Rose by Mark Rydell and Bette Middler To be honest, Mark Rydell suddenly disappointed me in this picture. Watching the films of this director, who made films with Steve McQueen and John Wayne, you expect to see an interesting melodrama about strong characters.
In “Rose” we will also meet with a strong character – we will talk about a singer who is very similar to Janis Joplin. It is true that the inner strength of her character can be argued.
She tries to be independent of people, but becomes addicted to drugs. She is rude, but at the same time achieves success with the public. Rather, it turns out the female counterpart of Jake "Mad Bull" La Motta.
It was a little surprising that Rydell took up a direct narrative story - I think it weakened the film very much.
However, the directness of the picture is probably completely balanced by the wonderful play of Bette Middler. She's just a big fan throughout the movie. Without a doubt, this is one of the best roles in her career. And in 1980, against the background of the acting work of Sally Field, Jane Fonda and Marsha Mason, it was the work of Bette Middler that much more deserved an Oscar.
In the end: The film itself looks a little boring - a simple narrative story, a biography of a scandalous singer. However, the only advantage of the film is the spherical game of Bette Middler. In fact, it was her first major role. This is a very significant bonus that can significantly change the opinion of the film.
6 out of 10