THE BOYS ARE BACK: BUT NOW WHAT?

Clive Owen is the man. If you like Clive Owen, you will like this film; maybe. His performance is full of both joy and sorrow as he portrays freshly widowed Joe Warr who has to contend with the fear of raising a six year old alone. His son is adorable and terrible and confuses Warr to no end. Tenderly his wife comes back now and again to offer some advice. It is all very well done. We discover this is a second marriage and he comes to learn to deal with his older son as well. It's a heartbreaking war that ends with some peace and solace, but not quite wrapped up with a pretty bow. The end seems more like the beginning, as it is, but it makes it hard to put the movie away without the closure. Both boys are lovely and give stellar performances.
Bite: A film full of heart, but just short of story.

EVERYBODY'S FINE... NOT!

Doddering widower, Frank Goode, (Robert De Niro) plans a gala party for his adult children and everybody cancels. Did he offend? No. He's too clueless to offend. His children are all talking to each other, but nobody is talking to him. So, get goes on the road to make a personal visit to each one of his ungrateful too-busy-with-life-to-talk-to-dad spawn.