This debut feature from Irish director Vivienne De Courcy is cliche-heavy but looks pretty gorgeous
Gosh! This is pretty. First-time director Vivienne De Courcy tells the true story of maverick Wexford garden designer Mary Reynolds, who, at the age of 27, became the youngest ever winner of a gold medal at the Chelsea Garden Show in 2002 with her Celtic sanctuary and back to nature design.
Dare to Be Wild cross-pollinates meditations on Gaia theory, Celtic Zen, and a kooky romance to fashion a likeable but clichéd film overdosing on saturated colours, clunky dialogue and characters who’ve strolled into view from central casting. No matter, just sit back and let those gorgeous views of Ireland and further afield wash over you.
On her crusade to bring us all back to the garden, Mary (Emma Greenwell) meets pretty nature boy Christy Collard (Tom Hughes) who has different ideas about how best to preserve our natural habitat (no, not Starbucks). They bicker but she ends up following him to Ethiopia where the cradle of civilisation provides further eye candy for De Courcy’s hungry lens.
It’s all a bit `hello flowers, hello trees’ in its hippy dippy feelgood vibe but there is a lot to be said for self-belief and following your dreams. Mary Reynolds certainly did and so has De Courcy with this pretty first-time feature.
In fact, she may even be pioneering a whole new genre: lilies and geraniums, I give you the eco rom com. See it and help save the world.
Alan Corr @corralan
