Best movie ever!

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The movie had potential...but I ended up falling asleep 20 minutes in. There was not much of a storyline, they had some cute, sad, funny parts- but not enough to keep me entertained. I was hoping with Diane Keaton and Morgan Freeman there would be a great movie, their acting is great, and they played their part. But the sad thing is that there was not a lot to work with. The book hopefully was better, as I did not even see an ad for this movie- which means it did not generate enough reviews or popularity. In whole- a couple after 40 years looks to selling their apartment- right then and there that is the entire basis of this movie- no great dialogue or parts that make you want to watch. I never fall asleep watching a movie- and I dozed off. When I woke up- I rewinded to where I last was and realized I did not miss one single thing. I'd skip this movie unless you really like long...dull...movies.

This film tells a story of growing old, property marketing, terrorism and social change (or lack thereof). Quite a mixture of different themes, but to me the one that stands out the most is love. Ruth (Keaton) and Alex (Freeman) Carver find themselves selling their Brooklyn apartment of almost 40 years. Why? Well, the 5 flights of stairs they have to climb to reach it. Ruth wants to find somewhere with an elevator where they can grow old without having to worry, whereas Alex feels more sentimental about their long-time home and is skeptical about selling. This sets up their characters for the film, Ruth being more practical and forward thinking, while Alex thinks of the past and is carried more by his emotions.Within the next few days, Ruth and Alex find themselves in the middle of New York City where terrorism alarms are going off thanks to a young man believed to have a bomb. Meanwhile their beloved dog, Dorothy, is in veterinarian care after a turn for the worse and at the same time they are also on the cusp of selling their apartment and buying a new one within the hour.Throughout the film, they are plagued by the people around them who feel they are 'past it'. The young people push past Alex as though he weren't there, the couple they want to buy a new apartment from feel they don't know what they are doing and ultimately Lily (Nixon) their Realtor and also their niece tells them that they are 'old' and 'crazy', even though the reasons for their behavior seem completely realistic. It goes to show the process of getting older and how people are quick to dismiss what they are afraid of themselves, but the attitudes of Ruth and Alex - that being somewhat rebellious, even from when they got married, when it was illegal in 30 states - is what shines the most. They make a point of not living their lives based on what people expect of them and that's what makes them so appealing. The film itself, I thought, was quite Woody Allen-esque in it's presentation of New York City. It's like a love letter to the city with some stunning shots of Brooklyn bridge all highlighted with some great cinematography by Jonathan Freeman. If you love movies that feature the city that never sleeps, I would give it a watch.If you're looking for an action packed frenzy you've come to the wrong place. However, if you are looking for a quaint and understated story of love - for each other, for pets, for your home and for your city - with beautiful performances by acting legends Diane Keaton and Morgan Freeman, then I would definitely say that spending 90 minutes with Ruth & Alex would not be a waste.

Review: This is a very basic movie about an elderly couple, played my Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton, who have decided to sell there apartment in New York after living there for 40 years. With the stairs becoming hard to handle because of there age, they hire an agent who gets clients to come to see there apartment and there's soon a bidding war between various parties. With there dog in hospital and the troubles of finding another apartment, there love is still as strong as ever and they soon realise that there is no reason why they have to make such a drastic move. The chemistry between Freeman and Keaton was brilliant and it's about time that Hollywood made an elderly film about an multi racial couple. The problem that I found with the film was that the concept seemed to go round and round in circles and nothing major really happened throughout the film. It was nice watching how close the couple was after so many years but for entertainment, I found it quite dull. I can't say a bad word about the performances, which were extremely believable but I must admit, I did get a bit bored after a while. Anyway, it's worth a watch just to see these two veteran actors side by side but it dries up very quickly. Average!Round-Up: Morgan Freeman, 78, has really done it all in his long movie career which started on a TV series called Another World in 1964. Although he has starred in many movies, he really came to light after his performance as a high school teacher in Lean On Me in 1989. Straight after that, Driving Miss Daisy came out and there was no turning back for Freeman after that. He lost out to Daniel Day-Lewis for the Academy Award in a leading role category in 1990 but he became a household name with movies like Glory, Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, Unforgiven, Shawshank Redemption, Outbreak, Se7en, Amistad, Bruce Almighty, Million Dollar Baby, the Bucket List and the Batman franchise. His unique voice and calm demeanour put him in the same category of classic actors like Clint Eastwood and Jack Nicholson and his subtle style really worked in this movie alongside Diane Keaton, who isn't looking bad at 69. After starring in the multi award winning Godfather movies, Keaton chose to stick to light comedies like Baby Boom, the Father of the Bride franchise, First Wives Club, Somethings Gotta Give, the Family Stone and the many movies that she starred in, alongside Woody Allen which include the famous Manhattan. Together, these actors showed natural professionalism in this movie and the director Richard Loncraine, chose the actors well. After directing Wimbledon, Richard III with Ian McKellen, Firewall with Harrison Ford and My One and Only with Renee Zellweger, he could have done a better job with the storyline because it's not every day that you can get Morgan Freeman on board. With that aside, it is short and sweet and the chemistry was top form.Budget: $1million Worldwide Gross: $2millionI recommend this movie to people who are into their emotional dramas about an elderly couple who are trying to sell there apartment in New York. 4/10

Positives: 1. Dialogue especially lines meant to be humorous or sarcastic (Freeman's lines) were the highlight of the film. 2. The buying and selling of an apartment in New York was insightful. At least those parts that might be accurate.Negatives: 1. The young girl (accompanies mom who is looking at the apt. Freeman is selling) and appears every so often in the film while also offering sage advice to Freeman, was expecting tea as a reward yet we never see her again. That's called a loose end. I would have had her and her mom moving into another vacant apartment in that building resulting in an intelligent relationship with Freeman & Keaton (Freeman's wife). 2. Too many of the buyers/sellers were characterized as a bit too greedy, self centered or off centered for me. 3. Most importantly the script had Freeman and Keaton dissing their agent at the end (treating like trash as they turned their backs while walking away) after their last second changing of minds on selling. Particularly disconcerting given the tremendous amount of work that agent put into the sales preparation with her only compensation to be the sales commission. 4. Wasn't sure how anything was added by having a supposed terrorist; their dog in the hospital; their flashbacks; Freeman's paintings, to, what might have been, a more intelligent story.