Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game

Greetings again from the darkness. There really isn't an age where one's level of horniness is of interest to the outside world. The topic is certainly cringe-inducing as we listen in on two old men bemoaning their current state of dysfunction, while simultaneously recalling their glorious past conquests. Were these two gents played by lesser actors than screen legends Martin Landau and Paul Sorvino, there would be no need to tune in.

Writer/director Howard Weiner (a Neurologist and Harvard professor - thanks Google) delivers his first narrative feature film as a statement on old age, pride and dying. In Mr. Landau's final film, he plays Dr. (not Mister!) Abe Mandelbaum (I'm giving credit as a "Seinfeld" reference, whether intentional or not), who, along with his dementia-riddled wife Molly (Ann Marie Shea), moves into Cliffside Manor - a Retirement Center and Nursing Home. Abe quickly bonds with fellow resident Phil (Mr. Sorvino) as the two exchange dirty jokes and tales of yesteryear.

The other story line involves a nurse (Maria Dizzia, MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE) who has reason to believe the biological father she's never met is a resident at the manor. The obvious development is whether Abe or the notoriously womanizing Phil might be her father. Other minor story lines include the center's director (Alexander Cook) who admittedly hates old people as he searches for a miracle potion to prevent his own aging, Molly's struggle with dementia which can only be soothed with her fur coat or relief in bed, and a last hurrah field trip to a local sports bar with the nurse, Abe and Phil.

If not for the vulgarities and three of the most uncomfortable sex scenes you've likely ever witnessed, this would have been a textbook Lifetime Channel movie. Watching two pros like Mr. Landau and Mr. Sorvino go at each other is quite a treat - though you best enjoy old men talking about sex, as the subtleties of pride, masculinity and self-identity of men are mere afterthoughts here. Oscar winner Landau (ED WOOD) deserved a send-off more in line with Harry Dean Stanton's LUCKY, but fortunately he has a 60 year career as his legacy.

It's not a pretty film. It's hard to watch at times. Reality is not pretty. Getting old is not pretty. Life is hard. I hope you don't get old, but in case you do- or you love somebody who is- you might want to watch this. Great Actors- great acting- an interesting side story concerning the staff. I guess plot to fill in the blunt realities of the nursing home experience. I'm sure the staff of nursing homes have their own lives. And I'm sure not all nursing homes are this well managed and I'm sure there are some/many horror stories out there, but this is a good view of how many of the better ones are run and the daily things that go on in them. Old men with memories and regrets- the end of life. The dirty, the nasty, the sick, the ill, the work No- not that pleasant- maybe not even entertaining, but certainly real. We don't want real in our movies- we want fantasy. We don't want to watch how things are- we want watch what we wish they were. Sound track- Scenery- camera-could have been better, but not terrible.

This is an unusual movie that I know will provoke a very mixed response from fellow reviewers. Some will just give the movie a wide berth due to it's subject. First of all, I've just watched it and really enjoyed it. On one level it is my favorite movie of the year, partly because it was so much better than I expected. The Movie was written, directed and co produced by Howard Weiner. A Professor of Neurology by career and a pioneer of some treatment of multiple sclerosis. Wow, so we're talking a very intelligent man with an artistic ambition to create a good movie. He's just done it. I think his knowledge of real patient behavior and human interaction shines through in this story and sets it apart from the usual Hollywood take on life. There's lots going on here enough to more than fill the 85 minute run time with interest. The acting and direction are superb. Martin Landau and Paul Sorvino handle some very cringe-worthy and awkward scenes really well. Sadly this movie will never get the acclaim I think it deserves due to a limited number audience and viewers that are just too uncomfortable watching seniors discussing and doing the things that they themselves think and do. Thank you Howard Weiner for an enjoyable 85 minutes and for cementing my memory of the late Martin Landau as a wonderful talented actor. My rating: 9 out of 10 Highly recommended - Be open minded and give it a go. We're all human and unfortunately are going to get old along with all the changes that brings!

I did not know what to expect from this movie when I decided to watch it, but I sure am glad I decided to. I share some similarities with some of the characters and boy did it strike home with me. PLEASE watch this movie and it will help you appreciate people who are alone near the end of their lives. I cannot emphasize enough how much I enjoyed this movie. The acting was excellent and it should evoke many different emotions in older people. I would hope that it will help younger people see some of the situations you can get yourself into early in life that can revisit you unexpectedly as you grow older..

Abe and phil (martin landau, paul sorvino) are old timers in the nursing home. They have conversations about what life was like before the home, and after moving in. A dose of reality. The real life interactions with the people living and working there; one wants to find her biological parents, another can't stop thinking about having sex. This guy thinks he has found a way to stop aging. Phil and abe take a field trip to a pub. And to angela's house, just to get away. The usual and unusual antics going on in a nursing home, with some wacky adventures thrown in. This moves pretty slowly, as expected, but the characters are likeable. With quite a bit of humor and sadness mixed in. Written and directed by howard weiner. His other big project was what is life, but not much info out there on it.