Love, Rosie - film analysis

Institutional information

The romantic comedy Love, Rosie was released in 2014, and the 102 minute film has a 7.2 star rating on the IMDB website. Directed by Christian Ditter, the film has currently earned $14,893; it was produced by Canyon Creek Films .

Narrative 

Love, Rosie is a romance film that follows the relationship between Rosie and Alex as they grow up, and how their relationship changes; the characters are played by Sam Claflin and Lily Collins. The film immediately follows stereotypical conventions of a romantic film, by developing a relationship between two characters that inevitably fails, forming the disruption in the movie. It also conventionally follows a stereotypical narrative, by using flash backs and flash-forwards within the opening scene. The narrative is clearly linear as it follows the journey of the characters as they grow up and form a relationship.

Mise en scene

The opening to Love, Rosie begins with an introducing medium close up shot of one of the main
characters, Rosie, looking emotional and not paying attention to the surroundings. The way she looks signifies that something or someone has upset or hurt her; a stereotypical feature of a romantic film. She is wearing a smart dress and has her make up and hair done, suggesting that she is at an event or a party - this is confirmed when the camera zooms out and shows what appears to be a wedding venue, shown by the typical wedding decoration and other characters attire. The inclusion of a marriage in a romantic comedy, especially paired with the facial expressions of Rosie, would suggest that there has been a disruption in the film, a conventional feature of the genre.

The opening then flashes back to when the main character was a child and playing with a little boy, presumed to be the second important character in the film. Referring to their relationship early on in the film allows the audience to connect with the pair, engaging them into the movie, making it more compelling to watch. The background of the flash backs - mainly in medium and long shots - allows us to discover that the film is set in modern times, as there is up to date technology, fashion, buildings, however there is no indication as to the country that the film is set in.
The proxemics of the characters as the flashbacks play signify a closeness in relationship, relating to the genre of the film.

The lighting of all the shots is bright, representing that Love, Rosie is a positive film, something that fits with the comedy side of the genre. There are occasional low key lighting, but only at times when a character is upset, representing the mood of the scene. 

Editing/camera angles

The first shot shows a close up of a main character that gradually zooms out to reveal more information on the location of the film. The zoom out creates a slightly dramatic effect as the audience are unaware as to why the character looks emotional. There is no set establishing shot, but it is made clear through the mise en scene where the opening is based. There are a lot of two shots with both characters in; this is something that represents the relationship that the film is based on, showing how they become closer. Equally, close ups are frequent, as they present the emotion of the characters to the audience. The film uses a few low angle shot of the two children together where they are holding hands; this particular shot works to present the children's 'relationship' as strong as

by looking up towards them and their hands it connotes that the relationship is dominant and strong. The camera transitions from deep focus of Rosie to shallow focus of them holding hands, possibly representing the transition or change in their relationship.
A variety of typography is used in the opening sequence; that of the credits and also hand written sub-heading to match the dialogue. Both fonts are white which has connotations of purity, and innocence, something that is reflected though the child play and close bond that the children share. The typography of the credits is quite a modern style, signifying the time that the film is set in, and the handwritten typography is used almost like notes that the character has written, sharing a part of how the person thinks with the audience, allowing them to relate and connect to the character.

Sound

Throughout the entire opening sequence, there is a pre-recorded sound bridge that plays over the film, with ambient sound in the background. The sound bridge is a very up beat song, something that is stereotypical in romantic comedies, particularly the comedy aspect.

 The diegetic sound helps the audience to build up an idea as to the location as there is no specific establishing shot. During the opening sequence there is a voice over provided by the main character that gives the audience an insight as to how the character thinks and feels - this helps to create a strong connection between the audience and the character. The voice over is represented as the thoughts that are in her head. 

Conclusion

Overall, I would say that the opening to Love, Rosie is an effective opening; this is because it engages the audiences attention by focusing on the two main characters, and it signifies that as in all romantic comedies, they will inevitably fall in love. It shows the audience with in two minutes the journey the pair have been on, and it sets the viewers up to continue watching how their relationship changes. This pulls them in, making them want to watch more.