Jacqueline Bisset has been an international star for nearly six decades. Today, as she approaches 80, she remains radiantly beautiful. In her new film "Loren & Rose" she plays a role which seems to have been written for her, that of an aging film star looking to revitalize her sagging career.
Rose Martin (Bisset) was once a huge star. Her breakout role, in 1972, saw her playing a nun who has a sizzling affair with a Black priest. But since then her career has faltered due to some personal scandals and a scathing tell-all book she wrote about Hollywood.
As "Loren & Rose" begins, Rose is taking a lunch meeting with Loren (Kelly Blatz), a gay filmmaker who won awards for his short film about his mother's death, which happened at the same time his ex-boyfriend cheated on him. Loren needs a star name in order to finance his first feature. Rose needs a good role in a good script.
The film is divided into three segments, Appetizer, Main Course and Dessert. Each segment focuses on the two leads as they engage in intimate luncheon conversations over the course of a few years.
At the end of the first segment Rose is briefly seen working on Loren's film, which gets her the best reviews she's had in years. During the second segment she declines to appear in Loren's second feature, but their friendship not only continues, it grows deeper.
"Loren & Rose" plays out a lot like the 1981 film "My Dinner With Andre," as most of the film is nothing more than Loren and Rose sitting at their lunch table talking. Their conversations are deep and intimate. As they bond, the viewer learns a great deal about who they are and what makes them tick.
Bisset is of course the film's main selling point. Her Rose is intense, a woman who has had more than her fair share of ups and downs. Bisset knows Rose well and plays her beautifully. Blatz, as Loren, is not the strongest actor, but he manages to hold his own against his much more famous co-star. In a sense the two stars are playing themselves as Rose is world famous, while Loren is up-and-coming, just like Bisset and Blatz.
Paul Sand, an actor who did a lot of television many years ago, is amusing as the restaurant host who has developed a friendship of sorts over the years. The two always greet each other warmly and are quite playful with each other.
Not much happens in "Loren & Rose" other than the two leads' conversations with each other. This isn't a film for everyone. But if you're a Bisset fan and would like to see her give one more great performance, then "Loren & Rose" might be the film for you. Writer/director Russell Brown shows himself to be a promising filmmaker. It'll be interesting to see what he comes up with next.
Loren & Rose, 82 mins, streaming at Amazon Prime. www.russellbrownfilmmaker.com
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