This movie is all about Peter Falk, and what he's capable of when released from his Columbo role. Not that I have anything against Columbo -- it's one of the all-time great cop characters, along with Sgt. Friday and Sipowicz -- but in a police procedural we're mainly interested in what happens next, and any good director keeps that in mind. Here Falk gets to display the breadth and depth of his powers, and keeps us enthralled from the first scene to the last. He was "only" 68 when this film was released, but is convincingly aged during its course from something like 60 up to 107 (yes, really), which is a tribute not only to him but to the formidable makeup department (IMDb lists nine makeup credits). And just because grandfather is such an overpowering character, we shouldn't ignore the fine performances by D.B. Sweeney as his physician-grandson and Julianne Moore as the young social worker. In all, this is a moving story, well made and superbly acted. If you haven't seen it, do.
