Reiner lost his edge, but it's still a good movie.

For a feel-good movie this movie has a way of... lulling one into a mellow state of "being." I've watched it again and again to unwind, and mainly it's because of the light approach in which it tackles the heavy subject of dying, and living before dying.

Rob Reiner, I feel, being mostly known as "Meathead," was once a very good, if great (that is, Light-Great as opposed to a Scorsese or Hitchcock-Great), director. THIS IS SPINAL TAP is groundbreaking (albeit it was a group effort), THE PRINCESS BRIDE a giant cult movie and one of the most quotable ever, and having just rewatched MISERY, man oh man that's truly his best, I think.

A FEW GOOD MEN was good, but at this point, is kinda dated. And HARRY MET SALLY, well, to some it's a classic, to me it's Diet Woody Allen. Still though, it flows well.

But poor Rob went NORTH with... yeah, THAT movie starring Frodo Baggins. It was so bad he never recovered. I mean it was HORRIBLE. You can't even find the damn thing except a pricey VHS (the last I checked... I really want to own it, actually, to abuse myself).

His movies Post-NORTH were just kinda filler. Soap Operatic fare. And for filler, this is his best of that second tier career as a director when he was basically semi-retired, resting on his laurels, as it were, and back into being a left wing political mouthpiece...

A full cycle.

Anyhow, it's hard to say if another director directed this movie if it'd be as good. It's not really his canvas, but more about the actors. Jack's very good in it and he's not doing his own imitation as much as some movies. But it's really about Freeman. Both are a nice pair.

Anyhow, Rob Reiner's always been a good-great/great-good director, and, well, this seems like, even if it's not literal, his curtain call as a director. And as those go, it ain't too shabby.

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