Moving On

Hollywood excels at putting beautiful young people on our screens, even if it means matching a young woman with a very older man as a love interest. It's long annoyed me but Hollywood don't listen to reviews.

This film is a delightful tale of 4 older people who all share a common history, and 2 of the surviving ones want to correct some of that history. The lengths they go to is absurd but very funny.

I always think of Lily Tomlin as a female Woody Allen and she never changes, she is always good. Jane Fonda remains beautiful and just as engaging on screen as she ever was. Malcom McDowell despite his age now still exudes the violent and threatening demeanour he displayed all those years ago in Clockwork Orange.

Not the best film of the year but a thoroughly enjoyable one, and a brilliant reminded that ageing actors can still give great performances.

This is a terrific little black comedy that somehow flew under the radar. It's very slight - I like to call movies like this an appetizer - but what it does, it does very well. Black comedy is very tough to pull off, but this film does a splendid job of maintaining its bite while still allowing moments of emotion and humanity that never feel manipulative. It is not a politically correct movie, and many will balk at the origins of its humor, but that's what I personally appreciated about it. Both Fonda and Tomlin are great, and they've obviously honed their chemistry to an art form after their decades working together. One could rightfully call them the Lemmon & Matthau of today's cinema. They are a joy to watch here, together and apart, and Fonda is particularly radiant. There is also a fantastic, beautifully understated performance by Richard Roundtree as Fonda's ex-husband that exudes charm and elegance. This film succeeds in melding comedy and drama where many other, bigger movies have failed. Credit director and co-writer Weitz, who also directed Tomlin in one of her best performances in GRANDMA as well as the fantastic Hugh Grant film ABOUT A BOY. I encourage you to check this one out if you have the opportunity. It's a definite hidden treasure.

On the surface, another star-vehicle comedy milking Boomers getting old. But there's no treacle and smug self-satisfaction at having made it into Californian affluenza, or having "transited to a new house of life" and fantasizing that you've matured past all that silly youthful Sixties stuff. But: at the next level down, it's an unsloppy depiction of daily life for the demographic bulge of Boomer seniors waiting for the day they have to trade independent for assisted living (if they can afford it). And below that, a surprisingly ambitious piece of film art dealing with some material that is not generationally bounded: women's sexual autonomy, and its being put under threat by the experience of "me too", and the brutal reality of abusive male sexual behavior towards women, induced by substance abuse or not, and its being accepted as "it happens". And the lifelong scars that it leaves. And the incompleteness of the 1960-1970s sexual revolution, especially for men. Not a perfect movie by any means, but gutsy filmmaking by a couple industry masters. Jane and Lily mugged just a little too much some of the time, but they deliver the material it looks like they were intending to deliver. Oh, and with all due respect, they look great. Well done.

IN A NUTSHELL: If you're a fan of the popular TV show Grace & Frankie, you're in for more of the same goofy fun from this dynamic duo. Their chemistry together is undeniable and entertaining.

The story of this movie is about two old friends who reconnect at a funeral and decide to get revenge on the widower who messed with them decades before. The movie is written and directed by Paul Weitz.

THINGS I LIKED: Jane Fonda is usually dolled up to look much younger, but in this movie, she's starting to look her age. Of course, she's still beautiful. She's 85 years old and still pumping out movies like crazy.

Lilly Tomlin is always delightful and, truly shines in this movie. Together, they're reliably entertaining. What impressed me was not the actresses' comedic chops, because we already know they've got the funny bone in spades. The serious drama required them to stretch and show us they've still got it.

It was nice to see Malcolm McDowell in something again too. I always enjoyed his performances.

It's really great to see that aging stars can still find an audience in Hollywood.

I had to laugh at the special request for bacon from one of the characters. Mmmm...bacon.

The issues of aging is taken very seriously in this film; however, murder and revenge are not. Hmm...

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: The plot trudges along, shifting tone and pacing.

It's very dark with not much humor. When these two stars are paired together, we expect much more humor.

There are several scenes at night that will appear very dark if/when you watch this on a small streaming device.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be completely bored since the movie is all about older people talking.

Talk of murder Two women try to purchase a gun in California Alcohol A woman encourages a young boy's desire to wear girls' clothes and jewelry.

A woman talks about her lesbian lover.

Profanity, including an F-bomb.

An unmarried couple sleeps together. (We don't see anything though.)

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This film is done a huge disservice by being slotted into the "comedy" genre, but I'm disappointed to see people on this site rating it as though that miscategorization were a flaw of the film itself. It should be judged on its merits, as a realistic film with a lot of dramatic, painful moments amid the more humorous ones. Painful themes of homophobia, misogyny, and sexual violence are explored, but it never gets overly didactic-everything is grounded in storytelling, and the dark is offset by the light. If you want a zany screwball comedy, go elsewhere. But if you would like a really resonant film about female friendship, strength, and resilience that also happens to have some very funny moments, please treat yourself to this gem of a movie.