BOOK CLUB (2018)

Genre: Romance/Comedy
Director: Bill Holderman
Cast: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Andy Garcia, Craig T. Nelson, Don Johnson, Alicia Silverstone, Richard Dreyfuss 
RunTime: 1 hr 44 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Sexual References)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 21 June 2018

Synopsis: Diane (Diane Keaton) is recently widowed after 40 years of marriage, Vivian (Jane Fonda) enjoys her men with no strings attached, Sharon (Candice Bergen) is still working through her decades-old divorce, and Carol's (Mary Steenburgen) marriage is in a slump after 35 years. The lives of these four lifelong friends are turned upside down after reading the infamous "50 Shades of Grey," catapulting them into a series of outrageous life choices.

Movie Review:

Book Club is like a movie much like a typical hot afternoon in balmy Singapore. Rather than energise you, it makes you feel a little like nodding off every now and then. You also won’t really miss out anything much if you do fall asleep. The movie is cheesy and the plot rather predictable with the idea of a sisterhood where women facing some sort of common issues come together and rediscovering that making a few minor tweaks in their lives can rejuvenate them (sort of like how swapping white sugar for brown sugar can improve your health tremendously).

The main difference this movie has from other “rediscovering how to rev up your lives together sisterhood” Hollywood movies is that its leading ladies are in rather late stages of their lives (with their ages ranging from 65 to 80). There’s also the fact the aspect of their lives that they are looking at revving up is sex. And the trigger for them to relook their sex lives is none other than the infamous “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy (the books, not the movies).

A rather brave premise given Hollywood’s emphasis on physical appearances and ageist attitude. When it comes to the sex lives of those above 60, it is usually used as comedy material or frowned upon with disdain by younger cast members in various movies.

While the premise is interesting, the movie relies too heavily on stereotypes – there is the successful swinger, Vivian who is a commitment-phobe living the high life; Diane, the timid widow who is starting to date again; Sharon, the cynical divorcee who needs to adjust her perspective on dating and Carol who is in a stable, happy but boring marriage. No points for being able to guess who settles down, who finds love again, who becomes more positive about relationship and who is able to renew her existing relationship with her partner with much vigour.

Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen play their roles of women with dormant libidos (except for Fonda’s Vivian) with much ease. The four leading ladies slip into such comfortable chemistry with each other that you will find it hard not to believe that they don’t actually meet for regular book club sessions where they consume more alcohol than exchange views on the books that they have been reading.

Despite the stereotypes that they have been cast into, it is a joy to watch them onscreen and to cheer on the fact that women past Singapore’s official retirement age are still given the chance to drive a movie and shine in the said movie. The leading ladies also easily soothe out all the awkwardness surrounding the topic of sex amongst who are at least sixty and their naturalness makes it easy for an audience, used to being taught to think of this topic as an awkward topic that should only be made fun of, to accept that sex is a natural aspect of life even for those who are at least sixty.

In contrast, director Bill Holderman’s inexperience in helming a movie (this is his directorial debut) shows clearly. His choice of shots are static and boringly safe. He pretty much points the camera at the cast and records them speaking to each other.

Thankfully, his cast of veterans overcome these technical drags with their lively presence. The Easter Eggs such as Steenburgen doing the same tap routine which she did in her award-winning role in “Melvin and Howard” (I won’t name more to avoid spoiling your experience) help prevent the audience from completely drifting off into an afternoon nap.

Movie Rating:

(This tamer version of a movie-length episode of “Desperate Housewives” with a much older cast is best described as cute and entertaining, best suited for a lazy afternoon with nothing good showing on TV)

Review by Katrina Tee