I must admit that I never really thought that Burt Reynolds (who sadly passed away on September 2018) was a great actor. He had some good films, but overall he was not (in my view) one of the bright Hollywood stars.
So, when the new recent movie "The Last Movie Star" (which was originally named Dog Years), starring Reynolds went public - I did not expect much.
Generally, it is supposed to be a drama-comedy, and the plot is quite simple, and to a large extent allows Reynolds to reflect on his own personal career: An aging movie star, whose career is way over, is invited to an "international" film festival in Nashville, to be presented an award for his life-time achievements as a movie actor. He accepts the invitation and travels to the festival - only to realize that this is not really a serious/real international film festival, but a small, local event made by a small group of film lovers, hosted in the back of their small bar. From this point the movie follows the way Reynolds handles (or mishandles) the event.
This is certainly a very relevant gerontological movie: the story is all about aging, and self reflection in old age. There are many good scenes which touch upon the challenges of growing old in the face of ageism and social stigmas and stereotypes. It also touches upon the way people reflect on their past when they age, and how they search for meanings and "closures". In many parts the movie is also funny, and uses humor as a therapeutic instrument to handle difficult personal disappointments and failures.
On the other hand, in many moments, the movie is not funny, nor really interesting. In many moments the happenings are trivial and not really surprising.
So, overall, very mixed fillings: a gerontological movie which could have been much better....
2017
USA
Director: Adam Rifkin
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1_SBhhfUNE
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