Not for the under-forties?

OLD(ISH) PEOPLE FILMS

There seems to be a current fad for major feature films with older - sixties, seventies, eighties - actors in the lead roles. Is this something I've just noticed because I'm not so far of being that age myself (and early retirement brings it closer in some ways)? Or is it genuinely the case that the cult of youth is less predominant than it was so recently? It may be that there is a generation of actors who became big stars back in the (rather than their) sixties and seventies who are still active, still box office draws, and remain impressive screen presences. Whilst their contemporaries amongst the general public have the disposable income and time to spend on visits to the cinema. Is this the revenge of the Baby Boomers? (Although several of these big names pre-date even that generation.)

We've been to see two of these oldie productions recently, with a third lined up in a few weeks time. The former both fall into the 'heart warming' and 'life affirming' categories, although neither completely overindulges in schmaltz. The third looks as if there may be a harder edged presence, but the ultimate redemption will remain much as it was for the others. All three flirt with death, it's imminence and inevitability, and the sheer bloody nuisance of a gradually failing body (and mind). I wonder what younger audiences make of them?

The first of the trio was The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (BEMH), whilst today's was Quartet. Both boast a superstar cast, one has an established, big box office director whilst the other is guided by a man recognised as one of the greatest actors of his time, an icon of the sixties cultural wave, making his directorial debut. All three are very, very British, despite Dustin Hoffman being the director of Quartet. The BEMH has been successful over in the USA, but it's too early to say if either of the others will make it big over there. Actors who may be huge names here in the UK are sometimes relatively unknown over there.

Loosely based on a novel called These Foolish Things, The BEMH is based around a group of ex-pat Brits (well, English) forced, ostensibly, by penury to live out their retirements in India. Whatever flaws it may have, the film is an improvement on the book which is not terribly well written and features different sub-plots. Whoever spotted it's potential as a blockbuster movie did well to dig beneath the surface and the revised storyline is an improvement - generally a rare achievement. In particular the tale of Graham, played by Tom Wilkinson, lifts the overall story above the banal. In the book Graham is a minor background character of little significance. The film gives him a more pivotal role when it is revealed he has returned to India in the hope of meeting up with the lover he knew briefly in his youth. That this is a gay relationship adds an extra level of edge and poignancy. The other standout performance comes from the great Judi Dench, as memorable here as in almost everything she appears in.

Underlying the plot of BEMH is the (predictable) message that life is there to be lived and it's never too late to start anew, undertake fresh experiences and find love. It's feelgood, but not in the sickly Hollywood sense. For older audiences it's good to be reminded that life is far from over, even if there are more than enough aches and pains to handle. Quartet aims at the same target, but is much funnier along the way (not that BEMH lacks for laughs). How could it be otherwise with Billy Connolly in the line-up? I've read that many of the biggest laughs resulted from his ad libs. There is also a great over-the-top performance from Michael Gambon and an equally understated role for Manuel. Sorry, Andrew Sachs. Despite some lovely stuff from Maggie Smith and Pauline Collins it is Tom Courtenay that dominates the screen and gives what must be one of his best ever performances.

There is animosity, romance, frailty and bombast. The young who do appear are respectful of their elders in the main, so maybe not so realistic (?), but these oldies are all once-upon-a-time musicians so at least they have solid achievements behind them which have earned them esteem. Like the Ronald Pickup character in BEMH, Billy C plays an ageing Lothario who flirts outrageously with much (much, much) younger women, both driven by a desire to show they still 'have it'. Younger audience members may see them more as models of threat and disgust rather than life affirming!

The last of the trio, Song For Marion, promises much. Two true screen greats, Terence Stamp and Vanessa Redgrave, head the cast and crits I've seen suggest that Stamp in particular redeems any flaws the plot and direction may bring. I'm also encouraged by the presence of Christopher Ecclestone as their son as he rarely backs a losing horse. Like the two films mentioned above there will be humour based on infirmity and the incongruity of seeing 'old' people doing things usually thought of being reserved for the young. (The trailer shows a choir of oldies singing about sex in a lyric that certainly didn't originate from Cole Porter.) At the end there will be that essential redemption, like Quartet it will be music-based, and Stamp will become the (reluctant) hero of the hour. Where it may differ sharply is in Redgrave contracting a terminal illness and the pain and suffering that brings not just to her, but to those around her. Perhaps more than the other two (which featured the old folks living in quite enclosed communities) this may offer a better model for inter-generational relationships.

Whatever the societal influences they may or may not engender, it is good to see established talents strutting their stuff at the highest level. They, as much as the characters they portray, are inspirational and aspirational. Long may this trend continue.