A lot of viewers are nonplussed by this film, but I enjoyed it. With the way my life is going as of late, I'm an easy mark when it comes to being entertained. So, to make sure that there was something real going on in this--it goes down so fast and smooth that I kept thinking that I was missing something--I scrolled it back to near beginning and viewed its middle part over again.
So here's why you might want to view this film.
Its setting, new to me, is filled with beauty and English charm. Its story is a true, based on real life, 'victory of the underdog' tale, and who doesn't need that occasionally? Its two leading actors are both mature. That alone puts this effort into a limited and unique category. And the lead actors are Diane Keaton and Brendan Gleeson.
I am a long-time fan of Keaton (who is not?), and enjoy her style and presence now more than ever. There is something nearly rebellious about her in-your-face refusal to mask her age, her wrinkles and lines, the inevitable growing stiffness in her still graceful movement. And she is all over this film, in every scene, and I do not tire of looking at her, or hearing her infectious and vibrant voice.
Gleeson, well, what can one say? Watching Gleeson in this production is akin to viewing a possibly cuddly, red-headed, flushing polar bear spout off a surprising mix of indulgences tempered with nuanced thought and expression. I could watch him all day.
And there's a surprise at the end. Not a big, flashy one. I won't spoil it, but it's enough of a surprise to make me smile, and even wonder, is that really how this story actually ended?
