wellthatswhatithinkanyway

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), Ron (Pierce Brosnan), Graham (Ben Kingsley) and Joyce (Celia Imrie) are a group of retired friends, living in a grand retirement home, who spend their time trying to solve cold case murders, and currently have their hands tied with the mystery of a young woman who met her end in the early seventies. But they suddenly find themselves thrust into a modern day murder, when a property deal that would see them all turfed out starts to deal a body count.

Renowned director Chris Columbus showcases an overlooked demographic in this glossy adaptation of a popular novel (which I haven't read), in the shape of an older cast, a truly all star assembling of established talent, which includes, aside from the lead stars, the likes of Geoff Bell, Jonathan Pryce, David Tennant, Tom Ellis and Daniel Mays, but it's a sad reflection of the faith the distributors had in the hope of a decent box office draw with a theatrical release, that the film has premiered on Netflix, in spite of said all star cast. Nevertheless, here it is, and can only be judged on its merits in the format it's arrived in.

In spite of the dark murder theme, the film maintains a light hearted tone throughout, without becoming overly frivolous and silly. The problem is, despite the talent of the cast, none of them are really natural comedy performers, and so their performances sometimes emerge as awkward and uncomfortable. That said, they do get to use it to their advantage, making some cracks dispelling some older person stereotypes (like falling for false I. D. at the door), which feels a bit more palatable.

Ultimately, it all ends up feeling a little overlong, with the opening subplot feeling forgotten until the closing segment, but the central mystery throughout still holds your attention, leading to a forgettable but worthwhile romp. ***