Cinema review - Something's got to give (From Barry And District News)

Cinema review - Something's got to give

This gentle comedy about two apparently mismatched Hollywood names becoming soulmates sets the mood for Valentines.

Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson) is in his 60s but refuses to date anyone over 30. It seems he has it all: a self-made success with young beauties on his arm.

But Harry lacks good health. He has a minor heart flutter when staying at the plush beach house of his latest squeeze, Marin (played by curvy looker Amanda Peet).

His steamy stay goes further awry when her playwright mother Erica (Diane Keaton) arrives unexpectedly with her feminist sister Zoe (Frances McDormand on hilarious form).

Dr Mercer (Keanu Reeves) takes a keen interest in Erica, providing a useful counterbalance to Harry's ageist antics.

This film's weakness is its predictability. Obviously Harry and Erica find love, but more inventive ruses could have been used instead of set-pieces like the meal where they get stuck together.

Yet Nicholson's trademark smug drawl and whisper of self mockery are infectious and thoroughly backed up by Keaton, in one of her best innings in a decade.

Their performances turn predictability into a polished tribute to the rom com genre.

The script brings laughter and sweetness, and Nicholson's manner as he discovers non medical issues with his heart saves it from becoming overripe. Not As Good As It Gets, but close.