This film could be subtitled "Martin Landau's Last Movie" for that's precisely what it is. I grew up watching "Mission Impossible" in the 1960s and Martin Landau played one of the coolest characters on TV. Everyone I knew wanted to be like him. So it was a bit shocking to see him years later in Woody Allen's "Crimes and Misdemeanors" where he played a successful ophthalmologist who has his wife bumped off. And gets away with it! I know he's been in quite a few movies over the years, and when I saw he was in this one, I had to see it. What a pleasant surprise.

In his swansong film, Landau plays Dr. Abe Mandelbaum, a retired doctor who has decided to sell his home and move into an assisted living facility with his wife. He's a kindly, intelligent, and fairly reserved older gentleman. His wife Molly suffers from dementia and is usually fairly normal. Every once in a while she has a panic attack and can only be comforted by wrapping herself in her favorite fur coat.

Abe soon meets Phil (Paul Sorvino) who's quite a character. Phil was a gambler and real lady's man in his day and loves to brag about his many conquests. The two become fast friends and it's amusing to hear them talk about sex. Abe is somewhat shocked at how frank Phil is but eventually opens up. I have to admit; there are a couple of cringe-worthy scenes.

As Abe starts getting comfortable at the facility, Angela (Maria Dizzia) a new nurse befriends Phil and Abe. She's an orphan and is looking for her biological father. Angela was given a mysterious note that indicates he's actually living in the assisted living center. When they get wind of the situation, they're convinced they're the long-lost father.

It's a heart-warming little film that offers several delightful surprises. And as you'd expect, the acting is superb. I'm not sure how many other actors could pull it off quite as well. While there is a bit of a melancholy feel to it, ultimately it's an hour and a half of satisfying movie viewing. As a side note: the movie was written, directed, and co produced by Howard Weiner, who is a Professor of Neurology. Nice work, Prof!

Abe and phil (martin landau, paul sorvino) are old timers in the nursing home. They have conversations about what life was like before the home, and after moving in. A dose of reality. The real life interactions with the people living and working there; one wants to find her biological parents, another can't stop thinking about having sex. This guy thinks he has found a way to stop aging. Phil and abe take a field trip to a pub. And to angela's house, just to get away. The usual and unusual antics going on in a nursing home, with some wacky adventures thrown in. This moves pretty slowly, as expected, but the characters are likeable. With quite a bit of humor and sadness mixed in. Written and directed by howard weiner. His other big project was what is life, but not much info out there on it.

Two great actors giving this topic a go. Age is about loss. You might gain wisdom, but like the most memorable line in 'Angel Heart'.... What good is wisdom when it brings no profit to the wise?' And what ancient wise man wouldn't trade it all for ten minutes of good sex? But I guess you need to be old and wise to be wise enough to even know that is absolutely a universal truth.

Or maybe loss is a type of gain. You lose the BS and stop conning and trying to impress everyone else and most importantly, you can't lie to yourself. There isn't any point and certainly isn't any time. If you have cancer is their some reason to lie to your Doctor about it? Or your closest friend?

And to me that's what this film's about. How age abbreviates our expression and brings it closer to who we really are, more like children in that sense, but tempered with the previously mentioned human illusion of wisdom.

The title and sub theme that forms the synopsis, the 'plot' exists as an excuse to wrap the real substance of the film around. The friendship of Martin and Sorvino. It's about trying to live when your dying , and wishing you were dead because of the pain of living. It's comical and ultimately sad, and both of these gifted older older actors bring plenty of authority to their parts.

An absolutely worthwhile movie trying to deal with the most ultimate and universal experience of lives in a far more down to earth way then a good movie like 'Bucket List.'