Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

Expected more

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

Not a perfect movie by any means, but the kind of film that rarely gets made by studios anymore: an ensemble cast of stars, a simple plot and very few explosions (okay, none). Yes, there were logical leaps and imperfect plot twists. But there were also great performances, which went a long way.

Regular readers of my film reviews and blog will know that one of my very favourite actors is Al Pacino. I make no claim that he is the finest actor to ever appear on the silver screen, indeed many of his performances are way over the top; but I don't care - I love him. Any movie that Al Pacino stars in is fine in my book - he always lights up the screen, always turns in unforgettable performances, and invariably takes a mundane story and makes it magical.And so it is in Danny Rose, where Al Pacino plays an ageing pop star who can still fill stadiums by singing the same banal songs that he made famous some 40 years earlier. Most of his devoted fans have grown old with him and we see rows and rows of women of a certain age all screaming and whooping whenever he appears on stage. I am trying to think of similar performers in real life, and maybe the likes of Barry Manilow or in the UK, maybe Cliff Richards might fill the bill. But dear old Danny is far more of a caricature than a real life person, and unlike Manilow and Richards, none of his 40 -year old songs have any merit whatsoever, and he really isn't a very nice person.But then something happens that is actually based on a true story. His manager, (the excellent Christopher Plummer in one of his last roles), tracks down a letter that was sent to Danny in 1971 by John Lennon, but which Danny never received. Lennon had sent him some advice about his songwriting and suggested they meet up. Danny is shocked and traumatised as he wonders how his life might have changed if he had received the letter. He is suddenly hit with the realisation that he has been a drunken ass-hole for most of his life; that he is kidding himself if he thinks that his gorgeous, sexy fiancé, one-third of his age, could really care for him, and the fact that he hasn't written a worthwhile song in more than 40 years. He decides to abandon his moneymaking tour (which we later discover was to be his retirement pension) and move into a suburban New Jersey hotel and track down his long lost son who he has never met.There is some wonderful, tender interplay between Pacino, his son's wife and daughter and later his son, who hates him with a purple passion. There are also some amusing, touching scenes with Pacino and his fiancé, (who receives Danny's blessing to cheat on him), and with the female hotel manager and two of the hotel staff. To be honest, the story is a little on the clichéd side, and some of the events are predictable - but not all. There are some blatant attempts to extract a few tears from us as fatal health issues are dragged to centre stage - but not for Danny… Without Pacino, this movie would probably die without much fanfare, but as ever, he lifts it out of the ordinary to a higher plane. Along with Plummer, Jennifer Garner as his daughter-in-law, and the excellent Annette Benning as the hotel manager, they made a corny story it into an excellent movie treat. Hollywood and Pacino oiling the movie wheels to perfection.

Al Pacino takes his weathered being to a different role. He is a rich rocker, left over from the 70's, who has managed to continue to sell out huge venues, even though he continues to march out the same tired songs that he did years before. I suppose Neil Diamond is a bit like this. That aside, one day he comes into possession of a letter that was supposed to have been delivered to him; it is a letter from John Lennon of the Beatles. It requests contact with Danny. However, some thirty years pass before his manager is able to get it for him as a birthday present. This leads him to try to make changes in his life. Two things seem to be at the center. First, he wants to return to songwriting, something he was good at once; secondly, he wishes to connect with his son whom he has never met. This is a rocky road and it is an interesting set of events that take place. He meets a manager of a Hilton Hotel, played by Annette Benning. He is attracted to her and a sort of soul connection develops. He has lived it up with booze, drugs, young women, and other indulgences, but now he has to exorcise those demons to move on. That is what the movie is about. By the way, the soundtrack is filled with wonderful John Lennon tunes.

On the surface this looks to be story of an aging rock star attempting to make up for his failure as a father. While this may be the movie's plot in a nutshell, it really is much more. This is a relatable tale about the nature of responsibility and the satisfaction that comes from the simpler things in life. Many people dream of the perfect life, one where they followed their dreams, one in which they never needed to grow old, boring and frustrated by everyday hassles. Here we have Danny Collins, a man whose life has been one of constant hedonism, a man perpetually reliving his heyday. Yet we see a frustrated man, bored of performing the same routine day in and day out. Inspired by a belated message from his idol, he seeks out the life he neglected and the family he failed. Through His experience we see that maturity is something we all need to face while accepting we can't always stay young brings about new inspiration and a clearer sense of the things we really value. Of course no-one really wants to let go of their youth, some are fortunate enough that they can earn their living by doing so. Whatever your situation, finding the balance between staying young and growing up is always a challenge. Danny Collins's story may be an extreme example of this dilemma but there's a part of him we can all relate to in some way. The challenge of responsibility offers rewards far greater than the shallow pleasures of instant gratification. The good times don't stay good if you never move forward. Sometimes it's the simple things that mean the most.