Book Club Review | Road Rash Reviews

3 star second-coming of age tale.

Book Club is written by Erin Simms (Long Gone Day) and Bill Holderman (A Walk in the Woods), for whom this is also an impressive directorial debut.

“I was thinking maybe I could lube her up a bit and get that old gal riding again…”

This film is a charming and frankly quite eye opening look at growing older through the eyes of four long standing friends who are part of a book club together. Although it is a twelve certificate, the content is relatively adult, quite explicit and may not be suitable for younger viewers.

Each of the members of the book club has reached a point in their lives where they want something more, however none of them are really sure what that is. However, all that changes one day when they decide that the next book they read should be the infamous Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James. This alters the way each of the women perceives their place in the world and their sex lives.

Vivian (Jane Fonda – Barbarella, Youth) is a successful hotel owner who runs into an old flame Arthur (Don Johnson – The Other Woman, Django Unchained) and is unsure whether to rekindle their connection.

Diane (Diane Keaton – Something’s Gotta Give, Annie Hall) is recently widowed and in a constant battle with her daughters, who think she is totally over the hill and want her to move to Arizona so they can keep her safe. After meeting a charismatic pilot Mitchell (Andy Garcia – Geostorm, Ocean’s Eleven) she embarks on a tricky double life.

Carol (Mary Steenburgen – Last Vegas, Step Brothers) has been happily married to her husband Bruce (Craig T. Nelson – Coach, Blades of Glory) for a long time, but they lack intimacy and she is frustrated trying to get him to pay attention to her rather than his motorbike.

Sharon (Candice Bergen – Murphy Brown, Bride Wars) is a federal judge who has sworn off men, but who decides to try online dating after reading the book, and meets some interesting characters, including George (Richard Dreyfuss – Jaws, The Goodbye Girl), but is still hung up on her ex husband Tom (Ed Begley Jr. – Whatever Works, Pineapple Express).

As they read Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed they each work through their new found lease of life.

Book Club is a funny film, well written if a little simplistic, heartwarming in places and cringeworthy in others, but always enjoyable. The acting performances are excellent, as you would expect and the actors do the best they can with the script.

Lighthearted and worth adding to your collection, especially if you fit into the demographic at which it is aimed.

“Show off the girls. Let them out!”