The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005)
At first "The Ballad of Jack and
Rose" starts out being about the kind of person that
you hate: An old hippie. Daniel Day- Lewis, as Jack,
and Camilla Belle, as Rose, live on an secluded island
off the East coast of the USA and do all the things
that old hippies do, grow their own food, use wind
power and read books. An opening credit tells us it's
1986, so we assume that Jack is a 60's leftover who
is raising his daughter away from the corrupting influences
of modern technology, things like running water and
television. It's all nice and idyllic and scored by
a Bob Dylan song. Uck.
Then Paul Fucking Dano comes on
the scene and the film comes to life. Dano, probably
best known for his role in the daring "L.I.E.," is
hot, wearing t-shirts that don't fit him (yummy) and
swaggering rock and roll bravado around like a fucking
torch to light up the boredom that has been going
on up until this point. He's aided in this feat by
Catherine Keener (who I still refuse to like after
the abysmal "Being
John Malkovich") and Ryan McDonald, who starts
out just being a fat kid and ends up being the best
character in the movie. Granted, McDonald is given
a lot of help by writer/director Rebecca Miller who
has only created this little hippie oasis in the beginning
of the film so she can rip it wide open in the second
act.
Belle, who just becomes more and
more amazing with every frame of this film, is also
given one of the freshest, most daring, most eye-opening
characters in film in aeons. And Belle takes this
amazing creature and makes her soar. It is amazing
where this film goes. I won't even hint at it. It
is incredible. It's been a long time that a film which
started so boringly has turned around and become so
audacious. This is the best coming-of-age film with
a teenage female in the protagonist's role in quite
some time.
"The Ballad of Jack and Rose" is
like a song that starts out as a typical 70's ballad
and eventually evolves into one of the most amazing
rock songs you've ever heard. And it will be tough
to sing when your jaw hits the floor at the film's
adventurous plot twists.
Notes:
Also with Beau Bridges, Jason Lee,
and Jena Malone.
In addition to several by Dylan,
there are also songs by Leo Kottke, John Mayall and
Nina Simone among others.
At one time the film was to be called
"Rose and the Snake."
Filmed in Canada.
The film debuted at Sundance. It
has been picked up by IFC Films for an arthouse run
to begin in late March, 2005.
Viewed at SXSW in March 2005.
