Plot: What’s it about?
Fred (Christopher Plummer) is in a bit of a ruck. He’s simply not feeling very well and this causes his daughter Lydia (Marcia Gay Harden) to move him into a small apartment so she can keep a better eye on him. He soon meets Elsa (Shirley MacLaine) and, eventually, a relationship builds between the two. We learn things about both of the title characters over the course of the film, but I found myself having a hard time caring about either of them. The film tries to get by strictly on the talent of its lead stars, but even they can’t save this predictable and lousy film.
I must admit that a movie about senior citizens starting a late relationship isn’t exactly my cup of tea, but exceptions can always be made. Last summer we had and so it goes that starred Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton and that film fared much better. The plots aren’t identical, but it took a similar path where both lead characters began to allow change in their lives. I think the difference with Goes was that I cared much more about the Michael Douglas character. That film has its flaws, but it worked much better than this one. I really can’t even recommend a rental for this one. There’s just too little here of interest. I admire its intentions, but the final product is lackluster. Skip it.
Video: How’s it look?
The transfer is just fine for a film of this sort. It’s unremarkable, but not problematic, either. It’s just sort of there. Details are fine, but the colors are never overly sharp or flashy. I might’ve just been expecting a bit of a brighter transfer, but this still satisfies. It gets the job done. The image is AVC encoded with a 2.35:1 ratio.
Audio: How’s it sound?
We get a decent Dolby True HD track. This is largely a dialogue film, but that’s fine. Vocals are clear and problem free. There is occasional usage out of the rear channels, but nothing that makes too much of an impact. It’s an appropriate track to accompany the film.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Making Of – This is a pretty standard behind the scenes look that offers the usual interviews with the cast and crew. Fans will want to check it out, but don’t expect anything too deep.
- Previews
