Rosie is a realistic depiction of a family experiencing sudden homelessness.  After their rented house is sold by their landlord without much time to prepare for change, daily life becomes a struggle to find a place to sleep.  Parents Rosie and John Paul (Sarah Greene, Moe Dunford) scramble to find vacancies in local hotels, keeping the truth away from their four children.

It’s a stressful film to watch and not entirely pleasant for movie goers but, then again, that’s the point.  Greene gives a powerhouse performance as Rosie, an invincible mother who stoically pushes through desperation with parental devotion.  But, she’s also slightly in denial;  refusing to acknowledge how hard up her family is under these dire circumstances.  This is why she starts to fall apart when other outsiders passing by silently judge her with sad glances or condescending comments.  Dunford, as a father who is often withdrawn from his family’s pressure to work long shifts, translates John Paul’s anxiousness effectively as well with the sparse scenes he has with Greene.

Director Paddy Breathnach (Viva) and screenwriter Roddy Doyle (The Commitments) abruptly drop audiences into this tense slice of life;  perhaps to have viewers literally live through the same repetitive strain that the film’s central family is feeling.  Though these characters could afford to be more developed, Rosie does give audiences an experience that will hang with them long after the credits roll.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie