Book Club Review

PG-13 : Sex-related material throughout, and for language.Paramount Pictures1 Hr and 45 MinutesCast: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Andy García, Don JohnsonINTRO: Why in the hell we have two “Fifty Shades” movies this year I don’t even know. As if the final film in the series wasn’t bad enough, we had to have a movie about WOMEN WHO READ “FIFTY SHADES OF GREY” AND APPLY IT TO THEIR LIVES?!
Whatever. Let’s do this!
Four older women spend their lives attending a book club where they bond over the typical suggested literature. One day, they end up reading “Fifty Shades of Grey” and are turned on by the content. Viewing it as a wake up call, they decide to expand their lives and chase pleasures that have eluded them.THE GOODFor a film focused on people reading “Fifty Shades of Grey” and applying it to their love lives, I appreciate the fact that it doesn’t really focus on “Fifty Shades of Grey.” The movie is 35% the women focusing on the book and the other 65% is focused on their romantic subplots where they all have to individually deal with their separate love lives. The entire female cast are fun to watch and you can tell they are having fun with the material.
The only times I found myself constantly cracking up is whenever the four of them get together and shoot the shit. It may be very reminiscent of your typical “Golden Girls” episode but set in modern times and they all have charm. Even the male love interests to the four are charming, especially Andy Garcia who plays this smooth and charming pilot that woos Diane Keaton off her feet. He’s pretty much an older Quagmire without the sex addict aspect to him.THE BADSomething major that was really bothersome was how cheap the production was where there would be scenes of characters filming on top of a green screen in realistic settings that could’ve been easily shot on location. It gets SNL-level cheap at times and it’s really embarrassing. Sometimes it would feel cinematic but the majority of the film is rather cheap and doesn’t get past the network quality. That’s why it hurts knowing a talented director like Bill Holdman helmed this where it only plays like a studio comedy rather than a movie by Holdman. Just like “Infinity War”, the movie is all over the place where we jump scene to scene following the threads of our four leads and we just see their storylines predictably play out. Some of them barely even get the focus they deserve. Jane Fonda’s character is the one who kicks off the film’s premise but her subplot is the one that has the least amount of screen time.
So one of the four subplots is focused on a character named Sharon played by Candice Bergen and how she uses a dating app to get out there. You would think something like E-Harmony or Tinder would be what she would use but for some reason, it’s Bumble. As if the movie couldn’t afford any other application or Bumble went to them asking, “HEY! WE NEED TO BECOME POPULAR! HELP US!” Either way, it’s Bumble. And the weirdest part about it is that the way Bumble is presented in the film has little to no resemblance to how Bumble actually works. In the movie, Sharon is the one who gets messages sent to her first when in actuality WOMEN are the ones who make the first move on that particular app. Even how the app is designed in the movie looks nothing like the actual app. The only thing they have going for it is the picture verification and even then they use it as the profile as a means for a joke. If you are going to use a pre-existing app in your movie, abide to the functionality to the app.“Book Club” is harmless and inoffensive as a comedy goes, especially since the story focuses on women trying to spice up their love lives, but the main problem with the movie is the fact that it plays itself too safe. I’m not asking for it to be more raunchy or risqué. Shoot, I would assume the film’s target demographic isn’t looking for anything shocking and this is perfect for them. But here’s the thing: since this is too safe, why didn’t this go straight to television? The score is bland, the writing is bland, and every story line is telegraphed for each of the characters to learn a valuable lesson at the end.
Even the content is so safe that there’s barely anything to edit down when it makes its way to network television. Seriously, there is one use of the word “shit” and one use of the word “fuck.” That’s it. For God’s sake this is opening next to “Deadpool 2” so of course this movie isn’t going to thrive. It is smart counterprogramming, I give it that. But I can see that in two years when it airs on Lifetime or TV Land, it will play multiple times that it will make stay-at-home women very entertained.THE RENDY No offense to the film itself but every time any of the characters reference “Fifty Shades of Grey”, I get war flashbacks to the movies. The wounds are still fresh since the last film came out three months ago.If I may be bluntly honest, this movie isn’t for me. I am far from this movie’s demographic so a lot of my complaints against the film, such as the functionality of Bumble not being accurate to the application service itself, most likely wouldn’t matter to a person over 50 going out to see this movie. If you are a woman over 40 and looking for a fun romantic comedy for you and your spouse (or hell, just yourself), “Book Club” is just for you.HOLY SHIT I JUST CAME TO A REALIZATION."Book Club" is the female version of “LAST VEGAS!” All these iconic Hollywood actresses coming together in a PG-13 comedy where they all play friends and look for something that makes them feel young again?! That’s this movie and also is “Last Vegas.” 
 Also, side note that needs to be addressed: Does anybody else find it funny that Don Johnson, father of Dakota Johnson, is starring in a movie where women apply “Fifty Shades of Grey” to their lives and address the movies’ existence in it? No? Is it just me?
LAST STATEMENTWhile “Book Club” is harmless, inoffensive, tame, and often charmingly sweet at times, this thinly written “Golden Girls/"Sex and the City" inspired feature is way too telegraphed for an in-theater recommendation.Rating: 2/5 | 47%Super Scene:  Carol and Bruce's dance