Plot: Several elderly women are on a trip through the country when their bus breaks down. They walk down the road to an old house on a hill, where they divy up food, prepare mattresses, make rescue signals, and talk about their lives. And that's it.
What struck me initially about this film was how gentle and kind it was. Too often in movies, the characters are mean-spirited and nasty to each other for no reason. In some stories, characters need to be this way, but oftentimes, they are unpleasant for no plot purposes. Here, the ladies are always kind to one another because they have no reason not to be. It's a very pleasant watch and is a good antidote for movies that feature overly-annoying and spiteful characters.
Another stand-out is that the women are very calm about the situation. Instead of hoarding food, yelling at each other, ruining attempts at rescue, or falling victim to any of the typical pitfalls involved in movies of this nature, they work together, which feels realistic. They combine their food (and go foraging for berries and hunting for frogs when the food runs out), make smoke signals, create a net out of sticks and pantyhose, and spell out "HELP" in rocks. They accept the situation without feeling bitter, scared or angry; it's just something that's happening to them right now. Rather than being fearful, they show ingenuity, versatility, and even delight.
While awaiting rescue, they play cards, splash around in the water, have a dance-off, and talk about their pasts. One woman talks about losing her son, but does so without anger, great sadness, or bitterness at the world. Another fears death, but will accept it when it comes, and even gets rid of all of her medications at one point (that's perhaps the one thing they worry about--they have medications, which they can't find in nature, and have to remember to take them at the right times and with the right things). Yet another talks of being a lesbian at a time when homosexuality had to be kept hidden, and the experience of being liberated. As this script was mostly ad-libbed, all of these stories are true; all of the photographs interspersed thoughout the film are authentic. This film presents these women at the end of their lives, looking back on what has happened and accepting and sharing it all. Helping matters is that, with one exception, none of these ladies are professional actresses--this is the only film they made. This, along with the ad-libbing, leads to very natural performances. You feel like you're listening to your grandmother and her friends talk, or like you're watching a documentary of a group of seniors whose bus broke down and who just happened to have a camera handy.
Perhaps the only downside to this movie is its slow pacing and lack of action. There are no fierce arguments that force reconicliation at the end, no action scenes, no mind-blowing plot twists. In fact, it almost doesn't matter when the women are rescued at the end. The point is not to see how these ladies get rescued, but rather to listen to them and see how they deal with and dealt with life in all its forms, whether it's at a nursing home or in the middle of nowhere (and is there a difference in how they live and act based on where they are?). As a result, some viewers may find it a trying experience, as nothing earth-shattering happens to grab the audience's attention. However, if you're in the right mood, the slowness and pleasantness will strike the right note. It's almost like Barry Lyndon in that respect--make sure you're in the mood for something slow, or the pacing could become grating. Otherwise, the experience is rewarding.
I'll leave it at that. I suspect that most of my reviews will be longer than this. Next time, I will review the 2003 film Secondhand Lions. Until then, Wise Wolf is signing off...
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