Review: Book Club
Book Club, in which Fifty Shades of Grey provides inspiration for a quartet of sexagenarians, is a guilty pleasure, a trifling divertissement that allows its audience to bask in the glory of watching the sisterhood formed by Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen, who star as lifelong friends who have met every month for the past thirty years to drink wine, discuss the latest book chosen, and generally have a good time.
If one were to compare the women to the ladies of Sex and the City, then Fonda's Vivian would definitely be Samantha. A sexy and successful hotelier, she has remained a fiercely devoted singleton, loving and leaving men and never looking back. "I'm way too good at forecasting risk," she says, explaining the reason she's never gotten married. Plus, "emotional connection is highly overrated." Fonda is first seen slipping on thigh high boots after the end of her latest romp, and it's difficult not to recall Barbarella-era Fonda, especially since Fonda's allure is as potent as ever. That Vivian gets all the best lines is no surprise; neither is it out of left field that her lifelong ethos will be challenged by the reappearance of her former boyfriend Arthur (Don Johnson), who is eager to rekindle the flame.
Restaurateur Carol (Steenburgen), the Charlotte of the bunch, meanwhile, is keen on putting the sexual spark back in her marriage to recently retired Bruce (Craig T. Nelson). Sharon (Bergen), the group's Miranda, is a federal judge with a lethargic pussy (one of the film's most successful double entendres) tentatively venturing into the world of online dating, whilst the recently widowed Diane (Keaton), the film's Carrie, is being pressured by her daughters (Alicia Silverstone and Katie Aselton) to move from Southern California to Arizona because they're concerned about her living alone, which affects her burgeoning romance with suave pilot Mitchell (Andy Garcia, exuding a calm but potent charisma). When Vivian selects Fifty Shades of Grey as their next book, the ladies are initially aghast but Vivian exhorts them not to be "people who stop living before they stop living."
The film never strays too far from formula, but the filmmakers have put together a narrative that's both satisfying, thoughtful and frequently amusing. "Some things stand the test of time," one character notes in the film and, indeed, Book Club is nothing less than a testament to the star wattage of its leading ladies. All of the ladies and their characters are shown to be vibrant figures who are very much still at the height of their powers, though society at large and the industry may ignore them for younger models. They are very much front and center and running the world in Book Club and the men are relegated to either supporting characters or cameos. Also interesting to note is that Fonda and Keaton's romantic interests are played by actors who are comparatively younger (Johnson is 12 years Fonda's junior whilst Keaton is 10 years Garcia's senior).
Book Club
Directed by: Bill Holderman
Written by: Bill Holderman, Erin Simms
Starring: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Andy Garcia, Craig T. Nelson, Don Johnson, Alicia Silverstone, Richard Dreyfuss, Ed Begley Jr., Wallace Shawn, Tommy Dewey, Katie Aselton
