|
I think at some point it becomes a requirement for movie stars to
somewhat acknowledge that they’ve grown old and out of that mold we
remember them as growing up. James Garner did it. Gena Rowlands did it.
Marlon Brando did it. Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau did it. Robert
DeNiro did it. And yes even Robert Redford and Paul Newman did it. With
“The Bucket List,” Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson finally do it while
admirably trying to preach about the piss poor healthcare, and treatment
of senior citizens in this country.
|
While the moral can tend to be
clunky, “The Bucket List” ended up being a damn good movie.
Now, I won’t say it’s a masterpiece, but as is, it’s a
touching and heartbreaking tale of two men growing old and
facing death, who decide to face death together. And whaddya
know?
The writers actually have the balls to kill
off Freeman and Nicholson. Don’t give me that look, trust
me, it’s not a spoiler. It’s called the Bucket List for
Pete's sake, and we know they die at some point. While “The
Bucket List” is hardly a groundbreaking little movie, it has
managed to seep into the pop culture lexicon somewhat and
has inspired some folks to provide their own bucket lists in
the mean time. |
|
 |
Not many twenty
year olds have a bucket list. Of course, not many twenty year olds
need one. All kidding aside, Rob Reiner's “The Bucket List” is a
sweet and subtle dramedy with some very good performances from
Freeman and Nicholson respectively, and it will succeed in making
you question your own age and life. I don't always love everything
the man feeds American audiences, but I couldn't deny the inherent
sadness that followed with these two men getting some last laughs in
before dying. "The Bucket List" was surprising and I suggest it
because it’s a drama that’s never too overbearing and a comedy
that’s never over the top.
As for the
DVD, I smell a special edition coming soon. Not only do we get
another piss poor double sided DVD with wide format and full screen
format capabilities, but we also receive almost nothing in the way
of extras. There is the DVD Rom Access to web links to the studio
website, as well as a music video to John Mayer’s “Say,” a song
played during the film. Finally there’s “Writing a Bucket List” with
Screenwriter Justin Zackham, who describes the meaning behind his
film and fails to really justify why it’s just another hokey feature
in a practically barebones DVD release. For shame.
So, “The Bucket
List” is a very good movie about coming to grips with your old age, and
getting one last hurrah in before you die, and the duo of Nicholson and
Freeman knock it out of the park with sublime portrayals, as well as
selling some sweet moments and a tear jerking finale. I suggest watching
it for kicks, but wait for the special edition, okay?
- What’s on my
bucket list? A Threesome with two beautiful Asian women, getting a
novel published, and eating a large hamburger at some point. Hey,
you knew the risks of “Too Much Information” when you read this
review.
|
