The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

When actors get older, picking roles can be tricky; you don’t want to be the 70-year-old action hero who no one believes can do that stunt. But, when an actor is truly talented, their talent never dies, and Book Club is a testament to this latter point.

Book club follows a group of girlfriends in their 60s; Sharon (Candice Bergen), a federal judge who hasn’t had sex since her divorce 18 years ago; Vivian (Jane Fonda), a rich hotel manager with a risqué love life but fear of intimacy; Carol (Mary Steenburgen), a chef trying to spice up a used-to-be-pretty-hot-marriage, and Diane (Diane Keaton). The group host a regular book club, but their lives change when their next book to read is the famous 50 Shades of Grey (2011). After reading, each of the women attempts to revive their love life, take a leap of faith, and find their Christian Grey.

Is this an S&M film with four older ladies? No, not at all.

All the four women do is mainly talk with multiple innuendos, wow at the book without actually stating what exactly they are wowing about, and take on the typical courtship of standard romance comedy roles.

Regardless of the several, rightfully earned, criticisms of the Fifty Shades of Grey series, the film’s concept is quite fun and has audiences thinking about how they would feel if their mothers, or even themselves if they are at that age, were to get their hands on such a book.

All that being said, Book Club only uses the book as a spark for the change in the women’s lives, and is barely a focus and definitely not front and centre of the film. This allows for the film to keep some class for its respectable cast, while still causing intrigue for potential audiences and mustering up some comedy from the fun concept.

Aside from the book, the film’s plot is not innovative at all, with four stories that we have heard and seen more times than we can count, but the film compensates with its winning card: the cast.  

The main source of comedy is Jane Fonda with several risqué innuendos, hilarious bashes on the other women, and the distinguished ultra-charismatic performance we all know and love from Fonda. Diane Keaton gave life to her character with her illuminating attitude that transcends age, and her hot on-screen chemistry with Andy Garcia.  Candice Bergen nails the role of the satisfied loner who discovers that there is more to the world with hilarious facial expressions and a presence that can’t be matched. Falling only slightly behind her co-stars, Mary Steenburgen delivers brilliantly on her role, but is outshined by other cast members.

Is it a believable film? God no.

Is it innovative? Not at all.

Is it somewhat entertaining in a guilty pleasure kind of way? Yup.