My Review - Queen Bees
My Rating 7/10
You wouldn't expect an Academy Award winning 6 time nominated actress like Ellen Burstyn who also has a Tony and two Primetime Emmys making her one of the few performers to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting " to accept a dud film script and Queen Bees is certainly no dud .
It's a funny sensitive story about 4 mature age women negotiating the trials and tribulations of the many changes of longevity that if we're lucky enough to get there we may all experience.
Todays Cinema rom com movies are mostly aimed at younger audiences so it's great to see a quality mature age romance comedy.
Set mostly at The Pinegrove Retirement Complex Ellen Burstyn as Helen Wilson a very independent widow is experiencing some problems living alone.
Helen and her daughter Laura have a strained relationship but eventually Helen and her family decide through upsetting circumstances that their spirited and strong willed mother and much loved Grandmother to Peter played delightfully by Matthew Barnes can no longer live alone .
Helen reluctantly agrees move temporarily into Pinegrove until her precious home is repaired.
Ellen Burstyn steals this film she is such an accomplished and authentic actress you believe her experiences and emotions.
Of course there are some hokey perhaps corny gags in Queen Bees this movie has heart and certainly is entertaining and worth seeing.
There's some wonderful Hollywood veterans in Queen Bees Ann Margaret as Margo still on the hunt for romance, James Caan gives a lovely performance as Dan Simpson the would be suitor of Helen. The three other Queen Bees Jane Curtain as Janet Poindexter the bitchy cranky self proclaimed leader of the bridge club , Loretta Devine as Helen's friendly Bridge partner and Marianne Muellererie as Anne make a great team.
Donald Martin has written a good script based on a story by Harrison Powell and the film is well directed by Michael Lembeck.
I thoroughly enjoyed Queen Bees and definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys good acting with no gimmicks or thrills that reflects the everyday issues that confront our precious elder generation.
