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2019 Legendary Actor Diane

15th,

May Keaton Again On-Screen

|
EXAMINER And Is Leading The Senior

IRISH
Cheerleading Squad In

“Poms”

By Brad Balfour (Keaton) moves into a sunny
nytime veteran retirement community, and
actress Diane Keaton at first hides away resigning
Areturns to the big herself to her impending
screen in these latter death from terminal cancer.
career days, it’s a bench- Then as boozy and bawdy
mark. But what was in Sheryl (Weaver) engages her
mind when the 73 year-old as a neighbor and fellow resi-
signed on to be the lead in dent, they decide to defiantly
“Poms?” Her star may not start a cheerleading squad
be as shiny as it once was with other equally alienated
but having had her share residents, Olive (Grier) and
of Oscar award/noms, A- Alice (Perlman) Helen
list actor companions and (Somerville) Ruby (Sutton)
acclaimed films, she can and Evelyn (MacColl) and
afford to not do it… Or Phyllis (French), proving that
maybe not? Even with her it is never too late to shake
Olympian star status, she some poms poms (and ass)
didn’t have to do this rela- for a good reason. There’s
tively frothy and mindless lots to be desired in this fea-
retake of yet here she lets ture, but it’s better that
loose and has some fun underlying these silliness
finding her inner cheer- there are notions about aging
leader in such a “kick-ass” proudly demonstrated
comedy as this. herethat go down better with
Okay, so it’s not some sugar rather than vinegar.
deep, emotional and disturb- Following in the footsteps
ing look into the vagaries of of her comedic career,
aging and senior care facili- Keaton’s has had her achieve-
ties; it’s more like: how can ments and stinkers but in on
we make fun of all the cliches reflecting both her ever
about old ladies in old folks evolving career and a time
homes that everyone dwells when work for senior woman
on while showing how we actors is much less available
can enjoy ourselves. “Poms” than ever.
tries to be a funny movie Embedded in this story are
about fighting to not give issues of senior abuse, overly
into being trapped by aging; controlling adult children
while there’s breath there’s abusive partners and ways to
will. Grappling with such trial cope with a terminal disease.
and tributes of the senior Maybe Keaton and crew
class in a fairly absurd man- don’t tackle such issues with
ner may not accure Rex the aplomb she applied in
Reed’s praise or a high rank- such films as “Annie Hall” or
ing on Rotten Tomatoes, but “Looking For Mr. Goodbar,”
it does throw light onto but it shows Keaton has
issues and concerns many always found way as a matur-
don’t like seeing illuminated ing actor to express herself as
on screen — even if it’s in a she developed beyond her
laughable context. fresh faced-self whether it be
After 46 years as a rent sta- in “Something's Gotta Give”
bilized New Yorker, Martha or now in this film. C