Ainsi va la vie

You can't watch this film and not think of one of the two films I referred to- 2003's "Something's Gotta Give" and of course the Oscar- winning 1997 "As Good As It Gets". Overall, I'll give "And So It Goes" a modest recommendation if you liked those two films, but this movie has got it's problems. One of those problems I think honestly is the length- at only 90 minutes (your standard running time to maximize the movie multiplexes' number of showtimes), you just don't have the time to fully develop the story and characters; unlike "As Good As It Gets" for instance- a 2 & 1/2 hour movie. Oscar winners Diane Keaton & Michael Douglas I think work well together, and have on-screen chemistry. They just needed a more fully-developed screenplay.

And Rob Reiner (who also has a supporting role in the film)- wow; this guy used to be one of the top Hollywood filmmakers of the '80s and early '90s- with films like "Princess Bride", "Stand By Me", "When Harry Met Sally", "Misery", "A Few Good Men", etc... He had a modest comeback with the 2000's film "Bucket List", but other than that, the guy can't seem to catch a break about the past 20 years- ever since that infamous bomb "North" I'd say?? Well, anyhoo, if you're looking for something to watch, and the aforementioned films are not readily available (or you've seen them enough already), you may wanna give this a try- And so it goes...

And So It Goes is a gentle comedy about the fragility of being human. Rob Reiner, its director, suggests that in the eternal presence of youth, it is possible to continue to grow young and transform one's life. Although its main characters, Leah, a widow who sings torch songs in supper clubs but can't get through one without crying (Diane Keaton) and Oren, a widower and veteran Realtor who is just counting the days until retirement (Michael Douglas), are at odds with each other. In the course of events we find opposites attract and are vital to one another's growth. Both are still actively grieving their deceased spouses in very different ways. Oren slips away to the graveyard to talk to his wife, while showing the world a nasty, hardened face. His dream of retirement hinges upon the final sale of the $8.6 million mansion where he lived with her once upon a time. Should the sale go through, he intends to head for the serenity of a solitary life tucked away in Vermont. In the mean time, he must weather the storm of living among others in the cramped quarters of a multiple family dwelling he owns and sardonically nicknames "Shangri-La." Although both Leah and Oren are in fragile shape, they unify when Oren's ten year-old grand daughter is dumped on his doorstep by his son, a man estranged from his father for double digits who is going away to prison. Oren attempts to get rid of the child, but Leah steps in, revealing her material instincts in full bloom. Her "perfect love" with her deceased husband did not enable her to become a mother and this is her opportunity. The vulnerability of Oren's young grand daughter, who his keenly aware that she has been dumped in the hands of an aging, unhappy man who does not want her, is beautifully and delicately rendered.

In their struggle to deal with the child, Oren is humbled by Leah's superb ability to cope and begins to grow fond of both Leah and his grand daughter. In spite of his crude behavior toward his neighbors/tenants in the past, love enters the humble community at "Shangri-La" in the form of the arrival of a ten year old, the adoption of a stray dog, the sudden birth of a baby and the transformation of caterpillar into...a butterfly. This happiness is a metaphor for the potential happiness hidden in even the most banal settings and social situations. Only when events conspire to reveal the more elevated nature in people can both young and old face what the future has in store for them--something that is always a question mark.

And So It Goes is a far more realistic and beautiful love story than the blockbuster hit that Diane Keaton made with Jack Nicholson, As Good As It Gets, over a decade ago. It is not a movie about "beautiful people" living in spotless white houses in the Hamptons or middle aged divorcées who manage snag aging, jaded producers so rich they date twenty year-old girls. That film was a complete fantasy on every level. (Without Keanu Reeves for visual relief it would have been hard to take some of the love scenes.) And So It Goes is a far gentler, far less glamorous film about love "among the ruins" than As Good As It Gets. Its verisimilitude may make less mature audiences uncomfortable for that reason. Ultimately, Keaton and Douglas pull off their roles like the pros that they are. It's a pleasure to see them get to know one another gradually, albeit clumsily and foolishly, in a way that is true to life. I highly recommend And So It Goes for anyone brave enough to watch fragile people still attempting to transform their lives and move forward in the face of the unknown.

"In every heart there is a room/A sanctuary safe and strong/To heal the wounds from lovers past/Until a new one comes along." Billy Joel

Respectfully depicting romance with sixty something's is as challenging as getting someone other than Jack Nicholson to play the male lead. Director Rob Reiner in An So It Goes has achieved the near impossible by having Michael Douglas do better than Jack by underplaying a crusty but ultimately dear real estate agent, Oren Little, a widower selling his own 8 million dollar home somewhere in Fairfield, Connecticut.

With Diane Keaton for the love interest singing in a lounge (Frankie Valli plays the owner!) a sweet range of Rodgers & Hart, Irving Berlin, and Jimmy van Huesen tunes, Reiner has two Oscar-winning performers who mostly underplay the attraction that takes them out of the clichéd situation of "hate then love" into a more reasonable slow growth to affection. Writer Mark Andrus, who knows of these matters from writing As Good as It Gets, in which Jack gets his reality check also from Keaton, offers subplots without the usual screaming and insults. However, make no mistake, the plot is as predictable as it gets.

Oren inherits his hitherto unknown granddaughter, Sarah (Sterling Jerins), from a prison-bound ex-junkie son, Luke (Scott Shepherd). Neighbor Leah (Keaton), finding in Sarah the granddaughter she never had, sometimes seems to question that she could have feelings for such a meathead as Oren. When Oren accurately reflects me at my most clueless, I temper my criticism of clichés.

Because Douglas himself has had major challenges with his son, Cameron--a drug addict still doing time--authenticity pours out of Douglas, who gives a believable performance as the conflicted father/grandfather. In real life Douglas called himself a "bad father," so I award him points for honesty then and courage for his depiction now.

Although I would have preferred more depth in Oren's relationship with Luke, Andrus and Reiner go enough into Oren's growing love for Sarah and his appreciation for Leah. With no new story creativity, the seasoned actors make the plot combinations reasonable. Even the minor characters defy their stereotypes, headed by Frances Sternhagen as Oren's real-estate partner with a penchant for cigarettes and sardonic repartee with Oren. Hints of the screwball comedy! She's that good.

Reiner should be applauded for toning down the bad jokes usually accompanying Social-Security-eligible lovers. However, I don't believe Douglas would forsake Catherine Zeta-Jones for Keaton. That's the reality we know. And so it goes.

'And So It Goes' is an unfussy, light-hearted romantic-comedy, that entertains you till it lasts. Its sweet & uncomplicated!

'And So It Goes' Synopsis: A self-absorbed Realtor enlists the help of his neighbor when he's suddenly left in charge of the granddaughter he never knew existed until his estranged son drops her off at his home.

'And So It Goes' is a decent film, about family & love. Mark Andrus's Screenplay is well-worded & fast, wasting no time in the narrative for its loopholes to ever show up grandly. Rob Reiner's Direction is pretty good. Reiner is back in form, after a hiatus.

Performance-Wise: 'And So It Goes' would've failed, had its leading performers faltered, but that doesn't happen here. Michael Douglas is superb as the self-absorbed Realtor, while Diane Keaton is extra-ordinary as the women in grief. The Legends perform above expectations, once again! Sterling Jerins is adorable.

On the whole, 'And So It Goes' works just fine. 91-Minutes will swing by well!

I have enjoyed Keaton and Douglas for years - I'm not that far behind them in the birthdays I've celebrated. And this movie is no exception. My wife and I found wonderful texture in the use of minor plot points to enhance the larger story. For instance - the stray dog which at first is disliked and then accepted...the metaphor of caterpillar and butterfly. It was all very nicely done in a story that evolved at a leisurely pace and with the layers one would expect in a life. As person expecting to see fewer years than I have already seen I appreciate films that reflect some of what I have experienced - and some of which I wish I had experienced. Movies such as these remind us, also, of the value of looking ahead to what life can hold no matter the number of years that have crinkled your brows.