Grumpy Old Men

Directed by Donald Petrie, Grumpy Old Men follows lifelong neighbors (and enemies) John (Jack Lemmon) and Max (Walter Matthau) as their rivalry heats up with the sudden appearance of a beautiful stranger (Ann-Margret’s Ariel) on their block. Filmmaker Petrie, armed with a screenplay by Mark Steven Johnson, delivers a slightly overlong yet predominantly affable comedy that receives plenty of mileage out of Lemmon and Matthau’s stellar efforts, as the actors’ iconic chemistry together goes a long way towards smoothing over the narrative’s less-than-enthralling digressions and stretches – with the performers’ top-notch work echoed by a strong supporting cast that includes Daryl Hannah, Kevin Pollak, and Ossie Davis. (Burgess Meredith’s scene-stealing turn as John’s randy father remains a continuing highlight within the proceedings, to be sure.) It’s clear, then, that Grumpy Old Men improves steadily as it progresses and slowly-but-surely begins emphasizing more heartfelt attributes, and there’s little doubt, as a result, that the picture’s tremendously appealing (and crowd-pleasing) final few minutes are about as satisfying as one could possibly envision – which effectively does cement the movie’s place as a watchable, easygoing endeavor buoyed by its almost impossibly charismatic leads.

*** out of ****