Rita Moreno, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Sally Field star as lovesick fans destined for the big game in this smooth, easy-to-digest comedy that's less about what they do than the joy of doing it together.
A sweet yet toothless "Girls Trip" for the "Golden Girls" crowd, "80 for Brady" unites four Hollywood legends: the "Grace and Frankie" duo, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field, like a real life gang. of friends in their 80s who took a road trip to the 2017 Super Bowl to cheer on their favorite quarterback, Tom Brady. Selected as the opening night star of the Palm Springs International Film Festival (whose diva-adoring audience represents the two demographics best suited to this featherweight offering: gay and grey), Kyle's directorial debut Marvin is a rather nice reminder that these girls are still in the game for quite a while.
Director: Kyle Marvin
Writers: Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins
Stars: Rita Moreno, Sally Field, Jane Fonda
More of a buddy comedy than a sports flick, the female-scripted Laffer (co-written by Sarah Haskins and Emily Halpern) celebrates the fact that soccer appeals to more than just brothers. It doesn't matter that his middle four seem less interested in Brady's form than how well he completes his uniform. Here, Tomlin's Lou is stuck at home, recovering from chemotherapy, and she and her friends Trish (Fonda), Maura (Moreno) and Betty (Field) are frustrated that their TV is stuck on a channel showing football until they see a glimpse of Brady.
Instant fans, they begin gathering at Lou's house to watch New England Patriots games together. By 2017, Lou is in remission and her team is headed to the Super Bowl, triggering the plan—not as wacky or wacky as the movie implies—for all four of them to attend. (Usually the funniest person on any ensemble, Tomlin is forced to tone it down here, playing the cast's cancer survivor.) she really comes together once they have them in hand, beginning with a low-key escape in which they must free Maura from her retirement home.
Rather than waste time en route to Texas, Marvin cuts off almost immediately upon his arrival in Houston. The director (who produced and co-starred in "The Climb" with his best friend Michael Angelo Covino) has a tendency to telegraph every joke well in advance, so no one will be surprised when women manage to lose their tickets. There are wide-ranging, benign bits involving edible-grabbing, Trish's flirtations with a former Super Bowl champion (a charming Harry Hamlin), and Betty's participation in a hot sauce-eating contest hosted by Guy Fieri. A typical situation, spanning several scenes, features Betty learning what "deny" means, then trying it out on a young stud whom she nudges on the dance floor, only for him to fall for her. she.
“80 for Brady” may be based on a true story, but it comes across as pure fantasy – a quiet distraction from these dark and pessimistic times. Their four stars are icons who never stray too far from the personas they've created for themselves, though Field, not quite 80 yet, has fun playing a socially awkward, stat-loving math teacher who enjoys a little of time away from her needy husband. (Bob Balaban). A vivacious 91, Moreno dances in circles around the others, energy-wise, even though the film's two dance numbers aren't choreographed or edited to show off everything she can do. Fonda is great as a former "Mayflower Girl" fanfiction writer whose beauty queen background explains the elephant in the room: her job and "what it takes to look like that."
For the most part, it's a joy to watch these legends joke around with each other, even if the jokes feel strangely condescending, both to the characters and their intended audience. Many of the comedies that Hollywood produces these days feature raunchy "grown-up" jokes, while "80 for Brady" does it pretty clean. Oddly, that makes the PG-13-rated movie feel like a kids' movie most of the time, as the women come up with Nickelodeon-level schemes to sneak into the stadium and give Brady the last-minute pep talk. what do you need. Marvin and cinematographer John Toll do a decent job of making it look like the foursome are at the big game, while Brady is a good sport at playing both himself and the plastic bobblehead that kicks off the whole show.