Nancy Meyers movies are always overlong, funny but not funny enough, and ultimately sappy. She has an insufferable need to make her male protagonists weepy and abject, to make them learn a lesson, however facile. But the overriding feeling when watching one of these, after a promising start, is, for heaven's sake when will this torture end?
The lure is often a starry cast. Just look at the cast on display for this one. It's golden, or ought to be. So what have we got? Jack Nicholson is seeing Amanda Peet, much younger than him obviously. He has a stroke whilst attempting to get started making love to her. This takes place at her mother's Hamptons beach house. The mom is Diane Keaton. A trip to the emergency room brings in handsome doctor, Keanu Reeves. Throw in Frances McDormand and Jon Favreau, amongst others, and we're just waiting to see what happens as rogueish Nicholson recuperates in Keaton's beach house, the dateable daughter having conveniently vanished from sight.
You know where it's going, don't you? Yes.
This movie needs more Frances McDormand and much less Diane Keaton. She was great in her glory years, the Woody years, but from the nineties and onwards it was all gurning, and that cringeworthy, toe-curlingly horrible smile. The Cheshire Cat flees from Keaton's pearly whites = "Not in my weight class, meow meow". It's remarkable how some smiles are charming - Nicholson's - and others are like getting a spinal tap through the eyeballs. And again, this is a Meyers movie, so we get an accentuated dose of the cat who got the cream.
And did she ever, because as Peet and McDormand are sidelined, it's a battle between Nicholson and the sweetly but unbelievably enthusiastic Reeves for Keaton's heart. Today, Keanu as established himself as Hollywood's nicest guy, but he's famous for playing killers. I've always said he should play comedy more, that's his forte. John Wick and Neo scarcely register as human beings. Keanu was delightful in Bill & Ted, and in Parenthood, and in that sour one with Winona Ryder, and he's charming in this one. But the icon who Nancy puts centre stage is Keaton, and she is unwatchable when she starts making those faces. Ironically, she should be doing more dramas.
I quite liked this the first time, but now, whatever time this is (I bought it!), it makes me cringe so bad I want to spell that with a K.
The lure is often a starry cast. Just look at the cast on display for this one. It's golden, or ought to be. So what have we got? Jack Nicholson is seeing Amanda Peet, much younger than him obviously. He has a stroke whilst attempting to get started making love to her. This takes place at her mother's Hamptons beach house. The mom is Diane Keaton. A trip to the emergency room brings in handsome doctor, Keanu Reeves. Throw in Frances McDormand and Jon Favreau, amongst others, and we're just waiting to see what happens as rogueish Nicholson recuperates in Keaton's beach house, the dateable daughter having conveniently vanished from sight.
You know where it's going, don't you? Yes.
This movie needs more Frances McDormand and much less Diane Keaton. She was great in her glory years, the Woody years, but from the nineties and onwards it was all gurning, and that cringeworthy, toe-curlingly horrible smile. The Cheshire Cat flees from Keaton's pearly whites = "Not in my weight class, meow meow". It's remarkable how some smiles are charming - Nicholson's - and others are like getting a spinal tap through the eyeballs. And again, this is a Meyers movie, so we get an accentuated dose of the cat who got the cream.
And did she ever, because as Peet and McDormand are sidelined, it's a battle between Nicholson and the sweetly but unbelievably enthusiastic Reeves for Keaton's heart. Today, Keanu as established himself as Hollywood's nicest guy, but he's famous for playing killers. I've always said he should play comedy more, that's his forte. John Wick and Neo scarcely register as human beings. Keanu was delightful in Bill & Ted, and in Parenthood, and in that sour one with Winona Ryder, and he's charming in this one. But the icon who Nancy puts centre stage is Keaton, and she is unwatchable when she starts making those faces. Ironically, she should be doing more dramas.
I quite liked this the first time, but now, whatever time this is (I bought it!), it makes me cringe so bad I want to spell that with a K.