“Loren & Rose” showcases the enormous talent of Jacqueline Bisset in her role as Rose Martin an actress rising to great acclaim in “Lisa Overnight” her greatest commercial success and her biggest curse as once you reach the summit it may be more of a slide down as how much room is there left to ascend once you are at the peak? It was certainly not with, “Mega Gator’s Mom” and a series of B and C films that followed her breakout role.
Young and upcoming film director Loren (Kelly Blatz) hot off the success of a short film that has traversed the festival circuit meets Martin for lunch at Martin’s favourite restaurant in Topanga Canyon (now devastated by the ongoing Los Angeles County wildfires). Over the next five years they meet at the same restaurant Martin acting as muse and confidant to an uncertain and anxious Loren trying to build a film director career.
The discussions between Martin and Loren are intense and the restaurant becomes a stage for Bisset and Blatz to showcase their impressive talents. The film ostensibly is about the bourgeoning mentor-mentee relationship between Martin and Loren but it is more about life in general and in particular about acting, directing, the history of theatre, art, the meaning of cinema, creativity and commercialism, approaches of different directors, love and grief. Martin is a treasure trove of life and professional experience which is received with gratitude but not without challenge by Loren.
While Bisset and Blatz excel in their roles one senses solid chemistry between them throughout that often one may forget they are acting as their relationship seems ensconced in reality more than in their acting. The last supper scene is positively memorable and what a swan song for veteran Bisset and the lesser know Blatz.
And Paul Sand as Phil the owner of the restaurant is understated, witty and sarcastic yet at times effusive.
The acting ability of Bisset and Blatz is accentuated by the solid foundation of writing and directing by Russell Brown.
“Loren and Rose” will be available exclusively 28January2025 on Amazon Prime.
I am not going to include a link to the trailer here as the film must be watched and digested in its entirety so offering you tidbits in a trailer does great injustice to it.
RKS 2025 Film Rating 93/100.
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