Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023)

 Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023)

 

3/10

 

Starring

Diane Keaton

Jane Fonda

Candice Bergen

Mary Steenburgen

 

Directed by Bill Holderman

 

You can tell there was no real reason for this movie to be made. The plot was a wasted attempt to make money from the first movie, which I actually liked. The all-female lead cast carried the first movie, even though its script wasn’t great. They did their best here, but the script for this movie was even worse than the first one. The first movie made nearly ten times its production cost, so of course the studio wanted to try again. They regrouped the women, and thought they could get away with a weaker script and hope the charm of the ladies will be enough. Sadly, their charm was not enough to carry this second movie.

More than half the movie felt like the characters were joyriding in Italy. Why would I pay to sit through something that felt like a travel vlog sponsored by the Italian government?

The movie takes place after the first one, which came out in 2018. Then in 2019, COVID hit. The friends kept in touch through the internet and video calls. Now that COVID is over, they can finally meet in person. They decide to do something they’d planned years ago: take a trip to Italy. Vivian (Jane Fonda) reveals she’s engaged, so the four decide to add a bachelorette party twist to the trip.

As expected in movies like this, too much time was wasted on aimless scenes because the writers didn’t bother giving these talented actors meaningful material. Predictably, someone got robbed, someone flirted, and they ended up in trouble that required endless talk and persuasion to resolve, leading to the wedding.

I wish I hadn’t wasted my time watching this. The movie is so bad, you’re better off just reading the plot online and saving yourself the effort.

The movie made the characters feel old and dragged at a painfully slow pace. Events unfolded so slowly, and the reactions were even slower, making me wonder if the director was afraid to shout, "CUT! More energy, people!" It could be judging by the talent before him, he probably just let them lead.

In the end, it was an unrealistic story of four older women determined to prove they’ve still got it, with the world bending over backward to accommodate them. There’s nothing wrong with having self-belief, but this movie could have been about more than that and an impromptu bachelorette party that didn’t fit into the story.