The story concerns two older men, Edward Cole and Carter Chambers (Nicholson and Freeman), who bond over their shared cancerous affliction, destined to cut their lives short. What follows is a fairy tale as we follow them on a journey across the world, attempting to fulfill all of the items written on their mutual bucket list (a list of things to do prior to kicking the bucket, get it?). So, off they go, jet setting around the globe doing all the things they never got around to. You know, skydiving, racing muscle cars, visiting the Taj Mahal, seeing the Himalayas, and assorted other things.
The Bucket List does offer some laughs, which I believe has everything to do with the skills of the actors as opposed to the quality of the script. The same can be said for the more heartwarming moments. The problems lie in the overall content and structure of the film. There is nothing special to the film; it is completely reliant on the power of the stars.
The first thing that bugged me was the opening narration from Morgan Freeman, as Carter, extolling the virtues of Nicholson's Cole. It bugged me more as the film moved along. Here is a hard working man with a loving family virtually fawning over a man with no redeeming values. Quite irritating. Even as we moved towards his eventual change of heart, nothing felt genuine; he was still not a terribly nice guy. To top it off, we get another voice over from Carter singing praises to a dead rich white guy.
Despite the lack of depth and issues with the point of view (Cole singing the praises of Carter would have been much more satisfying), watching Freeman and Nicholson do their thing was quite entertaining. They were clearly having a blast making this movie. Granted, they seem to be playing a variation on a theme, their characters seem very familiar, almost as if they were just being themselves. Their chemistry is the main reason that this is enjoyable at all.
Bottomline. Yes, I laughed. Yes, I even got a tough misty. Despite those facts, I cannot say that I truly "felt" anything. Nicholson and Freeman deliver the best they are able to, but still the film falls flat in the end. The feel is more of a DVD rental than a big screen must-see.
Mildly Recommended.
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