movies
The Daily Herald Friday, 12.19.2014 5
Aging stars brim with life in sitcom-like ‘Elsa and Fred’ By Robert Horton
“Elsa & Fred” ★★
Herald Movie Critic
Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer are new neighbors, and she takes it upon herself to shake this old curmudgeon into living life again. There aren’t too many surprises in Michael Radford’s sitcomstyle film, although the cast is strong and the two leads bring lots of experience and appeal. Rating: PG-13, for subject matter Showing: Sundance Cinemas Seattle
MILLENNIUM ENTERTAINMENT
Shirley MacLaine plays Elsa, who takes it upon herself to try to wake up Fred (Christopher Plummer) from his late-in-life doldrums, in “Elsa and Fred.”
to happen with Elsa kicking his butt. The movie doesn’t have many surprises in store, but director Michael Radford (“Il Postino”) adds a few dashes of vinegar around the general feel-good mood. The cast is pretty strong for the low-budget trappings, with George Segal dropping by as Fred’s old
pal, James Brolin as a man from Elsa’s past, and the underused Erika Alexander as Fred’s caretaker. You might recognize the kid who plays Fred’s grandson as Jared Gilman, the boy from “Moonrise Kingdom.” Like other threads in the script, the grandson gets set up without much of a payoff. The running theme
about “La Dolce Vita” — the Fellini classic is Elsa’s favorite movie, and you know she’s going to wade into the Trevi Fountain before the fade-out — is pretty cute, but in general you keep wishing “Elsa & Fred” would shake itself out of the sitcom approach. Of course the main draw here is the two leads, and they play the whole thing
with a great deal of zest. MacLaine is relentless and doesn’t miss a beat, and Plummer (who turned 85 last week) continues his elegant run of silver-fox roles. In the end, neither is given enough meat to chew
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on, which leaves us with a choice: cherish the chance to see two old pros stretching it out, or lament the fact that they don’t have better material. If you’re a fan, the glass is half full.
THE
EDMONDS THEATER 415 MAIN ST. EDMONDS (425) 778-4554
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BEST ACTRESS • REESE WITHERSPOON
DRAMA
Fifty years ago Shirley MacLaine was doing adorable-pixie roles in movies like “Irma La Douce” and “What a Way to Go!”, and Christopher Plummer was, well, the Captain in “The Sound of Music.” Both actors are doing just about the same thing in “Elsa & Fred.” She’s still an unstoppable force of life, and he’s still moping around the house. MacLaine doesn’t break into a chorus of “My Favorite Things” to shake Plummer out of his doldrums, but she does insist that they re-create the fountain-jumping scene from “La Dolce Vita.” Which is not a bad way for an old curmudgeon to get his mojo back, it turns out. The film is based on a 2005 picture from Argentina, of the same title. MacLaine plays Elsa, who takes on the challenge of waking up her new neighbor Fred (Plummer) to the pleasures of life. Fred, recently widowed, has been dumped in his apartment by his needy daughter (Marcia Gay Harden) and her overbearing husband (Chris Noth). Fred would prefer to be left alone, but that isn’t going
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Friday 12/19 – Thursday 12/25 Now Playing
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SPECIAL FILMS 22: “Dolphin Tale 2,” Mukilteo, 2 p.m. Dec. 23: “Sleeping Beauty,” Monroe, 2 p.m.
Movies at the library
Seahawks vs. Cardinals
Bring your friends, have some popcorn and enjoy a movie at a branch of the Sno-Isle library system. Here’s a look at the upcoming schedule. Dec. 19: “Casablanca,” Freeland, 2 p.m. Dec. 20: “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Edmonds, 1 p.m. Dec.
Watch the Seahawks vs. Cardinals NFL football game free on the big screen at the Historic Everett Theatre. The game is at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 21. Beer and wine will be sold with proper identification.
(PG-13)
“It’s a Wonderful Life” The classic bittersweet Christmas comedy will be showing at 7 p.m. on Dec. 22 and 23 at the Historic Everett Theatre. “It’s a Wonderful Life” lost money in its original run, but it lapsed into the public domain in 1973 and soon became a holiday classic. Tickets are $10.
STARTS TODAY
EVERETT Regal Everett Mall Stadium 16 (800) FANDANGO #1759 LYNNWOOD AMC Loews Alderwood Mall 16 (888) AMC-4FUN
MOUNTLAKE TERRACE Cinebarre Mountlake (452) 672-7501 PORT TOWNSEND Rose Theatre (360) 385-1089
Fri: 3:00, 6:00 & 9:00pm Sat: 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00pm Sun: 1:00, 4:00 & 7:00pm Mon: 1:00 & 7:00pm Tue: 1:00, 4:00 & 7:00pm Wed: 2:00pm Thu: 1:00, 4:00 & 7:00pm
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A yearlong series of 12 of Alfred Hitchcock’s best films will be shown on the last Wednesday of the month at the Evergreen Branch of the Everett Public Library, 9512 Evergreen Way, Everett; call 425-257-8250. A screening and discussion will start at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 31, “North by Northwest”: A New York executive (Cary Grant) becomes
embroiled with spies; he meets Eva Marie Saint as he flees across the country (1959).
1205830
Dial H for Hitchcock
Battle of the Five Armies
Check our website for times. www.theedmondstheater.com Tuesday all seats $6
$3.00 ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT POPCORN WEDNESDAYS