Director: Christian Ditter
Writer: Juliette Towhidi (based on Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern)
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Drama
Starring: Lily Collins, Sam Claflin, Christian Cooke, Tamsin Egerton, Suki Waterhouse, Jaime Winstone
Runtime: 102 minutes
Language: English
Box Office: $25.5 million
Filming Locations: Dublin, Ireland & Toronto, Canada
Overview
Love, Rosie portrays a poignant romantic drama where two people, best friends, try to fall in love but in vain. Adapted from Cecelia Ahern’s novel Where Rainbows End, the film chronicles the life of Rosie (Lily Collins) and Alex (Sam Claflin), who keep running into obstacles that include neglected feelings, wrong timing, and missed opportunities.
Love, Rosie is a bittersweet depiction of love, friendship, and destiny, served with a sprinkling of comic relief along the edges. The film is on the better side of the “will-they-won’t-they” theme but the grim reality it encapsulates along with witty performances from the actors, makes it stand out among the rest. It features relatable issues that make the audience sympathize with the characters.
Plot Summary
Rosie Dunne (Lily Collins) and Alex Stewart (Sam Claflin) have been best friends since childhood, growing up in Dublin, Ireland. The duo has big dreams of studying in Boston, Alex wanting to go to medical school and Rosie wanting to study hotel management. Everything changes however when after a one-night stand with Greg (Christian Cooke), Rosie finds herself pregnant unexpectedly.
Deciding to keep her pregnancy a secret, Rosie moves alone and adjusts her lifestyle for her daughter Katie’s sake, all while Alex assumes she is following him to Boston after his move. Unsurprisingly, he relocates in hopes of pursuing a future with her.
Both Rosie and Alex navigate their own romantic relationships with the “wrong” partners during the next dozen years. Rosie has her husband Greg, while Alex has Sally. Regardless of the new complications in their lives, the underlying bond between both of them still remains.
When Rosie finally realizes how valuable she is and Alex’s marriage crumbles, the two are finally able to blend their lives together. After years of misunderstanding each other, will they finally take that chance?
Themes & Symbolism
- How Love Works with Time
Timely love is often neglected in relationships, but this film portrays it as the cornerstone of Rosie and Alex’s romance. Even though the two seemingly love each other, their timings are simply out of sync due to several other factors.
- Destiny Versus Decision
Even though choices frequently keep them apart, fate continually pulls them back together. One life, two cultures tackles this question: Is love more about fate, or our need to strive for it?
- Female Power & Self-Sufficient
Veronica Roth’s film is different from other romantic movies in that it shows the transformation of Rosie into a self-sufficient woman. She does not wait for Alex to save her; rather, she forges a successful career and transforms into a woman in love.
- The Nuances Of Love When Arising From Friendship
The work partnerships of Rosie and Alex stand on the bedrock of undying friendship which makes their romantic love very realistic and not something that has been forced.
Acting & Character Review
As Rosie Dunne, Lily Collins
She captures Rosie’s charm, vulnerability, and strength and masterfully balances the lighthearted and dramatic elements of the story to make Rosie one of the most adored romantic heroines in the last few years.
As Alex Stewart, Sam Claflin
With Collins his love interest, Alex captures the attention of many for his charm and warmth while exhibiting all the flaws of a human character. He exudes charm which makes him a dreamer romantically and a flawed hero. This alongside her willingness to engage and good chemistry makes the relationship appear sweet-sour and truly believable.
Christian Cooke as Greg
Greg is yet another toxic love interest, being overly self-centered and immature. Greg’s character highlights the selfishness of Rosie’s partner and what she truly deserves is the complete opposite of him.
Tamsin Egerton as Sally
Sally is Alex’s self-consumed girlfriend who does not care about him on a deeper level. This role further strengthens the case for Rosie and Alex being together irrespective of their different partners.
Lily Laight as Young Rosie and Jamie Beamish as Young Alex
Through their performances, the childhood bond shared by the characters comes off as believable and further strengthens the relationship that it is built on.
Critical Reception & Box Office
Rotten Tomatoes: 33% ( Critics ) / 70% ( Audience Score )
Metacritic: 44 (Mixed to Negative Reviews)
Box Office: 25.5 million dollars worldwide
Positive Reviews:
✔ Lily Collins & Sam Claflin’s Chemistry – They carry the film due to their genuine chemistry.
✔ Relatable Story – The emotions behind missed opportunities and improper timing feel authentic.
✔ Strong Characters Growth – Rosie’s development in becoming self-sufficient and loving towards herself is inspiring.
Criticisms:
❌ Cliché Romantic Tropes- As some critics noted, the film was bound to become formulaic at some point, and it did.
❌ Missed Emotion Depth- The movie rather simplistically touched on the themes the book elaborately explained.
❌ Rushed Ending- Some audience members felt the film hastily came to a close and quickly satisfied their need for more.
Meaningful Scenes & Favorite Highlights
- Rosie finding out she is pregnant after a one-night stand
This is perhaps the most relatable moment in the movie. Rosie being unable to study overseas is the fastest way for her to realize her goal is unattainable.
- Alex’s Wedding – The moving “What could have been” Point
The sheer pain that is evident when Rosie is forced to witness Alex getting married to someone else drives home the unpleasant and unfortunate timing of events.
- Rosie and Alex finally talk to each other
The outburst from all the frustration and resentment from the years of avoidance Add up to one of the most fulfilling moments in the whole movie.
- Rosie’s letter to Alex
One of the most endearing scenes stems from Rosie’s inability to tell Alex how she feels – It reveals her letter that she had written but never posted.
- The final meeting – Pregnancy: You were always ellipses it
Her stating to him that “you are always ellipses it” is very unsatisfying but touching, this to her signified an ending point of the story.
Thoughts on the Book & Production Notes
Based on the book Where Rainbows End, the central character undergoes much… While this timeline is altered completely for the movie, it has an easier time processing the material. Around 50+ years are recounted in the book, giving it far more freedom in comparison to the movie.
Dublin and Toronto, filmed in – The locations vary from Ireland to America, but Dublin does so much of the work.
Adjusted for Balance – The book as a whole is much darker and serious, which was blunted into a softer tone for a romantic-comedy theme.
Last Remarks: Should You Watch It?
✅ Let’s take a look at some reasons for watching this:
✔ Passionate heart warming romantic dramas filled with comedy (Me Before You, P.S. I Love You)
✔ Missed Love opportunities and second chances in a slow romance
✔ Independent fems who find love after personal development
❌ Avoid wasting your time if you are against:
✖ Using overused romantic ideas clichés with reduced imagination
✖ Movies surrounding poor timing and missed opportunities
✖ Mellow drama & emotional train wrecks
Final Verdict: A Sweet, Bittersweet, and Relatable Love Story
Love, Rosie is undoubtedly a cliche romance lovestory, but the relatability of its struggles alongside the chemistry of the cast makes it an emotional movie. This movie tugs at your emotion if you have ever thought about “the one who got away”. ❤️✨