Film Review: New Irish drama ‘Rosie’ takes a personal look at housing crisis

Last week, we were invited to the press screening of Rosie at Pálás Cinema, Galway’s art house cinema. Rosie is a drama about family homelessness in Dublin written by Irish novelist, dramatist and screen writer, Roddy Doyle.

Rosie tells the story of a family of six who are forced to move out of their rented home of seven years when their landlord decides to sell it. With rent in Dublin out of their price range and buying out of the question, the family are left to stay in hotels while they search for a new home. We would highly recommend you see this Roddy Doyle drama that hits the big screens on October 11th. We would also recommend you wear waterproof mascara!

In this Drama, Roddy Doyle establishes Ireland as having the highest growing rates of family homelessness in Europe. Over 36 hours, we are plunged into the life of the tight knit family of Rosie, husband John Paul and their four children. While John Paul works long, unstable hours as a kitchen porter, the young mothers’ life is becoming a weary, repetitive existence of calling a list of hotels for her family to sleep. A family room for a week, four nights… one night.
Nothing about the family’s situation is portrayed as extraordinary or melodramatic. However, the familiarity of the family’s everyday life does not diminish the heartbreak of their struggle.

The list of hotels she rings spreads from all sides of the expansive Dublin, to outside of the county. In just 36 hours, we see their world physically shrink down. Getting smaller and smaller until their whole life is inside their car.

The music by Stephen Renicks inflates the love, humour and the upset of the family of six while delicate scenes of affection are stressed by the subjective cinematography by Cathal Watters. And while It’s so lovely for us to hear the childish utterance of “Mammy” on the big screen, and touching scenes portray the powerful bond between a husband and wife, and their love for their children, it seems that very little can curtail the family’s worsening situation.

Watch the trailer below, and see Rosie on the big screen at Pálás from 11 October. Get movie times here.

Words by Éilis Cosgrove. Photo via Irish Times: https://bit.ly/2Nwwyyw