colonel_green Review of The Ballad of Jack and Rose

The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005)

This movie may contain overt, obvious symbolism.

[7/10 · 17 May 2005]

First off, a toast to this movie for being filmed in my home province of Prince Edward Island, and for giving my uncle a "Special Thanks" credit. Local connections aside, "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" (which I think sounds like an alternate title for "Titantic") is an unusual, offbeat, thoroughly "indie" movie, and it's definitely worth seeing for the contrast with standard Hollywood fare. Daniel Day-Lewis, a rare but welcome presence on our theatre screens, plays Jack, an aging hippie who lives with his daughter Rose (Camilla Belle, in a breathtaking performance) on an otherwise-deserted commune. The commune is a private nature park (go PEI!), but is being threatened by a developer (a cameo appearance by Beau Bridges), and, more pertinently, the arrival of Jack's girlfriend Kathleen (Catherine Keener) and her two sons (Ryan Macdonald and Paul Dano). Rose's isolationist childhood has rendered her rather sociopathic, and with an Elektra complex. She wants Kathleen dead, and she wants to get back at her father for his perceived betrayal. Day-Lewis gives a characteristically good performance, but the movie is, surprisingly, much more about Rose than Jack. Camilla Belle is a wonderful (and very beautiful) actress, and I hope her career is a success. It would be a shame to lose such a promising talent. Ryan Macdonald is notable as Kathleen's son Rodney, a warm and understanding character stuck in a rather depressing family. The film contains a great deal of obvious symbolism, which audiences will either enjoy or find irritatingly over-the-top. I guess I'm in the former camp. I give "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" a 7/10.