dmasursky

Performances are great, including the secondary characters, such as an arrogant memoir writer and the kind retreat owner. The setting is wonderful and is used well, allowing the audience to experience the exotic sites and sounds along with the characters. However, the story unfolds with all the usual cliches but without any real depth. We don't really get to know the characters beyond their basic background - he is an surprisingly ethical finance bro and she is a tempermental writer grappling with the end of a long term relationship. They fall into a predictable holiday romance which includes a car breakdown and a moped ride. Very typical stuff. Then they have a little fight and split up and then the excruciatingly trite make-up. I really expected more.

One final note: despite my dissatisfaction with the film, I was surprised to read several reviews suggesting that Liam Helmsworth's character would never find Laura Dern appealing due to her age. That seems laughable to me - she is gorgeous and brilliant. Anyone would find her appealing. Plus, it's such a weird and frankly unrealistic critique - lots of younger men find older women intriguing - there are many current books and movies about this exact situation, and it has been explored many many times before as well.

The cast in this movie is great and that raised my expectations quite a bit. The whole time I was watching it, I wondered if I would have enjoyed it more if I had seen it 25 years ago, when it was released. I have certainly raised my standards since then. It's rather ambitious to remake Anna Karenina in a modern tale with a happy ending. Sadly, this doesn't really succeed, though the movie makes more sense as you start to realize the parallels. Unfortunately, Jude Law as Danny and Gretchen Mol as Anna have no chemistry. And Anna has no discernable personality, her only appeal is that she is rail thin and pretty. I suppose there was a time when I would have been captivated watching Danny fall magically and instantly in love with her, but that time is past. Jennifer Tilly's Nina is a much more appealing character and her romance and character development are much more charming. Watch the movie for her.

I enjoyed this film, and it's nice to see older people being treated like full human beings, with an interest in sex and romance. However, this film suffered from a rather uneven tone - it didn't know if it wanted to be a comedy or a rom-com or a family drama or an exploration of various issues faced by aging people. The title makes you think the film is going to focus on the female friendships, but it was clearly always intended to be more about senior romance, because the end credits scroll past many photos of older couples getting married, which is lovely but also not really what the movie focussed on. The original title "It's Never Too Late" would have made a lot more sense and would have set the audience's expectations more accurately. Ellyn Burstyn is great of course, but the standout is Alec Mapa as the Filipino masseusse - he brings real authenticity and sweetness to his role. Matthew Barnes' understated turn as the grandson also contributes some nice balance. This is worth watching, but not a home run unfortunately.