports, and intriguingly showcased the two friends’ determination to make their relationship work, to the Stoneybatter/Arbour Hill area, which is one of the oldest sections of Dublin, and provides the backdrop for Rosie’s adult home that reflects her deep-rooted convictions, the crew enthrallingly utilized every space to their advantage to visually chronicle the friends’ relationship.

The comedy’s distinct and powerfully experienced costume designer, Leonie Prendergast, also captivatingly showcased the natural evolution of the two main characters over the course of the 12 years the story takes place. Working with Ditter for more than five months before production began, in order to determine the specific looks for the two life-long friends in the film, especially Rosie, the designer intriguingly showcased their growing maturity.

Exploring thrift shops throughout London, where the majority of the story’s set, the designer expertly captured the warm tones, textures and bohemian style Rosie embraced, especially as she finished high school and prepared herself for motherhood. But as she settled into feeling comfortable raising Katie, Rosie undergoes a mature emotional transformation. That subtle change is impeccably shown through her vintage style, from the intricately embroidered beige dress she wears to Alex’s wedding to Bethany, to the glamorous coat she sports as she finally realizes her career goals.

‘Love, Rosie’ is a sentimental and relatable romantic comedy that instantly and effortlessly draws viewers into the endearing connection between two life-long friends. While Rosie and Alex continuously face obstacles that prevent them from honestly revealing their true feelings for each other, which is showcased in Towhidi’s charming script adaptation of Ahern’s award-winning novel, Collins and Claflin’s graceful portrayals of the true-to-life protagonists prove everyone’s dreams are within their reach, no matter what obstacles they have to overcome. Combined with the intriguing visual aesthetics, including its production and costume designs, the film is a gripping chronicle of people’s conflicting emotions about going after what they want, and doing the right thing.

Technical: B+

Written by: Karen Benardello