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Reviews
A Grandpa for Christmas (2007)
A weepy film for afternoon viewing in old people's homes
I avoided giving this a '1 only because I did want to watch it to the end. This is one of those film where the viewer easily anticipates each part of the plot. It's a nice film for nice people, there are no nasty shocks, a complete absence of sex which is unusual these days. It's a good film only in the sense it majors on relationships unfortunately the direct has been watching too many old movies and he seems new to directing.
The acting was bad, after saying that it was good to see Ernest Bourgine again, his timing was off but he must be in his 90's now, I hope I am as good when I am 90. It wasn't so much he fluffed his lines, the lines were so simple they were hackneyed, I mean abysmally hackneyed, the little girl was also a very bad actor, but hey could she sing, like a canary, she also danced well, very well. Apart from the fact she looked anorexic she said her lines but they were clichés in the main. The director did not use fade in's and on a number of occasion you had the distinct impression the whole cast were starting off from the queboard very unnerving.
The story line was predicable and the most scenes were too pat.
I liked the reality of the oldies on the film even though they were almost decrepit. The was a distinct lack of emotion and too many actors had that 'I've just had a face job' look. The 3rd world or ethnic minority doctor also was a poor actor/actress. It was the director's fault I guess or the casting editor, but then I've seen a number of these act before but there was an amateur feel to the whole film.
I guess at the end of the day it was a low/low budget film, but the poor acting, across the whole cast, and the clichéd chess games were a bane.The story line was good, with a little inventiveness it could have been great. The nose on the little girl was disconcerting. I notice the director went out of his way to show appropriate behaviour throughout the film. The knocking on doors and the shoulder to shoulder hugs became unbearable at the end, and yet I watched and watched hoping it would get better, and then at the end it did bring forth a tear. But a different director could have made this a classic. Pity...never mind.
Would I watch this laboured attempt at a film, no! definitely no.