And So It Goes (2014)

Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

If the comment about rape within the first few minutes of the film is not offensive enough, the unchecked and unchallenged racism and ethnic stereotyping finishes it off. I thought this was a terribly disappointing movie with downright offensive moments. While my expectations of Douglas are generally fairly low these days, I would have expected better from Keaton and Reiner.I cannot recommend this movie and hate I have to expend the energy to write 10 lines about a movie that wasted my time in the first place, just to have my review published. I hope other people agree the rape comment and racism was unnecessary and offensive.

I am a sucker for a good romcom, especially when it involves two of my favorite actors. So even though IMDb reviewers gave this title a collective 5.4, I gave it a shot. I was very disappointed. The script is sappy, the action choppy and some of the scenes and scenarios highly implausible, like when Claire explains the whole story of how Luke came to be in jail, in lurid detail,in a mere 90 seconds and Oren's initial dismissiveness of the clients who finally bought his house. The relationships between the characters were not always clear, e.g.m, the realtor who was Oren's grandson should have been Luke's son or nephew but we never got that; he got Luke's story from him on Facebook. Oren's character changed too abruptly. It could have been a sweet little story but it just did not flow for me at all.

You can't watch this film and not think of one of the two films I referred to- 2003's "Something's Gotta Give" and of course the Oscar- winning 1997 "As Good As It Gets". Overall, I'll give "And So It Goes" a modest recommendation if you liked those two films, but this movie has got it's problems. One of those problems I think honestly is the length- at only 90 minutes (your standard running time to maximize the movie multiplexes' number of showtimes), you just don't have the time to fully develop the story and characters; unlike "As Good As It Gets" for instance- a 2 & 1/2 hour movie. Oscar winners Diane Keaton & Michael Douglas I think work well together, and have on-screen chemistry. They just needed a more fully-developed screenplay. And Rob Reiner (who also has a supporting role in the film)- wow; this guy used to be one of the top Hollywood filmmakers of the '80s and early '90s- with films like "Princess Bride", "Stand By Me", "When Harry Met Sally", "Misery", "A Few Good Men", etc... He had a modest comeback with the 2000's film "Bucket List", but other than that, the guy can't seem to catch a break about the past 20 years- ever since that infamous bomb "North" I'd say?? Well, anyhoo, if you're looking for something to watch, and the aforementioned films are not readily available (or you've seen them enough already), you may wanna give this a try- And so it goes...

'And So It Goes' is an unfussy, light-hearted romantic-comedy, that entertains you till it lasts. Its sweet & uncomplicated!'And So It Goes' Synopsis: A self-absorbed Realtor enlists the help of his neighbor when he's suddenly left in charge of the granddaughter he never knew existed until his estranged son drops her off at his home.'And So It Goes' is a decent film, about family & love. Mark Andrus's Screenplay is well-worded & fast, wasting no time in the narrative for its loopholes to ever show up grandly. Rob Reiner's Direction is pretty good. Reiner is back in form, after a hiatus. Performance-Wise: 'And So It Goes' would've failed, had its leading performers faltered, but that doesn't happen here. Michael Douglas is superb as the self-absorbed Realtor, while Diane Keaton is extra-ordinary as the women in grief. The Legends perform above expectations, once again! Sterling Jerins is adorable.On the whole, 'And So It Goes' works just fine. 91-Minutes will swing by well!