Whenever I see a movie similar to this, I often wonder how the principal actors in the story react to issues in their own life that they're representing on screen. Like Jack Nicholson here, sixty six years old when he made the movie, portraying a sixty three year old playboy who has a penchant for loving 'em and leaving 'em, as long as his girlfriends are under the age of thirty. Do the same thoughts of mortality and finding true love in one's life go through his mind in a way of life imitating art? The same can be said of Diane Keaton as well, about a decade younger than Nicholson but still dealing with the issue of aging in an industry that values youth and beauty. Well, I guess we'll never know unless they come right out and say it.
Enough philosophizing I guess. I thought this was a fairly good look at the foibles inherent in a relationship about to happen between a couple of characters who have a sense that the clock is ticking. Nicholson does a splendid job, but I have to say, Keaton is amazing with her facial expressions and reaction to situations at any given moment. The only time I thought she might have been forcing her emotions were in that writing scene right after Harry Sanborn (Nicholson) says goodbye to go back to New York. The alternately hysterical bouts of laughing and wailing came across as somewhat theatrical, but giving her the benefit of the doubt, added to the conflicted aspect of her character.
Say, keep an eye on Nicholson right after he's treated for his first heart attack and gets out of his hospital bed. It seemed to me he was channeling R.P. McMurphy, the character he portrayed in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", right after getting the electroshock treatments. That was a neat homage if in fact it was intentional.
The resolution to the story was to be expected, though I did find it difficult to accept that Dr. Mercer (Keanu Reeves) gave up his engagement to Erica Barry (Keaton) without much of a struggle. That happened off screen so there's not much opportunity to think about it at the time, but it was another one of those things I wonder about after a picture is over.
Enough philosophizing I guess. I thought this was a fairly good look at the foibles inherent in a relationship about to happen between a couple of characters who have a sense that the clock is ticking. Nicholson does a splendid job, but I have to say, Keaton is amazing with her facial expressions and reaction to situations at any given moment. The only time I thought she might have been forcing her emotions were in that writing scene right after Harry Sanborn (Nicholson) says goodbye to go back to New York. The alternately hysterical bouts of laughing and wailing came across as somewhat theatrical, but giving her the benefit of the doubt, added to the conflicted aspect of her character.
Say, keep an eye on Nicholson right after he's treated for his first heart attack and gets out of his hospital bed. It seemed to me he was channeling R.P. McMurphy, the character he portrayed in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", right after getting the electroshock treatments. That was a neat homage if in fact it was intentional.
The resolution to the story was to be expected, though I did find it difficult to accept that Dr. Mercer (Keanu Reeves) gave up his engagement to Erica Barry (Keaton) without much of a struggle. That happened off screen so there's not much opportunity to think about it at the time, but it was another one of those things I wonder about after a picture is over.