In 1997 John Nicholson perfected the role of the pain-in-the-neck aging man in "As good as it gets", character study, comedy and romance all rolled into one. Then in 2003, with obnoxiousness replaced by flamboyance, he beefed up the romance side in "Something's got to give" playing opposite inimitable Diane Keaton. And here we are, in "And so it goes", with our very own Keaton again radiating her absolutely undiminished charm, and Michael Douglas stepping into the formidable shoes that he fills admirably. Nicholson can now go comfortably into retirement. This is not to say that Douglas becomes another Nicholson. What he offers is an alternative version. His brand of obnoxiousness is matter-of-course rather than zealous, and he has warmth that Nicholson does not have.
The story revolves around our protagonist. Although the romance plays a big part, there are other dimensions to recent widower Oren Little's life. Embittered by the experience of 2 years of watching helplessly his wife dying of cancer, Oren has, so he claims, all his compassion drained. The effect is clearly felt by an assortment of human beings (and more, there is a dog) around him: neighbors who are also (unfortunately for them) his tenants, colleagues in the real estate office where he excelled as a sales agent in the last 40 years, prospective buyers of his luxury home and, last but not least, his son, that sets off the plot.
When Oren's estranged son, written off as a junkie beyond salvation, shows up with a 10-year old daughter who will become homeless as he goes to serve a jail term of 6 months, Oren is not exactly pleased. Widowed (for a bit longer than Oren) neighbor Leah, a part time lounge singer with a penchant for crying ("for Cry me a river, it doesn't have to be the whole river" Oren once offered his advice), gallantly rises to the occasion, taking in little Sarah until Oren "figures out something". I won't go into the developments which follows a somewhat predictable trajectory.
One thing that does deserve a little (no pun intended) elaboration is the idea of "balancing". For the two windowed people (for 2 years and 4 years respectively) falling in love, it is quite a challenge to strike a balance between the sorrow from losing a beloved spouse and joy from the new-found consolation (which, in this movie, is not only spiritual but also physical – "we are animals that have physical needs" quipped Oren at one point). Credibility is already quite a challenge, let alone sympathy and empathy. Keaton and Douglas pulled this off in a way lesser talent could not have.
Special credit should go also to 10-year-old Sterling Jerkins, the balance there being between a wild-eyed innocent child and a deprived soul raised in a single-parent, junkie-neighborhood environment. Some of the smaller roles, like her father (Oren's delinquent son), are not mere stereotypes. It turns out later that his jail term is in fact the result of a noble self-sacrificing act. The vast support cast, even those in one-dimensional roles, delivers.
For a special bonus, don't be late. The opening credits come with background of endearing "Both sides now", which is a brilliant choice so aptly setting the mood of the entire movie.
The story revolves around our protagonist. Although the romance plays a big part, there are other dimensions to recent widower Oren Little's life. Embittered by the experience of 2 years of watching helplessly his wife dying of cancer, Oren has, so he claims, all his compassion drained. The effect is clearly felt by an assortment of human beings (and more, there is a dog) around him: neighbors who are also (unfortunately for them) his tenants, colleagues in the real estate office where he excelled as a sales agent in the last 40 years, prospective buyers of his luxury home and, last but not least, his son, that sets off the plot.
When Oren's estranged son, written off as a junkie beyond salvation, shows up with a 10-year old daughter who will become homeless as he goes to serve a jail term of 6 months, Oren is not exactly pleased. Widowed (for a bit longer than Oren) neighbor Leah, a part time lounge singer with a penchant for crying ("for Cry me a river, it doesn't have to be the whole river" Oren once offered his advice), gallantly rises to the occasion, taking in little Sarah until Oren "figures out something". I won't go into the developments which follows a somewhat predictable trajectory.
One thing that does deserve a little (no pun intended) elaboration is the idea of "balancing". For the two windowed people (for 2 years and 4 years respectively) falling in love, it is quite a challenge to strike a balance between the sorrow from losing a beloved spouse and joy from the new-found consolation (which, in this movie, is not only spiritual but also physical – "we are animals that have physical needs" quipped Oren at one point). Credibility is already quite a challenge, let alone sympathy and empathy. Keaton and Douglas pulled this off in a way lesser talent could not have.
Special credit should go also to 10-year-old Sterling Jerkins, the balance there being between a wild-eyed innocent child and a deprived soul raised in a single-parent, junkie-neighborhood environment. Some of the smaller roles, like her father (Oren's delinquent son), are not mere stereotypes. It turns out later that his jail term is in fact the result of a noble self-sacrificing act. The vast support cast, even those in one-dimensional roles, delivers.
For a special bonus, don't be late. The opening credits come with background of endearing "Both sides now", which is a brilliant choice so aptly setting the mood of the entire movie.