Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Director: Mark Lamprell, R&R Films.
“No excuses, no regrets.” Those words pretty well sum up the essence of Never Too Late. It’s an engaging comedy about love, friendship and determination.
It is a fun and humorous take on four mates reconciling after years apart to teach each other that it’s never too late to chase your dreams. Age doesn’t factor into it.
The heroic Vietnam veterans – James Cromwell (The Green Mile, Babe), Jack Thompson (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Breaker Morant), Dennis Waterman (New Tricks, The Sweeney) and Roy Billing (The Dish) – play retired special ops soldiers, known as The Chainbreakers for their daring escape from a North Vietnamese prison.
The World War II former members of the armed forces have “real guts and swagger”. Cromwell plays Bronson (the fearless leader), Thompson is Angus (who can fix any machine on the face of the planet), Waterman is Caine (conman and debonair playboy) and Roy Billing is Wendell (more of a tough, lovable reprobate than a spirit of corruption).
Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook, Animal Kingdom) is Norma, who is the love of Bronson’s life.
The new challenge now is to break out of the nursing home to chase their unrealised dreams. They unite to re-enact the great escape. Their memory might not be as good as it once was and speed is certainly not their strength, but these renegades prove it’s never too late for new adventures, even if you have to smash rules to break free.
Described as cross between Grumpy Old Men and The Great Escape, Lamprell (My Mother Frank, Goddess, A Few Less Men) works well at the helm of Never Too Late to make the film as contemporary as possible.
Can you tell us the name of the actor who plays the group’s fearless leader? If your answer is correct, then you could be one of three winners of a Never Too Late DVD. Entries should be sent to [email protected] by Monday, 22 February 2021. Names of the winners will be announced in Frank Cassidy’s PS-sssst…! column on 23 February 2021.
