The Over-the-Hill Band

It's hard to believe no one has reviewed this fine film until now. It played in April 2010 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival under the title: "The Over the Hill Band." Admittedly, the premise sounds a bit "gimmicky," dealing as it does with a trio of elderly women trying to revive their rock-and-roll singing group from the Elvis Presley era. True, there are many of the expected laughs, but there's also a poignant sense of passing time, lost dreams, and the fragility of expectations. Marilou Mermans shines as the recent widow who tries to organize a reunion of the singing group once known as "The Sisters of Love." Jan Van Looveren matches her as her ne-er-do-well son whose musical talents, such as they are, suddenly prove helpful. The ending cleverly manages to satisfy both our desire for a happy resolution and our realization that life rarely gives us this thing. If you have a chance to see this film, do so.