Grandma (PG ) ****
By Alan Samuel
Soul searching, family values and parenting all figure prominently in Grandma. Prepare to witness the pain and humour a young girl encounters in This expertly acted drama from Sony Pictures Classics. Get out the hankies at the International Village Cinemas and select Cineplex Odeon Theatres to watch just how three diverse totally independent women cope with a crisis.
Teens and young women make mistakes. So do boys and young men. A chance encounter wrecks havoc on the life of Sage, a gutsy girl with parenting issues and no easy fix. Julia Garner stands tall when a sexual moment creates a possible baby with the girl not sure what she wants to do. Relatable to scores of girls and boys there is no easy out to our damsell in distress’s dilemma.
Bad (?) ness travels fast and when Sage tries to make a last ditch effort for help from grandma Elle the gates to Hell seem to have been unleashed. T.V. Veteran Lilly Tomlin (Laugh-in) turns in an Oscar calibre performance as an unconventional granny with a take no prisoners Attitude. Even men seem to cower in her presence. Add on the uppity seem not to care attitude of grown daughter Judy And the seeds seem to be sewn for a full frontal family assault.
Watch the Sparks fly and the knives come out early as we bear witness to the ultimate family showdown. Smoking hot confrontations and the aura of abortion further haunt this deftly crafted Paul Weitz movie.
Smart, topical and with knockout performances Grandma turns out to be one of this year’s true cinematic gems
