The Ballad of Jack and Rose

Okay, first of all, I am not a crier. So when a movie moves me to tears, it's pretty damn good in my book. The Ballad of Jack and Rose was phenomonal. Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Jack, who lives with his daughter, Rose (Camilla Belle), on a small island off the east coast. The island used to be a hippie commune, but Jack and Rose are the only ones left now (in 1986). Rose has grown accustomed to it being only her and her father and is naive about a lot of things, including coming to terms with her sexuality. Her life is turned upside down when her father brings his lover and her two sons in to live with them. He wants Rose to have someone to take care of her when he's gone. You find out early on that Jack has heart problems and the fact that he could die soon does not sit well with Rose. She vows that when he dies, she will die as well.




Daniel Day-Lewis and Camilla Belle were AMAZING. I've only remembered Day-Lewis from the mid-90's film, the Crucible, and Camilla Belle from the recent remake of When a Stranger Calls. She really proved that she can act in this movie.



The film is definitely unsettling with the notion of the father/daughter relationship possibly going to far, but I think it was portrayed well. I really felt for these characters and they stuck with me long after the movie was over. It's heartbreaking to see Rose's devotion to her father and him trying to not cross the father/daughter line. I was reminded a bit of the Kevin Bacon movie, The Woodsman. They both touch on horrific, taboo topics (pedophilia, incest) but still make you feel for the characters instead of just labeling them as "monsters".

The ending was a little surprising. Although, I was somewhat dissapointed. I guess I'm just a sucker for tragic endings.

This is highly recommended if you like off-beat, independent films. Definitely not for everyone.