The Time of Their Lives
The Time of Their Lives
| 10 March 2017 (USA)
The Time of Their Lives Trailers

Determined to gatecrash her ex-lover's funeral on glamorous French hideaway Île de Ré, former Hollywood siren Helen escapes her London retirement home with help of repressed English housewife Priscilla and they hit the road together in a race to get to the funeral on time.

Reviews
Greenes Please don't spend money on this.
UnowPriceless hyped garbage
Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.
TheLittleSongbird The cast was an appetising one, and who doesn't enjoy a film with a mix of comedy, drama and road-trip? Does 'The Time of Their Lives' fully live up its potential? No. Is it a bad film? Not to me. Could it have been better? Of course. It is an uneven film, but is a pleasant way to pass the time and there is nothing offensive about it.It has plenty of reasons as to why people will like it. It is also not too hard to see why people would not. It is a long way from perfect. It is corny in places. It is clichéd too. And parts of the story are implausible, with a few absurd plot twists. Didn't mind so much that the story is pretty slight, but not every scene comes off with a contrived scene where the characters get stoned and a too dragged out ending.Also wouldn't have minded a little more comedy, the film is certainly not devoid of laughs and they are not bad in quality at all but there were instances where the seriousness could have been toned down and more balanced.However, there is a lot to like. Really liked the performances. Pauline Collins brings the right amount of vulnerability to her role, and as a character that is the complete opposite the glamorous and as ever looking younger than her 84 years Joan Collins throws herself into it with abandon. The two have a lovely natural chemistry, essential for making the film work.Franco Nero balances comedy, drama and charm effortlessly and Joely Richardson is really quite wonderful.'The Time of Their Lives' is a nice-looking film. Very picturesque locations and beautifully shot. The soundtrack is infectious and the direction allows the two leads and their chemistry to properly shine to the forefront and handles the different tones well.While the script and story could have been more consistent, it is very uplifting and heart-warming while taking it seriously, reminiscent of a mix of 'Thelma and Louise' and 'Shirley Valentine'. 'The Time of Their Lives' may be corny, clichéd and implausible but these negative qualities are also balanced out well with more positive attributes. There are parts that are genuinely funny, the chemistry between Joan and Pauline sees sweet moments without being saccharine and some of it is surprisingly moving.Overall, uneven but pleasant. 7/10 Bethany Cox
phd_travel Who would think a road trip movie in France with 2 elderly actresses would turn out to be quite interesting and unexpected in the direction things take. An unhappily married woman with a nasty husband and a former movie star setting off to a funeral of a director in France end up together on a trip in Brittany - Ile de Re. The scenery is interesting - not as beautiful as the South of France but watchable for it being unfamiliar.It's refreshing to see different older actresses in this kind of roles. A nice change from Maggie Smith and Judi Dench. Joan Collins has an expressive face and manages to convey comedy and emotion well. Some actresses her age have too much botox and can't show any expression at all. Pauline Collins isn't as well preserved but she is perfect for her role. Franco Nero plays an Italian artist and love interest.Worth a watch.
Figgy66-915-598470 21 March 2017 Film of Choice at The Plaza Dorchester this afternoon - The Time of Their Lives. Starring Joan Collins and Pauline Collins as Helen and Priscilla, two women who couldn't be more different, they end up together on a bus on a day trip to the beach which culminates in them both ending up in France. Billed as a female buddy movie, this was a lot more mundane, these two characters were not really buddies, just two ageing women drawn together by the desperateness of their lives, one a Hollywood actress whose star is definitely on the wane, the other an unappreciated housewife haunted by memories of the past. What ensued should have been funnier, should have been more emotional but in reality the acting was wooden and slightly uncomfortable to watch. Take Joan Collins out of the equation and I felt I was watching a modern remake of Paulines Collins' big hit Shirley Valentine. It was a pleasant enough way to spend a couple of hours but that's about it.
Stootomlin This is a really sweet film. It's like the OAP version of Thelma and Louise.The film revolves around Helen and Pricilla, played by Joan and Pauline Collins.Helen is a narcissistic former film star, who was huge back in the 1960's, but since then she's been forgotten, all after she fell apart, and disappeared from the public eye, some years ago. She hasn't accepted the fact that it's over for her, even though when we first meet her, she is being taken out for a trip from an old people's home.Priscilla's very Mumsie. She is just a likable person. Sadly, her husband treats her like crap, and she is living an albeit comfortable, yet miserable life. She accidentally gets caught up in the old people's trip, and our story begins.There is also the small, yet memorable part of Alberto, played by Franco Nero. Alberto is an Italian artist who the girls stumble upon, he is kind, and affectionate, and he shows Priscilla just what she might be missing in life.The chemistry between Joan and Pauline Collins is great, they bounce off each other and each and every interaction feel natural, but what else would you expect from two women who have been acting for over 100 years between them?There's a lot of talk about how older actors, and especially older actresses, don't get a lot of work anymore. Often because few good parts are written for them. Films like RED, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and the soon to be released Going in Style, should show studio execs that older actors still have something special to offer. No, scrap that, not 'still have', they have something that younger actors don't have, decades of experience. Why would we waste it? It makes no sense.Back to our film.Our two friends travel to France to attend the funeral of the director who cast Helen in her first big film role. Along their journey, they discover a few things both about each other, and about themselves. There is a very serious undertone that runs through this film, it has a sadness, that comes with loss, a loss we all feel at some point in our lives. Yet, it still manages to laugh, at itself, at the situation it finds itself in, at life. I've always felt that this is the best way to deal with pain and adversity, so I appreciate the message that this film puts across.In the loosest sense, this is a road movie, and a charming one at that, with in fact very little time actually spent on the road, but it's hard to describe it as much else. It's a story of self-discovery, and although it may not be perfect, it's well worth a watch.