Moving On

IN A NUTSHELL: If you're a fan of the popular TV show Grace & Frankie, you're in for more of the same goofy fun from this dynamic duo. Their chemistry together is undeniable and entertaining.

The story of this movie is about two old friends who reconnect at a funeral and decide to get revenge on the widower who messed with them decades before. The movie is written and directed by Paul Weitz.

THINGS I LIKED: Jane Fonda is usually dolled up to look much younger, but in this movie, she's starting to look her age. Of course, she's still beautiful. She's 85 years old and still pumping out movies like crazy.

Lilly Tomlin is always delightful and, truly shines in this movie. Together, they're reliably entertaining. What impressed me was not the actresses' comedic chops, because we already know they've got the funny bone in spades. The serious drama required them to stretch and show us they've still got it.

It was nice to see Malcolm McDowell in something again too. I always enjoyed his performances.

It's really great to see that aging stars can still find an audience in Hollywood.

I had to laugh at the special request for bacon from one of the characters. Mmmm...bacon.

The issues of aging is taken very seriously in this film; however, murder and revenge are not. Hmm...

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: The plot trudges along, shifting tone and pacing.

It's very dark with not much humor. When these two stars are paired together, we expect much more humor.

There are several scenes at night that will appear very dark if/when you watch this on a small streaming device.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be completely bored since the movie is all about older people talking.

Talk of murder Two women try to purchase a gun in California Alcohol A woman encourages a young boy's desire to wear girls' clothes and jewelry.

A woman talks about her lesbian lover.

Profanity, including an F-bomb.

An unmarried couple sleeps together. (We don't see anything though.)

!

It was a decent film. Almost like if Grace & Frankie had made a film themselves. It's not that great or groundbreaking on the drama side of things, but the comedy aspect of this dramedy is the silverlining of the film. Lily Tomlin shines and is easily the best part of the entire thing. Jane Fonda is servicable but, again, nothing groundbreaking or exciting from her. I liked the inclusion of Malcolm McDowell, he can be a welcome surprise sometimes and that is how I felt about him in this. The film did have some strange plotlines that felt out of place for the film and made the film drag in places. That's even with it's short 85 minute runtime, which still felt a bit long for this particular story. It was almost like the writers wrote this as an episode of a tv series and decided to expand it in a way that feels unnecessary. Overall, if you're a fan of the pair, you will at least find a bit of enjoyment. Fonda and Tomlin have a certain chemistry with each other and know how to play off each other very well.

3 murder attempts out of 5.

How was I watching this for the first time today without even realizing it was Lily Tomlin's birthday until I went to Twitter and saw her trending?! It's true! I'll never understand how this stuff happens, but Lily must have sent me a telepathic signal telling me to watch this in honor of her special day. Thanks, Lily!

I really like, maybe even love, this movie! Even though it's very serious in parts, it manages to take some of the most serious subjects, and one of the darkest plans a person could have, and turns it into something pleasant to watch for the most part! So in that way, this movie really is a wonder. Jane Fonda was great, but Lily - I loved her character! I mean I really loved her character!

The only real downside to this movie is that I couldn't stop seeing them as Grace and Frankie throughout. But other than that, this is one of the best buddy movies of recent times. A new fave. And if you can believe it, even though it's a movie about a woman planning to kill a man for his wrongdoing in the past, there's a lot of heart to this film - a lot of sweetness and touching moments.

This is a movie that I would say is not for everyone, but those that it is for, will appreciate it a lot!

Happy birthday, Lily! Thank you for all the great entertainment!

Stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in a wry black comedy/drama about secrets and revenge.

Fonda arrives in California for the funeral of an old college friend and sees the dead woman's husband which brings on bad memories of something (but we don't know what). Tomlin lives in a home and attends the same funeral and also has a bad reaction to seeing the husband (Malcolm McDowell). While Tomlin and Fonda renew their old friendship, the secrets start to emerge, and after Tomlin blurts out a big one at the wake it becomes obvious that they have a common enemy in McDowell.

While not laugh-out-loud funny, it's an amusing film and the chemistry between the stars is great. Richard Roundtree also appears as another old friend with a secret.

Ultimately, the film is about old wrongs, lost opportunities, and maybe even a little forgiveness before it's too late.

On the surface, another star-vehicle comedy milking Boomers getting old. But there's no treacle and smug self-satisfaction at having made it into Californian affluenza, or having "transited to a new house of life" and fantasizing that you've matured past all that silly youthful Sixties stuff. But: at the next level down, it's an unsloppy depiction of daily life for the demographic bulge of Boomer seniors waiting for the day they have to trade independent for assisted living (if they can afford it). And below that, a surprisingly ambitious piece of film art dealing with some material that is not generationally bounded: women's sexual autonomy, and its being put under threat by the experience of "me too", and the brutal reality of abusive male sexual behavior towards women, induced by substance abuse or not, and its being accepted as "it happens". And the lifelong scars that it leaves. And the incompleteness of the 1960-1970s sexual revolution, especially for men. Not a perfect movie by any means, but gutsy filmmaking by a couple industry masters. Jane and Lily mugged just a little too much some of the time, but they deliver the material it looks like they were intending to deliver. Oh, and with all due respect, they look great. Well done.