Film - Adult Adoption

Steve Taylor-Bryant watched Adult Adoption, which got its world premiere last night as part of Glasgow Film Festival...

Rosy (Ellie Moon) is a 25-year-old bank teller who ‘aged out’ of the foster care system at 18 and has since managed to build a solid yet unspectacular life for herself. Desperate to fill that parental void, she seeks out an online service that connects older adults looking for adult surrogate children. In turn, this takes Rosy on a surreal journey to find that familial love she has long been searching for.

I am not sure that I am the target audience for this film, I didn’t have the upbringing played out in Adult Adoption, but there was still much to enjoy from the film for me. There is a loneliness portrayed by Ellie Moon as Rosy that is heart-breaking but the way the film takes the ultra-serious emotions and mixes in quirky reactions to them is appealing as a viewer. I do understand the "not liking change" aspect of Rosie’s life, it is something I struggle with more often than I would like and seeing a comedic take on it was oddly pleasurable. The elements of the story involving Rosie worrying about her old friend Nola becoming part of a cult was an interesting spin in the story but, if I am honest, much of the script beyond these things was a little beyond me.

I found Adult Adoption a little repetitive in places, and not for me in others, and the (I am going to sound like my dad now) weird dance music of the soundtrack was annoying to me. None of this is the fault of the filmmakers, it’s definitely because a man in his late 40’s just doesn’t ‘get’ something, but I wish I had found a way in because some of it was interesting. There is certainly an audience for it somewhere, I’m just sorry it wasn’t with me this time.

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Images - Glasgow Film Festival

Glasgow Film Festival runs until 13th of March. See what's on when and book tickets at the GFF22 website.