Best Sellers
- 2021
- 1h 42m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
6.6K
YOUR RATING
A cranky, retired author reluctantly embarks on a final book tour to help out a young publisher.A cranky, retired author reluctantly embarks on a final book tour to help out a young publisher.A cranky, retired author reluctantly embarks on a final book tour to help out a young publisher.
- Awards
- 3 nominations
Linda Joyce Nourse
- Sister France
- (as Linda Nourse)
Brandon Lorimer
- Bro Stoner
- (as Brandon Lorimier)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe photograph of Harris Shaw and his wife seen on his bedside near the end, is a photo of Sir Michael Caine and his wife Shakira Caine.
- Quotes
Lucy Stanbridge: The wealthiest place on earth is not, as you write, the graveyard. It's being alive. Even if you're left completely alone. What you don't realize is that you have competently failed to rob the last man on earth of hope. Hope, that's the truth that I found.
- Crazy credits"for my dad" is the first end credit.
- SoundtracksDon Giovanni, K 527: Act I Scene 15: Aria: Fin ch'han dal vino
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Bo Skovhus (baritone), Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia (orchestra) and Michael Halász (conductor)
Licensed courtesy of Naxos Music
Featured review
Sentimental
Writers, novel writers certainly, should rise up against their movie cliché. In movies, painters and musicians are presented as sociable, attractive even, characters, but book writers are alcoholic misanthropes whose only company are cats.
This film takes this and similar tropes and applies the movie cliché of incompatible partners/opposites coming to like each other as well as the old man and young woman dichotomy, both of whom are on their uppers, albeit in different ways. Formulas are proven and so we are set on our way.
While the premise is established, the journey, literally, does offer some fresher angles, at least in terms of the publishing business. The blunt speech, calling cant for what it is, the pervasiveness of social media and celebrity, the shallowness of our culture, are done comically and with effect. How the calque curse word took hold is a mystery.
The pacing and editing keep things going well as we move from one plot point to the next and although it's not necessarily new material, the energy does not flag. The photography and locations are striking, somber and moody, wintry light which adds a more realistic edge to the narrative.
But the reason to stay with this story are the performances. Casting can elevate a film even if the other aspects are a little staid and that's what is on show here. Caine and Plaza hold it together as both leads take us through the journey where their antagonism turns to friendship. It's sentimental, just like the movie poster of Caine grinning.
They are supported with a good team of actors too and while the humans did their job admirably, the cat deserves an award for a memorable and nuanced cameo performance; perhaps even Best Supporting Actor would be fitting, if species rules are not still enforced.
This film takes this and similar tropes and applies the movie cliché of incompatible partners/opposites coming to like each other as well as the old man and young woman dichotomy, both of whom are on their uppers, albeit in different ways. Formulas are proven and so we are set on our way.
While the premise is established, the journey, literally, does offer some fresher angles, at least in terms of the publishing business. The blunt speech, calling cant for what it is, the pervasiveness of social media and celebrity, the shallowness of our culture, are done comically and with effect. How the calque curse word took hold is a mystery.
The pacing and editing keep things going well as we move from one plot point to the next and although it's not necessarily new material, the energy does not flag. The photography and locations are striking, somber and moody, wintry light which adds a more realistic edge to the narrative.
But the reason to stay with this story are the performances. Casting can elevate a film even if the other aspects are a little staid and that's what is on show here. Caine and Plaza hold it together as both leads take us through the journey where their antagonism turns to friendship. It's sentimental, just like the movie poster of Caine grinning.
They are supported with a good team of actors too and while the humans did their job admirably, the cat deserves an award for a memorable and nuanced cameo performance; perhaps even Best Supporting Actor would be fitting, if species rules are not still enforced.
helpful•208
- ferdinand1932
- Sep 15, 2021
- How long is Best Sellers?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $336,174
- Runtime1 hour 42 minutes
- Color
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