steve jaros
Supporting Actor
Saw this yesterday and was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it. As an old rock star trying to reconnect with a son he abandoned long ago, Al Pacino is endearing rather than grating. He might even cop some kind of golden globe nomination nine months from now. Annette Benning and Christopher Plummer are serviceable as his quasi-love interest and manager, respectively.
The opening sequences of aging rock star decadence resonated, as it pokes gentle fun at people like me, 50-somethings who still go to concerts featuring the now-60-something music stars of my youth (in the past year I've seen Steely Dan, KISS, Paul McCartney, Bob Seger, and Stevie Wonder). We also get a great sountrack of classic John Lennon solo songs. Then it veers into more dramatic territory as the son and his struggling family are introduced.
This is the kind of film where you can see the twists and turns coming a half-mile away, but because it is executed with warmth and good cheer, you find yourself entertained anyway. And before it becomes too treacly, it ends in a smart hour and 42 minutes.
6/10 stars
The opening sequences of aging rock star decadence resonated, as it pokes gentle fun at people like me, 50-somethings who still go to concerts featuring the now-60-something music stars of my youth (in the past year I've seen Steely Dan, KISS, Paul McCartney, Bob Seger, and Stevie Wonder). We also get a great sountrack of classic John Lennon solo songs. Then it veers into more dramatic territory as the son and his struggling family are introduced.
This is the kind of film where you can see the twists and turns coming a half-mile away, but because it is executed with warmth and good cheer, you find yourself entertained anyway. And before it becomes too treacly, it ends in a smart hour and 42 minutes.
6/10 stars
