The women are back in Book Club: The Next Chapter, a sequel to Book Club with virtually all major cast members (Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen), director Bill Holderman, and cowriter Erin Simms returning. The result is an entertaining adventure that breezes into the summer movie season.
A quartet of friends, bonding over their love of books, have stayed in touch and shared their personal lives amid quarantine and in person. This sisterhood plans an impulsive trip to Italy to celebrate an impending wedding. Guided by their reverence to the book, The Alchemist, their travels take unexpected twists and turns from Rome to Venice and finally Tuscany where new friends are made and old faces make surprise appearances as their journey leads to a momentous event. Through setbacks and challenges, joy and sorrow, nothing will keep them down. The thing that keeps them going is their love for one another and a bond that is ultimately unshakable and unbreakable.
This film is one of a growing subgenre in recent years focusing on older women (80 for Brady, Mamma Mia!) or older men (Space Cowboys). At times it feels like a travelogue, and indeed, the gorgeous sights of the Italian landmarks and countryside are grand settings for a story laced with sentiment and humor. Although saddled with dialogue that wreaks of a TV sitcom, it is overcome by the sheer star power and chemistry of these legendary actresses.
Saving the best
moments for the end,
the story does end on a sweet note. This lighthearted fare is an excuse to
see some classy veterans in fine form, and it would not be surprising to see
how this easily leads to a third film in a satisfying series.
***
of **** stars
No comments:
Post a Comment