There's this pre-conceived notion among the generation of today that older people, or people in their middle age cannot fall in love or be obsessed with sex. This movie aims to defy that thinking. Christopher Roland and Grace Minor are two middle aged people who have somewhat reached the pinnacle in their life and find themselves wanting something more. Christopher (Jeffrey Tambor  How the grinch stole Christmas, Pollock) is a lonely exterminator who is a part time musician and has a major problem with commitment, while Grace (Jill Clayburgh  Fools Rush in, Go all the Way) is a mom whose daughter just went off to college, and now feeling very lonely decides to begin dating again. While at a gay bar the two meet and instantly fall in love but can they overcome life's obstacles?
     "Innocence" was a movie I saw before this and it dealt with a very similar premise; the only problem was, this goes about in a less dull and more light hearted manner. This is very original showing middle aged characters in this movie completely different from what we usually see in other movies. Hell, at one point in the movie, a characters asks "Why can't there ever be a movie about a woman over thirty-five obsessed with sex who doesn't get decapitated?" The characters in this movie are outrageous but real; unlike many of the romantic comedies, this one has a heart and defies any thinking of today's culture about middle aged people. At one point in the movie Grace and her friends are talking very bluntly about sex in a salon while a young girl looks on in shock to which she states, "Glad my mom never talks like that". The girls instantly sneer and begin grilling her about how their generation invented dirty talk. That's what makes this movie so much fun to watch is that these characters are blunt and honest.
     Jeffrey Tambor gives a great performance as the commitment fearing middle aged Chris who has impotency so he begins experimenting with the opposite sex. The end results are hilarious as he goes to a gay bar with such ineptitude. Jill Clayburgh is excellent as Grace and gives a hilarious performance. Grace is a great character because she's foul-mouthed and sexual and emotional and gives Tambor's character a hard time. Watching the two banter as rivals on their first date is hilarious as the two manage to build an excellent chemistry with one another, playing off their vulnerabilities. There's a lot of original hilarious sequences in the movie featuring Grace's failed experiments with a fake penis and leather, Christopher's less than sexual experience with a transvestite, and watching the two try to casually play it off as they're caught having sex by Grace's daughter. Eric Schaeffer who directed and wrote this gives a lot of hilarious dialogue that snaps with incredible wit and also creates these realistic and likeable characters.

This movie came very close to getting four stars, but just when it was almost there, it loses it half way towards the end. This film has no idea what type of story it wants to tell. First it's a character study, then a comedy induced love story, then a melodrama.  Also, what begins as a journey of love and sexual exploration between two middle aged adults in the first half, becomes a melodrama in the second half. The entire ending is cliché featuring Chris' insecurity about relationships catching up with him, and the obligatory tragedy that parts them instantly. Also, the happy ending is so cheesy it left me cringing in my seat near annoyance.

Despite a predictable second half, this is a hilarious, witty, original and charming love story with great performances by Tambor and Clayburgh.