Uncertain Age

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas and Dale Basye stock up on antidepressants and watch Everything Went Fine, a 2021 French drama where an 85-year-old father asks his daughter to help him end his life through assisted suicide after suffering a debilitating stroke. Is the film a deeply human and unsentimental meditation on love, mortality, and agency, or a depressing slog led by an unsympathetic protagonist who you wish would just get on with it already? Find out on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at [email protected]! 

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas and Dale Basye put on their reading glasses to peruse the 2020 murder mystery The Thursday Murder Club, a novel by British television presenter Richard Osman where a group of pensioners in an idyllic retirement village use their wits to crack open a murder case. Is the book a cozy page-turner with clever twists or a snoozy rehash of murder mystery tropes only with a gray coat of paint? Find out on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at [email protected]! 

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas and Dale Basye put on their comfortable walking shoes to go on The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: the 2023 drama starring Jim Broadbent as the restless title character who goes on a—wait for it—unlikely pilgrimage that he believes will keep an old friend alive. Is Harold’s story an affecting portrait of a man hoping to make amends with his past, or a well-worn journey with holes in its sole? Find out on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at [email protected]! 

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas and Dale Basye revisit 1997’s “bee” movie Ulee’s Gold, a quietly powerful film that also explores themes of aging, redemption, and family. Directed by Victor Nunez and starring Peter Fonda in one of his most nuanced performances, Ulee’s Gold follows Ulee Jackson, a widowed beekeeper who struggles to hold his fractured family together while tending to his hives and dealing with a messy past. Set in the heart of Florida’s rural landscape, the film weaves a delicate narrative about personal resilience and the price of making peace with one’s choices. Is Ulee’s Gold an overlooked gem that captures the complexity of late-life reinvention, or does it get lost in its own subdued pace? Tune in to Uncertain Age to find out! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, drop us a line at [email protected].

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas and Dale Basye take a ride with Clint Eastwood’s 2018 film The Mule. Inspired by a true story, The Mule follows Earl Stone, an elderly horticulturist who inadvertently becomes a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. As he navigates a dangerous underworld, Earl is forced to confront his past mistakes, estranged family, and the unexpected consequences of his choices. With Eastwood directing and starring, the film blends crime drama with a poignant meditation on aging, redemption, and the price of a life lived on the margins. Is The Mule a gripping and introspective late-career triumph for Eastwood, or does it stall under its own weight? Find out on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at [email protected].

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas and Dale Basye gaze lovingly at Paolo Sorrentino’s 2013 cinematic masterpiece, The Great Beauty. Starring Toni Servillo as the charismatic yet world-weary Jep Gambardella, the film explores the lavish decadence of Rome’s high society while contemplating art, memory, and the search for meaning in a fleeting world. With its breathtaking cinematography and melancholic humor, The Great Beautyinvites us to reflect on the passage of time and the illusions of grandeur. Is The Great Beauty an awe-inspiring meditation on life’s ephemeral nature, or does its opulence overshadow its substance? Find out on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at [email protected].

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas and Dale Basye dissect the 2023 film Poor Things. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Academy Award-winning Emma Stone, Poor Things is a surreal and visually stunning tale of transformation, liberation, and self-discovery. Stone plays Bella Baxter, a young woman resurrected by an unorthodox scientist, who embarks on an adventure of enlightenment and exploration, challenging societal norms along the way. Is Poor Things a brilliant and provocative reimagining of identity and autonomy, or does its eccentricity overshadow its emotional depth? Find out on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at [email protected].

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas sharpen their critical shears for the 2022 film Master Gardener, while Dale Basye accidentally reviewed the 2005 film The Constant Gardener. This stuff happens sometimes. Is Master Gardener a compelling and meditative character study, or does it struggle to cultivate a meaningful narrative? Is The Constant Gardener a gripping political thriller that remains relevant today, or does its slow-burn storytelling lose momentum? Find out on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at [email protected].

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas and Dale Basye take on the 2011 film Beginners. Starring Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer, Beginners is a heartfelt drama that delves into themes of love, identity, and late-life reinvention. Plummer delivers an Oscar-winning performance as Hal, a man who comes out as gay in his seventies after the passing of his wife, while his son, played by McGregor, struggles to navigate his own relationships and personal growth. Is Beginners a poignant and beautifully acted exploration of human connection, or does it lean too heavily on sentimentality? Find out on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at [email protected]!  

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas and Dale Basye explore a selection of Alzheimer's-themed movies, analyzing how film portrays the struggles, realities, and emotional depths of living with the disease. From heart-wrenching dramas to thought-provoking narratives, we examine how cinema captures the complexities of memory loss, identity, and caregiving. Learn more on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at [email protected]!