Male as I am, and fan of many different genres of film, I've always - I must confess - had a bit of a thing for old-fashioned love stories, especially where they involve good-looking people, and most of all where there is impossible or unrequited or Romeo/Juliet type love in there. In such circumstances, the heartstrings can genuinely be pulled and full sympathy evoked.
But the snag with Christian Ditter's "Love, Rosie" is that NOTHING really stood in the way of Alex (Sam Claflin) and Rosie (a beautiful Lily Collins) being together to whatever extent they wished. At least that's so if one discounts two, let's say, tenets of life that may or may not be cliched rubbish. The first is the idea that at some point somebody can become "more like a brother/sister" - conceivably true, but you've only got to see the way these two look at each other to realise they are deeply in love. The second issue resembles what we see in - say - the first part of Jane Eyre, where it becomes clear that the friendship and love that the two characters have is MORE perfect than could be contained in any marriage.
Perhaps one or both of these factors apply to Alex and Rosie, so one way or another they keep getting hitched to others in ways that prevent them fully being together - even though at no point are they truly apart either. That looks a bit like having your cake and eating it, and is faintly annoying. Also annoying is the apparent pretence that the virtually-all-British cast are not in Ireland and Dublin - as they clearly are, but somewhere in the UK (of course when they are not in Toronto, pretending to be Boston).
Anyway, the film offers many pretty scenes, and many (mostly pretty) people, as well as the force-of-nature, irresistible and overhelming beauty of Collins, whose character is also quite gutsy, as neatly set against the overt sexiness (but ultimately lesser attractions) of parts played with less impact by Tamsin Egerton and Suki Waterhouse.
But most of this is actually frustrating, because we probably can't actually buy into the factors of various kinds that keep our star-crossed lovers apart. The biggest question of all would of course be whether they could possibly remain unaware of their love for each other? It seems inconceivable. But then maybe this is indeed a symbiosis that goes even beyond love - one that doesn't actually need constant togetherness and marriage?
That would be sort-of beautiful were it to be true, but is it?
In spite of it all, this IS a film with romantic power and a certain amount to commend it (including a most welcome "separate" performance of warmth and quality from Jaime Winstone as Rosie's best (female) friend and co-worker.)
But isn't it just a bit daft somewhere down the line? And all the more so as the makers have to jump through some hoops - and shove various characters aside - in order to FINALLY ensure a happy ending.
But the snag with Christian Ditter's "Love, Rosie" is that NOTHING really stood in the way of Alex (Sam Claflin) and Rosie (a beautiful Lily Collins) being together to whatever extent they wished. At least that's so if one discounts two, let's say, tenets of life that may or may not be cliched rubbish. The first is the idea that at some point somebody can become "more like a brother/sister" - conceivably true, but you've only got to see the way these two look at each other to realise they are deeply in love. The second issue resembles what we see in - say - the first part of Jane Eyre, where it becomes clear that the friendship and love that the two characters have is MORE perfect than could be contained in any marriage.
Perhaps one or both of these factors apply to Alex and Rosie, so one way or another they keep getting hitched to others in ways that prevent them fully being together - even though at no point are they truly apart either. That looks a bit like having your cake and eating it, and is faintly annoying. Also annoying is the apparent pretence that the virtually-all-British cast are not in Ireland and Dublin - as they clearly are, but somewhere in the UK (of course when they are not in Toronto, pretending to be Boston).
Anyway, the film offers many pretty scenes, and many (mostly pretty) people, as well as the force-of-nature, irresistible and overhelming beauty of Collins, whose character is also quite gutsy, as neatly set against the overt sexiness (but ultimately lesser attractions) of parts played with less impact by Tamsin Egerton and Suki Waterhouse.
But most of this is actually frustrating, because we probably can't actually buy into the factors of various kinds that keep our star-crossed lovers apart. The biggest question of all would of course be whether they could possibly remain unaware of their love for each other? It seems inconceivable. But then maybe this is indeed a symbiosis that goes even beyond love - one that doesn't actually need constant togetherness and marriage?
That would be sort-of beautiful were it to be true, but is it?
In spite of it all, this IS a film with romantic power and a certain amount to commend it (including a most welcome "separate" performance of warmth and quality from Jaime Winstone as Rosie's best (female) friend and co-worker.)
But isn't it just a bit daft somewhere down the line? And all the more so as the makers have to jump through some hoops - and shove various characters aside - in order to FINALLY ensure a happy ending.