Something's Gotta Give (B or 3/4 stars)
There's absolutely no reason why I should have liked 'Something's Gotta Give' (written & directed by Nancy Meyers). And yet, despite it being a film geared straight towards middle-aged-to-older women ... I have to respect the writing (to a degree), performances, & look of the film. And the film goes down easy, too. The plot begins with 63 yr. old music industry exec Harry (Jack Nicholson) pursuing the much younger, Marin (Amanda Peet). He nabs her, but an attempted sexual encounter at the beach house owned by Marin's accomplished mom, Erica (Diane Keaton), is spoiled when she shows up with her sister, Zoe (Frances McDormand), at quite the inappropriate time. Though it's all bizarre, the 4 spend the day together, & things end poorly when Harry suffers a mild heart attack.
Following his stay at the hospital, Harry returns to Erica's house to recuperate, but Marin & Zoe go back to NYC, leaving Harry & Erica alone. The two, who initially don't care for one another, grudgingly get to know each other, & start developing a connection (of course). Matters become complicated as the hospital doctor (Keanu Reeves) who treated Harry takes a liking to Erica, of all people (she's a good 25 yrs older than him). But Harry & Erica go on to spend a good portion of the film's running time denying what we all know to be true - that the 63 yr. old swinger & the emotionally detached mom are actually in love with each other. Romantic triangles flourish. Standard rom-com issues ensue. And inevitable rom-com resolutions occur, as well.
You know, there's nothing special about the script; other than the fact that it highlights romance btwn. a 50-something woman & a 60-something male. You just don't see that in the movies very often. The dialogue - as written - is okay. There's nothing truly special about it. A lot of the dialogue is what I call 'movie dialogue'; meaning, it probably wouldn't occur in real life. And if anything, the story is aided by some big comedic set pieces (involving nudity), & the actors doing wonders with the written word. Jack Nicholson & Diane Keaton give stellar performances here; filling out the script with their acting talents. Keaton, in particular, gets the flashier role; and she almost leveled me with a heart wrenching monologue that takes place in the street. For as funny as the film is, there's also sadness. I also liked the small moments we get from Frances McDormand. And miles away from his role in The Matrix, Keanu Reeves was actually a bit charming, here.
Something else that must be mentioned about this film is the production design. It's not often that I point that aspect of a film out, but it simply must be said that the beach house is spectacular. If renting this film, you could put the film on mute and just 'watch' the film & enjoy it. The house itself & the furnishings inside are to die for. And so, 'Something's Gotta Give' should go over big with audiences. At over 2 hours (because the 'will they or won't they get together in the end' garbage takes quite a while, here), the running time may test some people. But older women will probably enjoy it most. And despite the iffy screenplay, there are still the beautiful locales, glossy cinematography, charismatic performances, & big laughs to be had.
Following his stay at the hospital, Harry returns to Erica's house to recuperate, but Marin & Zoe go back to NYC, leaving Harry & Erica alone. The two, who initially don't care for one another, grudgingly get to know each other, & start developing a connection (of course). Matters become complicated as the hospital doctor (Keanu Reeves) who treated Harry takes a liking to Erica, of all people (she's a good 25 yrs older than him). But Harry & Erica go on to spend a good portion of the film's running time denying what we all know to be true - that the 63 yr. old swinger & the emotionally detached mom are actually in love with each other. Romantic triangles flourish. Standard rom-com issues ensue. And inevitable rom-com resolutions occur, as well.
You know, there's nothing special about the script; other than the fact that it highlights romance btwn. a 50-something woman & a 60-something male. You just don't see that in the movies very often. The dialogue - as written - is okay. There's nothing truly special about it. A lot of the dialogue is what I call 'movie dialogue'; meaning, it probably wouldn't occur in real life. And if anything, the story is aided by some big comedic set pieces (involving nudity), & the actors doing wonders with the written word. Jack Nicholson & Diane Keaton give stellar performances here; filling out the script with their acting talents. Keaton, in particular, gets the flashier role; and she almost leveled me with a heart wrenching monologue that takes place in the street. For as funny as the film is, there's also sadness. I also liked the small moments we get from Frances McDormand. And miles away from his role in The Matrix, Keanu Reeves was actually a bit charming, here.
Something else that must be mentioned about this film is the production design. It's not often that I point that aspect of a film out, but it simply must be said that the beach house is spectacular. If renting this film, you could put the film on mute and just 'watch' the film & enjoy it. The house itself & the furnishings inside are to die for. And so, 'Something's Gotta Give' should go over big with audiences. At over 2 hours (because the 'will they or won't they get together in the end' garbage takes quite a while, here), the running time may test some people. But older women will probably enjoy it most. And despite the iffy screenplay, there are still the beautiful locales, glossy cinematography, charismatic performances, & big laughs to be had.