Movie Review – From Hollywood to Rose

Eve Annenberg plays a woman wearing a wedding dress wandering the streets of downtown Los Angeles at night, where she encounters a variety of individuals who all seem to have their own stories to share with her. Although she says very little in the film, she listens and learns from the stories shared by her newfound acquaintances she meets and greets along the way – her interactions helping her to develop a renewed appreciation for love and life.
Most of the characters in this film are not given proper names. Instead, they are identified by description or by some physical characteristic. So, the main character wearing the wedding dress is called ‘Woman in Wedding Dress’. By the conclusion of the film, the viewer has become familiar with the stories behind the characters…while never actually learning their names.
Over the length of one evening, three bus rides, and one burrito shop the Woman in the Wedding Dress appears open to listening to those individuals she encounters, then responding with advice to their distresses and concerns as needed. She befriends a couple of movie and comic book geeks, who then seem to become intrigued by her and decide to tag along. While attempting to settle their arguments, it becomes clear that the Woman in the Wedding dress knows a thing or two about modern pop culture, as she is able to carry discussions and respond to any prompts given to her.
While the supporting characters are allowed time to have their stories told during their brief run-ins, the Woman in the Wedding Dress’ tale is told throughout the length of the film. Having her wander the streets in her wedding dress without a single costume change is a constant reminder that her story is ongoing and unresolved, while also helping to maintain interest and curiosity into her story and whether hers can compete with the variety of other stories told throughout the course of that evening.
The overall style of this film has the look and feel of a Jim Jarmusch film (Night on Earth), while maintaining a dialogue consistently containing and siting pop culture references at random moments between characters – reminiscent of early Kevin Smith films.
From Hollywood to Rose is an interesting little film which speaks volumes into how random encounters with individuals can be both coincidental and meaningful and how despite their differences, everyone has a relatable story to tell.