You Can't Say No

Not a masterpeice but worth watching. Good, sometimes clever script. Interesting, well developed, surprising characters. Peter Fonda was great.

This is a solid film, funny, sweet and timely, well-conceived and well-acted, with beautiful cinematography featuring California's Sonoma County. Dialogue feels natural and improvised at times, with an exquisite supporting role by legendary Peter Fonda as an eccentric, aging nudist parent. The film has strokes of mastery and restraint, feels contemporary but has an old school pacing reminiscent of early Linklater and 1980s Schepisi, chanelling 1950s Hitchcock. Keep an eye on Hus Miller.

I was lucky enough to catch this at SXSW and it's so much fun. I've loved Peter Fonda since I first saw 'Easy Rider' and he's still a delight in this as the wise-cracking dad. It's a fun romp but with a deeper story and a real heart. I'd never seen Hus Miller in anything before but I thought he was really convincing in the male lead. I've got a major crush on Margarite Moreau from 'The Wet Hot American Summer' series on Netflix and she's great in this as the female lead. This is the kind of movie where you leave the kids with the babysitter and go see it on a date night. You walk out feeling a sense of the possibilities of renewed love. I wish there were more movies like this around.

Might appeal to those who are in a seasoned relationship. This is not a movie for spectacular acting or deep storyline. It does flirt with rather substantive relationship issues which I wish the writers had explored JUST a little further. However, the movie certainly generates enough interest in the characters and their lives. This gives an insight into how removing day to day issues & responsibilities that typically consume our lives, might actually lead to re-igniting THE spark of initial courtship; AND how when these issues creep back in, those hurt feelings from fights/arguments can return very quickly to destructively weigh down the relationship. And a shoutout to Peter Fonda who does a good job playing a somewhat lovable character. In summary, this is a movie to cuddle up to with your significant other which will put a wry smile on your faces when the credits start rolling.

OK, so the acting wasn't top notch, but the story and sentiment were pretty good. All relationships have ups and downs, but the message of hope, mixed with the main characters' desire to rekindle lost feelings, was a positive one. I found myself hoping he didn't stray again with the hot girl he met even though the outcome was predictable. Rating reflects the formulaic approach, but overall I enjoyed this RomCom.