A very good movie

I really have a weak spot for Jack Nicholson, I think he is a great actor, but sometimes, he tends to play the same charismatic hysterical guys over and over but, this time, he finally portrayed an old man who was actually acting like an old man and not like an oversexed teenager. Obviously, with such a terrific turn, Nicholson was once again nominated for the Academy awards (already his 12th nomination) but we shouldn’t forget Alexander Payne who was slowly building up a solid reputation as a director. Personally, I was a little bit disappointed by ‘Election’, his previous directing effort. I mean, it was pretty good but it could have been terrific. This time, he really nailed it though. Indeed, the characters were more grounded and less hysterical and it was easier to relate with them. At the end of the day, it remains a road movie, a genre with some rather rigid set of rules (a character leaves home, encounters some rather eccentric characters and he/she usually learns something about him/herself along the way) but this one was probably one of the most satisfying one I have seen. To conclude, even though it is nothing really original, it remains a pretty good dark comedy and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Alexander Payne’s work.

8/10