Buckley deserves to blow up in a major way with Wild Rose, which is not only her best acting role but also the first real opportunity American audiences have had to hear her sing.
She plays Rose-Lynn, an aspiring, gifted country singer whoâs stuck in hard-knuckle Glasgowâhalf a world away from Nashville. She desperately wants to make it, but whoever heard of a Scottish country singer? Rose-Lynn has other problems, too: Sheâs just finished a year in prison and is tied down by two young children sheâs not particularly equipped to raise.
With terrific supporting performances by Julie Walters as Rose-Lynnâs long-suffering mother and Sophie Okonedo as an affluent woman who wants to back the singerâs rise to stardom, Wild Rose is nonetheless a showcase for Buckleyâs explosive talents. The movie opens with her absolutely nailing Primal Screamâs âCountry Girl,â and she only gets better from there.
Thereâs been a recent rash of movies about women singers, from A Star Is Born to Vox Lux to Teen Spirit to Her Smell, and Wild Rose could easily get lost in that shuffle. Letâs hope it doesnât. Buckley is a not-to-be-missed talent, and in Wild Rose she positively singes holes in the screen.
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