Quite a few reviews on here are critical, about the pacing, and indeed the content, but it shouldn't have been a surprise.
Four old friends (in Fonda's case, very old) meet up again on zoom, as they have through Covid lockdown, and then meet for real. On discovering that Fonda has agreed to get married, they decide very quickly on a "bachelorette party" (UK calls it a 'hen party') and it will be to Tuscany (once a couple of hurdles have been cleared, Keaton's partner is OK, so too Steenburgen's man with a dodgy ticker, and retired judge Bergen's cat has had a sad but timely death).
So, the group are in Rome, then decide after hearing about Romantic Venice to pop over there. This gives the opportunity to get their luggage stolen at the station. The stolen luggage though - luckily - doesn't include the wedding dress they approved for Fonda at an exclusive salon. That extended scene has them all trying on such outfits, including one ludicrous ensemble for Keaton - sorry, you'll just have to see it for yourself, looked like a demented spotty lampshade!
The jaunt to Venice brings about a few comic events, the cast share round the jokes, but arguably Bergen gets the best, possibly due to her long-running sitcom on US TV.
And then they're off to Tuscany, hiring a car this time, but a flat tyre and an apparent lack of phone signal (??) causes yet another disaster, especially as the others tell Fonda that actually they've set up a surprise wedding there. Well, not a surprise to all the audience?! Here I could add in that we did wonder if the Italian Tourist Board had helped with production costs, as the film seemed to be doing the work of about 50 glossy ads?!
There's no priest at the wedding - oops - but Bergen IS a judge and can run the ceremony, but then Fonda reveals she's having doubts, and partner Don Johnson (Miami Vice fame, still looking cool) isn't totally taken aback.
I won't give away the ending, I'll sum it all up as quite enjoyable, but it IS supposed to be a light comedy, and a bit of a road film, maybe also a 'buddy' movie. Reviews on here moaning about plot, or unlikely events, should maybe see some Buster Keaton, or Tom & Jerry, or something like 'Caddyshack' (many more) to verify that something can be funny if not totally based on real life?
The film IS aimed at a middle-aged and upwards female audience, and largely American too, judged by the little speeches that crept in about friendship, meaning of life, do it while you can (etc) - - but it's OK for all that, the hour and a half (ish?) seemed to whizz by for this cynical UK male viewer. The script could have done a little more maybe, (a couple of the innuendo jokes could be seen trimming their whiskers as they came over the hill), but the cast performed well, Keaton always seems to be playing Annie Hall for me, but that's perhaps not a bad thing. Bergen gets the best lines, IMO, and looked like she could barely move, permanently in flat shoes too, but I think she's great in everything.
To the people who apparently expected Shakespeare, or great poetry, well, buy a different ticket next time?!
Four old friends (in Fonda's case, very old) meet up again on zoom, as they have through Covid lockdown, and then meet for real. On discovering that Fonda has agreed to get married, they decide very quickly on a "bachelorette party" (UK calls it a 'hen party') and it will be to Tuscany (once a couple of hurdles have been cleared, Keaton's partner is OK, so too Steenburgen's man with a dodgy ticker, and retired judge Bergen's cat has had a sad but timely death).
So, the group are in Rome, then decide after hearing about Romantic Venice to pop over there. This gives the opportunity to get their luggage stolen at the station. The stolen luggage though - luckily - doesn't include the wedding dress they approved for Fonda at an exclusive salon. That extended scene has them all trying on such outfits, including one ludicrous ensemble for Keaton - sorry, you'll just have to see it for yourself, looked like a demented spotty lampshade!
The jaunt to Venice brings about a few comic events, the cast share round the jokes, but arguably Bergen gets the best, possibly due to her long-running sitcom on US TV.
And then they're off to Tuscany, hiring a car this time, but a flat tyre and an apparent lack of phone signal (??) causes yet another disaster, especially as the others tell Fonda that actually they've set up a surprise wedding there. Well, not a surprise to all the audience?! Here I could add in that we did wonder if the Italian Tourist Board had helped with production costs, as the film seemed to be doing the work of about 50 glossy ads?!
There's no priest at the wedding - oops - but Bergen IS a judge and can run the ceremony, but then Fonda reveals she's having doubts, and partner Don Johnson (Miami Vice fame, still looking cool) isn't totally taken aback.
I won't give away the ending, I'll sum it all up as quite enjoyable, but it IS supposed to be a light comedy, and a bit of a road film, maybe also a 'buddy' movie. Reviews on here moaning about plot, or unlikely events, should maybe see some Buster Keaton, or Tom & Jerry, or something like 'Caddyshack' (many more) to verify that something can be funny if not totally based on real life?
The film IS aimed at a middle-aged and upwards female audience, and largely American too, judged by the little speeches that crept in about friendship, meaning of life, do it while you can (etc) - - but it's OK for all that, the hour and a half (ish?) seemed to whizz by for this cynical UK male viewer. The script could have done a little more maybe, (a couple of the innuendo jokes could be seen trimming their whiskers as they came over the hill), but the cast performed well, Keaton always seems to be playing Annie Hall for me, but that's perhaps not a bad thing. Bergen gets the best lines, IMO, and looked like she could barely move, permanently in flat shoes too, but I think she's great in everything.
To the people who apparently expected Shakespeare, or great poetry, well, buy a different ticket next time?!