A few rom-coms have caught my attention and this recent release is one of them. This is a film that celebrates women in their sixties and seventies with the message that every moment should be valued because life is short. It's actually a sequel to the first film, Book Club (2018) which stars an ensemble cast including Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen.
Bill Holderman spices our screen with the reunion of the four friends taking a bachelorette trip to Italy in Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023). After the pandemic and some Zoom calls, four friends meet up. Vivian (played by Jane Fonda) announces she's engaged and shows her friends the ring. Carol (played by Candice Bergen) suggests they take a trip to Italy to celebrate. After some coincidences that make them believe it's fate, everyone is on board and the ladies fly out to the beautiful country. Vivian believes it's to celebrate her bachelorette but some surprises await them in Italy.
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I saw some negative reviews about this film surrounding the 'predictable' plot and the cast which is quite sad. I enjoyed it simply because the director and cast did not take themselves too seriously. Though the plot is a typical rom-com, there were a few twists thrown in like the ladies' luggage stolen by some riffraff, their car breaking up on the way and spending the night in a police cell.
The plot was crafted to portray fun, delightful and heartwarming stories of love, travel and possibilities at a stage of life where the world believes people are no longer capable of having fun.
I kind of understand where the filmmakers are coming from with the plot. When you make it past the 50s and 60s, I believe that's the time to celebrate and make the best of every moment rather than recount the regrets of years past. That's what the lead cast did which I bet most people daydream about, yours truly included.
I think many people want a world where they can be carefree, be happy and be themselves without being held back by societal conventions, culture, customs or even financial holdups. This film sells this message: it is possible!
I love the little deviation from the plot of the previous film. Book Club focused on the four ladies reading E. L. James' Fifty Shades Of Grey together and applying some parts of it to their relationships. It was fun and classy. In this sequel, the ladies don't read a book but travel to Italy to explore its tourist attractions, soak up the culture, enjoy the cuisine and get drunk on the varieties of sweet wine. However, they make some references to Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist suggesting they read it which still fits into the title of the film.
The cinematography was just lovely and fantastic. The features of beautiful Italian picturesque scenery were a sight for sore eyes. It makes me want to visit Italy soon and experience the delights. The acting was not bad and the love scenes were incredibly convincing.
Overall, Book Club: The Next Chapter is about friendship, love, marriage, fun and the delights of life. It's a chick flick with a difference—starting over and enjoying life even when the world expects you to be gloomy, hide indoors and watch the clock tick away until the final exit from life.
The reason I'll recommend this movie is that we have a lot of violent, suicidal and heartbreaking films out there and need something pleasant and fun to balance it out. Book Club: The Next Chapter is the balance. It's a decent watch and if you like travel flicks, you'll enjoy this one.
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