BEFORE: This is as far as I'd programmed after I came out of the Cary Grant chain - after I decided to tackle the Marx Brothers, then the Brando/Redford chain sort of came together on its own, and "Melvin and Howard" and "Goin' South" provided a couple of neat links to get here, which I've sort of identified as a "nexus" film - or perhaps "convergence" is a better term for it. When a film doesn't have too many stars in it, that is to say stars that appear multiple times in the 165 films remaining on my list, then it's quite easy to link to. "Downhill Racer" and "The Wild One" are great examples of films with just one or two repeating stars, so they're easy-in and easy-out, just stick them in the middle of two other films with that star. But "Last Vegas" presented me with the opposite problem - too many stars.
This is the last of three films with Mary Steenburgen, but which way to go from here? There were four possible tracks to consider, and since I was seeking a consistent chain (or as close to it as possible) that could wind through all of my remaining films like some fabled Northwest Passage, I had to look at the overall picture to determine which track would work best. God forbid I end up with a bunch of leftover unlinkable films at the end of the year. After poring over the cast lists for hours, I came up with these choices:
Track #1 - Michael Douglas - I picked up "Disclosure", which would be an easy link, of course Demi Moore's in that, leading to "Flawless" with Michael Caine, then "Sleuth". But Michael Caine's also in a Christmas film, and I'm not ready for Christmas yet, so this track was out. Of course, I could follow Jude Law out of "Sleuth", to "Anna Karenina", but let me put a pin in that option for now.
Track #2 - Robert De Niro - an easy leap to "We're No Angels", another film with Demi Moore - but I could avoid that dead end by slotting "Grudge Match" next, which would get me into a chain of 5 or 6 boxing films, but after about 2 or 3 films beyond that, I'd hit another dead end, the almost unlinkable film "Lust for Life". Next.
Track #3 - Kevin Kline - he was also in the recent acquistion "The Conspirator", which also featured James McAvoy, and this could take me to "The Last King of Scotland" with Forrest Whitaker, which leads me to "Stakeout" with Richard Dreyfuss, then Marsha Mason via "The Goodbye Girl", and then via "The Cheap Detective" to Peter Falk, which sets up a whole Jack Lemmon chain. This would seem to be a longer chain still, going about 18 or 20 films before running out around "Moulin Rouge".
Track #4 - Morgan Freeman - this also had some definite possibilities, since he's also in four other films left on the list - "Eyewitness", "Amistad", "The Lego Movie" and "Transcendence". But watching those films together would be thematically all over the place, and I need a couple of those to serve as links between other films. Still, "Transcendence" would get me to "The Astronaut's Wife", another few Charlize Theron films, "Nebraska", a few Vince Vaughn & Chris Pratt films that would include "Guardians of the Galaxy", but after about 12 films I'd hit another nexus, and have to decide between the Demi Moore track or the Sean Penn track. If I followed the Sean Penn track I could see ahead for another 15 films, but in the end that's not really that far.
I had to tear apart most of the list and put it back together in chunks of 3 and 4 films before I could see the best path, and it's the one that will link to "Avengers: Age of Ultron" on its opening weekend (assuming I can get a ticket), it happens to be Track #2 above, but I'm going to veer off before I hit the boxing films. Then I managed to create a chain that included nearly everything left on the list (after exempting Halloween films and Christmas films) with just one big break. Of course, this was two weeks ago, and I've added films since then, so the chain might need to split somewhere to work in the new films. But I'll try not to re-organize the list until I get to the next nexus, which could be "The Monuments Men" or perhaps "A Million Ways to Die in the West". Both of those have huge cast lists and create just too many linking opportunities.
THE PLOT: Three sixty-something friends take a break from their day-to-day lives to throw a bachelor party in Las Vegas for their last remaining single pal.
AFTER: Well, this is the sort of film you get a few years after "The Hangover" films makes a boatload of money. Actually if you consider this a cross between "The Hangover" and "The Bucket List" you wouldn't be that far off. But just as there are four linking tracks heading out of this film for me, there are almost four plotlines here, one for each character in the group of friends. One is getting married for the first time to a younger woman, one is a widower who's mad at the world and barely leaves the house, one is a divorced man who's being cared for by an over-protective son, and one is a long-time
married man whose wife has given him a "free pass" for his Vegas weekend.
With four such disparate characters, with four different outlooks and goals, it's a wonder that they're able to work together on anything. Heck, it's a wonder that they're friends (in fact, two of them are holding a grudge) - but the friendship goes back to childhood, so as you might expect, they've grown into 4 different people in different situations. The scenario may be realistic, but it tends to make for a film that's a little disjointed and "all over the place". Which friend should I root for if they disagree? Do I want to see a man succeed, if his goal is to cheat on his wife?
Most of the humor comes at the expense of these characters' ages, and what you might expect to see if you bring them to the entertainment wonderland/ball of confusion that is Las Vegas. The screenwriter would love it if you would try to forget that these are adults who have led full, rich lives and have experienced many things, so that you can consider them as babes in the woods, who suddenly have the opportunity to rediscover alcohol, beautiful women in bikinis, and barfights. Just because they're old, that does NOT mean that they've been in comas for the past 20 or 30 years - is there no alcohol where they currently live? No strip clubs, no casinos, no buffets? Las Vegas simply does not have a monopoly on having a good time.
I may be 46, and well on my way to being a cranky old person, but I'm aware of what the kids are watching and listening to these days. I may not like the modern music, but at least I know about it. Someday I'll be sitting in a home somewhere, ranting about how the 1980's had the best music and the 1990's had the best video games. I'm trying to get my wife to go out to Bingo on Saturday nights so we can start practicing for the future.
Of course, this film also serves as a commercial for Vegas the city, as well as a particular casino whose name I won't mention, but I'm betting that the casino either charged the production company nothing to film there, or perhaps even ponied up some money, as long as the film showcased that casino's on-site chapel, penthouse suite (with a close-up shot of the computer control panel for the thermostat and curtains), Cirque du Soleil performers and daily 2 pm pool party with a bevy of bikini-clad girls. Oh, and make sure to point out that the B-grade lounge singer is employed at that OTHER casino across town - it may take some massaging of the plot, but we'll make it worth your while. Shameless.
Also starring Michael Douglas (last seen in "The China Syndrome"), Robert De Niro (last seen in "The Big Wedding"), Morgan Freeman (last seen in "Oblivion"), Kevin Kline (last seen in "No Strings Attached"), Jerry Ferrara (last seen in "Battleship"), Roger Bart, Joanna Gleason, Romany Malco, Bre Blair, Michael Ealy, April Billingsley, with cameos from Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and Stefan "Redfoo" Gordy.
RATING: 5 out of 10 Red Bull & vodkas
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