Late Bloomers

In an age where personal responsibility and accountability have become increasingly hard to come by, it's comforting to know that it's never too late to grow up, as evidenced in director Lisa Steen's debut feature outing. This touching yet insightful comedy-drama tells the story of Louise (Karen Gillan), a 28-year-old Brooklynite seriously in need of getting her act together. When the would-be musician breaks her hip while in a drunken stupor, she undergoes surgery to repair the damaged joint, but, while recovering in the hospital, she's assigned to a semi-private room with a cantankerous old woman who only speaks Polish, Antonina (Margaret Sophie Stein). Language considerations aside, they get off to a rough start on a variety of fronts. But, before long, Louise comes to understand and appreciate Antonina's simmering frustration with essentially being treated as though she's invisible and ends up, quite surprisingly, becoming her caretaker after being released from the hospital. And, through this unlikely relationship, Louise starts to take her own life more seriously, leaving her irresponsibility behind and finally living up to her obligations, most notably reconnecting with her mother, Dorothy (Talia Balsam), who's in the late stages of early onset Alzheimer's Disease. Based on this picture, it's certainly heartening to see that it's possible for those in need of getting their lives in order can still do so, even with some slip-ups along the way. "Late Bloomers" serves up a charming mix of laughs (many of them unexpected in nature) that are well integrated with its share of tender, sensitive moments, all brought to life by the excellent performances of the two leads and a host of colorful supporting players. There are a few points where the narrative meanders a bit, but these are more than made up for by everything that the filmmaker, cast and crew get right. Based on what I've seen here, I'm anxious to see what this director comes up with next, as this effort represents an auspicious start to what I hope and believe will be a promising filmmaking career.

A sweet movie with solid performances from all the cast. If your idea of a good time involves stunts and superheroes then this may not be for you.

It's just a quiet slice of life type of movie. Probably appreciated more by women. I found the Alzheimer's storyline very moving. At its heart it is a story of mothers and daughters.

I must have liked it a lot because I went to the trouble of logging in to IMDb for only the second time in ten years and what a blooming palaver that was.

What more can I say. Give it a go. If you don't like it after twenty minutes then turn it off. I liked it a lot.

A very sweet little movie about life and the little things that matter, it just an enjoyable and chill experience and that's always great in movies, it makes you revaluate your life, you need to change your life and do better ok, its for your own good ok, dont get mad i i know its hard to accept it.

The story and relationships beetwen the two female leads is a great one, if made me remember of those old movies about mom and daughter, we don't have movies like that anymore, a shame it's overall a good little enjoyable movie to watch with your family and love ones or maybe alone if that's your things.

Watched this with an open mind and really enjoyed it. The bond between the awkward young Karen Gillian and the older Polish woman was beautifully done-a good take away is that they didn't need to fully understand each other to connect.

Their dynamic felt authentic, with plenty of learning moments and self-awareness throughout. The film explores loneliness (especially with the elderly), change, and unexpected friendships in a way that feels both touching and relatable. You never really know how much of an impact your can make with someone who is unlike you. A quiet but meaningful story that stays with you.

This film is emotional, funny, sad, and layered. The main plot is about a woman who is ann emotional wreck due to a breakup. But as the film develops you learn there is much more to her. Her life has been touched by heartache that goes deeper than just a simple breakup. You are brought into her life and the feelings she has because of her past. The sub plot is her relationship with an elderly woman who brings silent emotion to the story. The elderly woman misses her past and learns to move into her future from the main character. Each character plays a critical role in bringing every emotion into each scene. If you speak a bit of Polish than the subtle jokes become more of an inside joke you have with the Polish characters, but don't worry, if you don't, you are filled in at the end.