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Review: Book Club: The Next Chapter

If you put the first Book Club movie in a PG-13 blender with the likes of Girls Trip, Bridesmaids, and 80 for Brady, you’d have yourself a nice, tall glass of Book Club: The Next Chapter. The drink goes down easy enough, but once the glass is empty, you won’t feel the need to make it again. Two chapters is more than enough of this franchise. Especially when we’ve just seen a slightly better comedy drama about female friendship featuring Jane Fonda in a very similar role. Substitute Italy for the [Brady] Super Bowl and you know what’s in play here. Don’t get me wrong. I love Rome, Venice and Tuscany and all the food, culture, landscapes and Aperol spritzes that Italy has to offer. But cinematography aside, there’s little reason to see this film on the big screen. It’s more of a sip and stream flick.

Review: Book Club

If you’ve ever been part of a book club and/or read the kinky romance trilogy “Fifty Shades of Grey,” then you’ll totally ‘get’ this movie and enjoy a few good laughs along the way. It’s formulaic and predictable and largely stakes-free, but as the friend who accompanied me to a special Mother’s Day screening of the film declared, “We need that type of movie once in a while!” In other words, don’t over-think it. Just appreciate Book Club for its lighthearted nature and positive themes about embracing change, taking risks, and starting new chapters in the book of life. And, enjoy it for the cast: a powerhouse ensemble of veteran actors led by Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenbergen.