I really enjoyed the original Book Club back in 2018, calling it the funniest comedy of the year. This one is not that one. It’s five years later and everyone is five years older and half of the men in the first film are nowhere to be found. Much of it takes place in picturesque Italy, leading to some very obvious scenarios and jokes and views. The good news is that the women are still terrific together and the theme of lifelong friendship is certainly one to celebrate.
Bill Holderman’s sequel still has its senior vixens (Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen), but their circumstances have changed a bit. Carol’s (Steenburgen) husband (Craig T. Nelson) has had a heart attack and she fears for him every day, while Vivian (Fonda) has finally agreed to tie the knot with her beau (Don Johnson). Sharon (Bergen) has retired from the Bench and Diane (Keaton) is still afraid to commit to her man (Andy Garcia). The women head to Italy for Vivian’s bachelorette trip, and all sorts of shenanigans occur in Rome, Venice and Tuscany.
It must be admitted that this is pretty flimsy material for a feature film, and one can tire of the ladies telling each other how important they are to each other. A couple of plot twists unfold in painfully obvious fashion (ask my wife; I predicted them in the theatre). And yet, it’s wrong to be super critical of a movie that certainly has its heart in the right place. A couple of the jokes are belly laugh-funny (but not as many as in the original), and if you are of a romantic bent the views of Rome, Venice and Tuscany should make you want to take a romantic vacation at the earliest opportunity. The movie’s moral, after all, is don’t put off what you might never do; stop making excuses and go for it while you can.
Book Club: The Next Chapter is a pleasant time passer. It has charm and humor, actually discusses a classic book (“The Alchemist” by Pablo Coelho) and offers some terrific music to accompany the story — including a catchy Italian version of “I’m a Believer”! It’s better than 80 for Brady, the similarly themed comedy from earlier this year, and it is providing gainful employment for some very talented actresses and actors who can no longer handle action fare. It’s worth a look. ☆ ☆ 1/2. 30 May 2023.