Another fact about yours truly: I am not much of a reader. For some reason when I start reading a novel, my mind starts to wander and I lose focus, but I can listen to audiobooks with no issues. When it comes to books on stupid useless facts, I can go all day, but when it is a novel, I am off to La-La Land. So the idea of me joining a book club, yeah right!
“Book Club” is the new film co-written and directed by Bill Holderman in his making his feature debut. Starring Diane Keaton (Annie Hall, Manhattan), Jane Fonda (On Golden Pond, Youth), Candice Bergen (Bride Wars, Miss Congeniality), Mary Steenburgen (Step Brothers, Last Vegas), Andy Garcia (Ocean’s Eleven, The Godfather), Craig T. Nelson (Coach, The Incredibles), Don Johnson (Django Unchained, Miami Vice), Ed Begley Jr. (Pineapple Express, A Mighty Wind), and Richard Dreyfuss (Jaws, Close encounter of the Third Kind), it is the story of four lifelong female friends in Diane (Keaton), Vivian (Fonda), Sharon (Bergen), and Carol (Steenburgen) who meet every month for a book club. When it is Vivian’s turn, she picks “Fifty Shades of Grey”, and much to the chagrin of her friends, it changes each of them in different ways.
This film basically takes place at the residences of the characters and does so with good lighting and scenery. When it comes to acting, you know what to expect with the leads and they do not disappoint as does the supporting cast.
“Book Club” has a good mix of comedy and drama as it tells its story of in-depth relationships, both romantic and personal. At about an hour and forty minutes, it could have had about 10 minutes could have been cut out, but the film did not drag or seem too long. Now I admit that I am not the target demographic for this film but I still did enjoy the film. I will warn that there is some adult humor, but I do recommend this film as seeing it as a matinee showing in the theaters.