hdavis-29

Let me repeat the excellent advice that appears in many of the film's reviews here. Do not read the spoiler reviews before you've seen the movie. You need to watch this film cold. Once you've seen it, you will probably want to do a fair bit of reading - either to figure out the meaning of what you've just seen, or to compare notes with other viewers about what it all meant.

At the risk of branding myself an idiot, I confess that I was baffled by the film. I had an inkling of what might have gone on, but I doubted my own conclusion. I went straight to the director's commentary on the DVD ( which is excellent, by the way) and had everything explained to me.

I'm purposely staying away from specifics here so I don't have to use a spoiler alert. That will increase the number of readers. I can say that once you realize what you're watching and you see how brilliantly it all fits together, your admiration for the film will grow even higher.

The closest I'll come to giving you a spoiler is to suggest that if you like the premise of this film, go read a 19th century short story by Ambrose Bierce called "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." Like this film, I'm sure that story both challenged and polarized its audience over a hundred years ago.

I hesitated writing this review because in some sense I don't know what to make of the film. I applaud the filmmakers taking on the multiple challenges of growing old , many of which are disturbing and undignified. It's likely that few people under 30 will want to see this film and many under 20 might find it absolutely yucky. The thought of Grandpa or Grandma having a sex life is probably a turn off to most mainstream moviegoers. It has rarely been handled credibly or tastefully. The current TV show Grace and Frankie is one of the rare exceptions and that has to do with both writing and casting.

Which gets us to Jane Fonda. I think she is brilliant in the TV show but sounds a jarring note here. I suppose the reason is a compliment to her. She just doesn't look her age. She appears to be 20 years younger ( at the least) than the other actors in the ensemble. Nobody talks about it, but it is unmistakable. And it becomes more disturbing with each passing reel. It is the elephant in the room. For this film to work, you needed actors who look their age. Otherwise much of the dialogue rings hollow. All of the men in the cast look their age. There is no stretch of credibility there. The women - not so much. And it is never more jarring than in the case of Ms. Fonda.

There is nothing wrong with her performance. In fact a US audience might find it quite startling to watch her speak French throughout her performance. Think about that. Jane Fonda had to be subtitled for an English speaking audience. But it's not nearly as jarring as having someone who appears to be 50ish, interacting with and claiming to be the equal of characters who are in their mid-70s.

Good for you, Jane. You really do look terrific, and not just for your age. But casting you in this film has undercut its credibility.