Review of The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005) by Dylan D — 29 Mar 2007
A near disaster, and would have been had Daniel Day-Lewis not single handedly saved the film himself.
Rarely do you encounter such a beautiful screenplay which is butchered into yet another clichéd teen melodrama. The film needed to be about the relationship between Lewis and Belle, and less focused on the interfering family.
The Ballad of Jack & Rose succeeds only by Day-Lewis's performance. In fact, had it not been for him, the film itself would be a complete and utter failure. Not suprising considering the legacy he has built.
Had this picture been cut approximately 25 minutes from the unecessary content, this would have been a neat little arthouse film. Once Keener's family is brought into the equation, it's downhill from there.
I would have expected more from a film that follows up Day-Lewis's next role from his post Gangs of New York era. However, one cannot fault Day-Lewis in the slightest.
If a single actor carries the film alone and succeeds, that is the sign of a true actor. Once again proving his worth, The Ballad of Jack & Rose is only worth the viewing to see Day-Lewis in yet another brilliant performance.
This review of The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005) was written by Dylan D on 29 Mar 2007.
The Ballad of Jack and Rose has generally received positive reviews.
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