Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

I didn't expect too much of this but came away pleasantly surprised. Maclaine and Plummer had good chemistry and it was a good reminder that life and feelings don't stop with the first grey hair. I thought the relationships between parents and children were realistic as it's almost a role reversal and the children start treating the parents like children. It was a change watching a love story that didn't involve a handsome young man and a beautiful young woman and showed that love is love no matter what age you are when you find it. Although the plot was predictable, it was a nice ride and one I would recommend for a Sunday afternoon.

This movie wanted to set a mood and lure us in to the depression of old age while extracting us with the allure of romance. However, the movie just falls short. The mood is never quite right. The writing is sub par, and the acting (other than Shirley Mclain) is equally substandard. Not even Shirley can raise up such a bad movie. The plot was overly predictable, and in general, this one should be skipped. The reason you probably never heard about is that is just isn't good, which is unfortunate, because it had so much potential. Instead watch "Wrestling Earnest Hemmingway" for a much better version of spicing up life among older individuals.

okay, we have seen a lot of movies so far trying to either reminding the old male or female farts not to give up hope to have a possible second spring of their lives or still get the chance to have wet dreams or, a fair warning to their younger offspring to have some heart for their old ones not to take for granted that their old folks were just sticking to their couches or lying in their bedrooms awaiting the final call from the heaven or hell, they were still having some sexual desires to meet an old opposite gender to have a good time.save it, will you? because there's no need to paint a lovely and hopeful picture for the old and dying generation. the possibility of meeting someone so late is actually zilch. life is not such an easy way to have some fun once you are standing at the bus stop or bus station, destination heaven or hell, with fuzzy blurry eyesight, loose teeth, stinking breath, hard hearing, shaky knees, itchy dry skin, dizzy drowsy brain, numb senses, bad digestion and appetite, constant farting and constipation, hoping that you might still get the chance to have a late staged final encounter of romance. that's just pure crap! but i know you wouldn't give up so easily, right? so you decide to regularly visit the senior citizen center nearby, or coming down from your senior citizen apartment, into the 1st floor meeting room, to find some opposite old gender to start up a new relationship and 2nd romance. then you would suddenly rejuvenate as a young man and full of energy and hope again, getting up every morning feel like a young man, start humming frank sinatra's songs? or, you decide to go to the church more, lingering behind after the service,hope to meet some handsome old dudes or attractive old grannies? the reason why you shamelessly become so interested in all of these activities is because you might somehow get lucky to meet a lonely widower or widow, you might get the chance to flirt with him or her? what a shameless old dog you are. you should stay at home, stay in your couch and snooze off. :) this movie is just another untruthful, ridiculous and stupid drama that could only happens in a movie. when an old fart's bathroom medicine cabinet piled up so many medicines that you have to take on a daily, duly and timely schedule, you don't need to add one romance dosage to cheer you up and feel alive and young again. you just wish after taking so many pills everyday, you don't get kidneys stones or kidney failure and worst of all, a chronicle constipation. this film is the ultimate insult to the old and dying generation.

I just finished watching Elsa & Fred and really, really enjoyed myself. However, at the same time I wonder just how many folks will go and see this neat little movie. After all, it's about two very old and rather strange people who find love in their final years...and this sort of thing isn't exactly box office gold. Most romance pictures today involve very young, very beautiful people and not people in their 80s! Frankly...I'm a bit tired of those typical love stories. Some recent films like Something's Gotta Give, The Face of Love and now Elsa & Fred have all explore relationships with folks who are neither taut, tanned nor twenty-something and I say more power to 'em!Christopher Plummer stars as Fred--a cranky old widower who is sick to death over losing his independence and has no desire to grow old gracefully. When his daughter arranges for him to move to a new apartment, he seems content with just lying in bed...waiting to die. However, his rock-solid retirement plans are upset due to his eccentric neighbor, Elsa (Shirley MacLaine). Unlike Fred, she is vivacious and full of life--and loves to make up lies about the fantastic life she's led. To put it bluntly, she's a bit of a wacko....but a fun wacko. And, they soon decide to throw caution to the wind and enjoy their final days together. While the ending is a bit of a downer (I gotta be honest about this), I thoroughly enjoyed the film because these two quirky characters seemed so unlike the people you normally see in movies. They are not walking clichés but older people who have needs, desires and dreams--and who refuse to grow old gracefully! Plummer and MacLaine are simply terrific and it also didn't hurt that they had a very strong supporting cast--which is surprising considering that this is a relatively low-budget film. But, despite the budget, it really doesn't skimp on anything and really delivers. Plus, it made me smile...and not enough movies do that.NOTE: After seeing this wonderful film, I learned that it is a remake--and much of it is almost exactly like the Spanish language original. Because of this, I knock a point off this one and recommend you first see the 2005 version. Now I am not saying it's better--but it is original.