And So it Goes (Diane Keaton, Michael Douglas)

(Amazon UK link)

Sometimes Amazon recommends DVDs to me based on genres I have enjoyed, sometimes because I’ve rated highly another film with one of the same actors. I suspect that the latter is the case for this one, as Diane Keaton is one of the leading roles. So it went on my wish-list, and I was given it for Christmas a couple of days ago.

Last night we needed to unwind and relax, and this film, ‘And so it goes’ sounded like an ideal one. ‘Funny, heartfelt and delightful’ was the review quotation on the front. Evidently it was one of the relatively recent genre featuring a relationship of some kind between older people, but that’s not a problem at all.

Michael Douglas co-stars as Oren, an estate agent who is trying to sell his mansion after losing his wife. He has a small apartment, where he is generally rude to his neighbours, but they accept him as a cantankerous old man whose heart is probably in the right place. Into the mix comes his estranged son, with a surprise that Oren is not expecting, which is the start of the (admittedly inevitable) softening of his heart.

Diane Keaton is Leah, Oren’s next-door neighbour, who works as a singer. She lost her husband some time ago, and is struggling somewhat to make a living; it doesn’t help that she breaks down in tears any time a song or comment reminds her of her husband. She’s the opposite of Oren in many ways: generous, open-hearted, kind, and extremely emotional. Keaton does this well although I never entirely believed in the character who seemed just a tad too ditzy for someone supposedly in her mid-sixties. It doesn’t help that she looks considerably younger, although the actress is in fact around the right age for the role.

There wasn’t much that we would class as ‘funny’; the occasional mild slapstick didn’t appeal, and while there were one or two places that made us smile, the overall theme and storyline was far from amusing. However it was undoubtedly both heartfelt and delightful. We all became caught up in the story and were pleased that the ending was as predictable as we had hoped. From the point of view of a movie about almost-retired people, it was encouraging and positive about the potential for enjoying life in one’s sixties.

Some difficult themes are touched upon; not just the loss of spouses, but several other issues that arise and could touch emotional chords with many. There are some quite intense scenes, too, including one of childbirth, and intimacies are quite overt, although no nudity is shown.

Language is crude in places, but relatively mild. The rating is 12 and I think that’s probably around right, though I can’t imagine that this would have any appeal to anyone under the age of at least 18, probably considerably more.

Definitely recommended, if you like this kind of film.

You can find out more about the film on the IMBd site: And So it Goes

Review copyright 2016 Sue's DVD Reviews