Film Reviews

The Bucket List

• Rating:
• Director: Rob Reiner
• Starring: Jack Nicholson
• Details: USA / 97mins (12A)

Whether he's telling us about a year in the life of a penguin, or what it's like being stuck in prison for twenty-odd years, there's something about a Morgan Freeman voiceover that gets you onside immediately. However, his sultry tones need better material than he's afforded here. Morgan plays sharp mechanic Carter Chambers, struck down with terminal cancer; his hospital roommate, the cantankerous Edward Cole (Nicholson, who brings a little of Melvin Udall's surliness to the role), is in the same boat. Given only six months to a year to live, the two unlikely friends join forces and scribble down a list things they'd like to do before they kick the bucket - hence the title. Taking off for a world trip, Carter urges Edward to reconcile with his estranged daughter and Edward urges Carter to return home and spend his remaining time with his wife (Todd). An amiable enough drama, The Bucket List is a Not-So-Grumpy Old Men-meets-Ferris Bueller's Day Off and it's as obvious as that sounds - it starts and finishes exactly the way you'd imagine, offering little or no surprises along the way. Apart from the very unrealistic backdrops, which are used instead of actual locations, everything you'd expect - love, faith, the afterlife, women - are discussed but, sadly, nothing rings truer than Nicholson's 'never trust a fart' speech. The two leads prove a good partnership initially, but they don't really have anything meaty to chew on (which is a disgrace considering the premise) and their back-and-forth banter soon grows limp and runs out of steam.

Review by Gavin Burke