HotToastyRag

Part of Better Late Than Never is very cute. Released the same year as Terms of Endearment, Yentl, The Right Stuff, and Scarface, it's nice to be able to watch a fun, family comedy. Kimberley Partridge plays a young heiress and the mark of two conmen out to pretend they're her long-lost grandfather and therefore entitled to all her money. David Niven and Art Carney are the two old farts, both down on their luck, and bickering all the way. Kimberley is a mischievous little imp who likes practical jokes and getting her own way no matter the cost. She has a female cat named Albert, and when asked why she chose the name, she replies, "Because she doesn't like when I call her George." Maggie Smith, Kimberley's tough, sassy governess, is adorable. She keeps both potential grandpas on their toes and adds some "family friendly" sex appeal to keep the grown-ups happy. When The Niv invites her to accompany him to a topless beach, she declines. "If you can't lick them, don't join them," she smirks.

However, there is a very large elephant in the room, and Better Late Than Never isn't enjoyable. Our Beloved Niv was ill during filming, and it's very sad to see him looking so frail. I considered not watching the film, but because I love him so much, I decided to support him. If he had to suffer through filming it and exposing himself in his condition to his public, the least I could do was watch the end result.

You might be excited to watch A Tale of Africa, James Stewart's last theatrical film - but hold your horses. Jimmy's hardly in the movie. Either he just wanted a free trip to Kenya, or he was doing a favor for a friend. He plays "Old Man" and very happily takes a backseat to the scenery and the animals. Personally, I wasn't happy to see James Stewart billed as "Old Man", but I guess everyone ages.

If you're looking for a travelogue, you can rent this movie. You don't have to, though. You can also watch Born Free, Roar, or any number of actual documentaries. This one is practically a documentary, with an extremely thin plot and very little footage of humans. Just know what the movie is, and then you can decide for yourself if you want to watch it.

Michael Caine stars in Surrender as a successful novelist with bad luck with women. He's been divorced and taken to the cleaners too many times, and he vows he'll never get involved again. Obviously, he does, but why does he weaken if he's so adamant? Because he's literally held at gunpoint and tied to a naked woman. The film has a bit of a bizarre sense of humor, but once you get on its wavelength, it's very funny. Obviously, that situation would never happen. But it would take something so absurd to get Michael to forget his self-imposed female ban.

Sally Field (the naked lady) has her own absurd background: she always picks the wrong guys, and her current boyfriend, Steve Guttenberg, has been kidnapped in South America. She works at a "mass landscape painting factory", which is actually really interesting. But, keep in mind, it's a bit wacky. Sally vacillates between being strong and being a total pushover, but you've got to just roll with her. Overall, it's a cute movie; and every once in a while, something will make you laugh so hard, you'll need to press pause and clutch your belly.

I'll leave you with this: Michael believes he's found "The One" - again. He balks against making Sally sign a prenuptial agreement, but his lawyer and friend Peter Boyle insists. Michael maintains they're unromantic. "So are rubbers, but they work," Peter fires back. Crude? Don't watch this movie. Hilarious? Buy a copy.