Rose Plays Julie: Revenge Thriller Tackles Adoption/Identity Issue with Powerful Results
By Thom Ernst
Rating: B
For some, the film Rose Plays Julie will have a more profound, personal significance. I am one.
But this is a film that proposes to be a psychological revenge-thriller so, at least for me, the connection is fleeting. Issues the film effectively addresses—that of the adoptee's right versus the right of the birth parent—are overpowered by a second-act reveal.
The film is strong enough in performance and direction to survive any discrepancies between the social drama it begins as with the revenge thriller it becomes. Still, Rose Plays Julie's sudden turn of events feels like an intrusion on a better story.
Rose Plays Julie is the story of a young woman (Ann Skelly) who discovers later in life that she is adopted. Understandably, the revelation is traumatizing and sends her on a search for her identity. Her search leads to a woman with a teenage daughter and a successful acting career. Rose uncovers a dark truth about her past.
(Adoption gatekeepers frequently use the possibility of discovering something painful as a deterrent to seeking out birth parents).
At first, Rose's clumsy attempts to connect with her birth parent meets with resistance. But Rose is persistent in utilizing unethical methods that border on stalking to gain access. Indeed, we are concerned about Rose's mental state.
Rose's trance-like stare reveals an internal pain that muddles through even when she smiles. The film might have presented an intriguing dilemma—and an unsympathetic portrait of adoptees—should a child return to torment the birth parent.
Adoption remains a contentious issue. Advocating for the adoptees' right to confront their past, heritage, and history has put me at odds with family, friends, and even a neighbour. Many adoptees are familiar with the adage: My parents are the ones who raised me. It's imposed as the right thing to say.
That might be true, but it doesn't negate the need to provide answers to the questions about your past. I don't speak for all adoptees but put aside a more ethereal quest for understanding where you come from, there remains the need to be aware of your family health history, both physical and mental.
That might seem excessive information in a film review, yet the questions arise, even if only to those adopted while watching Rose Plays Julie.
PROUDLY SUPPORTS ORIGINAL-CIN
In other words: I'm on Rose's side.
It would be interesting to know if either Joe Lawlor or Christine Molloy, the directors and writers of Rose Plays Julie, are adopted or have adopted. They have likely said as much in an interview. But maybe it doesn't matter.
I'm not calling out for proper representation; there are more severe representation issues for cinema to deal with. Still, it does pose a specific concern, even if only for a small percentage of people. I guess Lawlor and Molloy know something of adoption given Rose's legitimate drive to fill in the blanks of her identity even if she comes across as a bit of an outlier.
And Rose's disassociation is effectively illustrated through the vague glimpse of children in reflections cast off the sheen of a car door or in the intense connection between a man and his adopted pet.
As a thriller, Rose Plays Julie has all the driving beat of a string quartet. The nuances are quiet enough to be considered tranquil even as the film builds from Rose going from soul-searcher to vigilante. Skelly's restrained performance as Rose casts off an aura of discreet restitution. As Ellen, Rose's birth mother, Orla Brady keeps pace with Skelly, raising the emotional level only slightly to accommodate the film's emotional crescendo.
Rose Plays Julie. Written and directed by Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy. Starring Ann Skelly, Orla Brady, and Aiden Gillen. Available March 19 through virtual cinema, VOD and digital.