Martha (Diane Keaton) is an introverted woman who moves to a retirement community that has shuffleboard, golf, bowling and other activities. Hoping to be left alone, she meets Sheryl (Jacki Weaver), a fun-loving neighbor who insists that they become best pals. After coming out of her shell, Martha and her new friend decide to form a cheerleading squad with their fellow residents. As the two women hold auditions, they soon learn that it’s never too late to follow your dreams, even when the odds are stacked against you.

Taking the lead in Poms is the legend herself Diane Keaton as Martha, a former teacher who now faces retirement and decides that she wants to hideaway in sunny Georgia. When we first meet her she’s particularly defensive and because of a secret she is guarding is really hiding away from the world. But being in a new place she is forced to adapt quickly and after a little prod she decides that she wants to start a cheerleading squad to comply with her new homes’ club requirements and the results lead to plenty of laughs along the way.

Whatever Diane Keaton does she always brings herself into the role, and she really commits here as Martha as she strives to recapture her youth and actually enjoy her life to the fullest. As always Keaton is a joy to watch up on screen and her straight talking ways and desire to do it herself leads to plenty of lighthearted moments.

Starring alongside Keaton is Jacki Weaver, an actress who commands respect and who absolutely steals the film. As Martha’s ‘self-appointed’ new best friend Sheryl, Weaver brings a barrel of laughs to the big screen and her comedic timing is spot on. Weaver is a powerful performer, and you only have to look at her classic turn in Animal Kingdom (which still scares the hell out of me) to realise that you have a genuine talent up on screen here, and it’s fun to see her as Sheryl who is the ultimate polar opposite to Smurf. Weaver’s Sheryl is always up for plenty of fun, and loves flaunting the rules and just when you think that Martha might be too straight Sheryl’s there to give her the boost to go full on punk rock.

Along with getting to have some fun, both Keaton and Weaver also get to impart plenty of life advice to Alisha Boe’s Chloe and Charlie Tahan’s Ben, two teenagers who become embroiled in Martha and Sheryl’s cheerleading club and this results in a lot more comedy. It’s quite funny to see Keaton telling Tahan to ‘man up’ and go and ask Boe’s Chloe out on a date and Boe’s journey from bitchy cheerleader to adoptive cheer coach granddaughter is very rewarding to see and and you just tell that both Boe and Tahan had a blast working with Keaton and Weaver.

Thematically Poms has a very rewarding message about going after what you want in life and never allowing anyone to tell you that you’re too old or too young to life your dreams. Watching Martha, Sheryl and their friends strive for success is very heart warming and Poms really leaves you with a smile on your face.

Treat yourself to plenty of joy and fun with Poms and enjoy the laughs along the way.

Image: Roadshow Films

The post ‘Poms’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Here’s the synopsis:

With no zest for life and mounting bills, widower Emily Walters (Diane Keaton) is ultimately at a loss with what to do with herself. But after a chance encounter with artful tramp Donald Horner (Brendan Gleeson), Emily finds a sudden spring in her step. As their relationship grows the two form a partnership to stop a sly developer from destroying Donald’s life in a trial of immense David vs. Goliath proportions.

Based on a true story, Hampstead is a remarkably simple film of two mismatched, oddball characters that find one another in a chaotic and very busy world. The film is a simple, yet charming tale of the underdogs winning out. While it can sometimes begin to feel that the little guy will never triumph, Hampstead proves that if you keep your convictions and fight for what’s right you can ultimately prevail.

It’s fair to say that longtime Hollywood legend Diane Keaton is just playing herself in Hampstead. Her character Emily sparkles with Keaton’s unique sense of style and her colourful timing and zaniness makes for another great addition for her long list of credits. What I liked about Keaton’s performance was she really was not trying to act and just was. Her character Emily had little interest in keeping up with appearances and was ultimately her own unique self. To see a character so independent was refreshing as an audience member, and I loved that passion that was expressed through Keaton’s performance as she learned how to live and love again.

Next to Keaton is Brendan Gleeson’s Donald Horner, an eccentric tramp who has made a home for himself in Hampstead Park and who has no interest in living by society’s standards. Horner is a fascinating character who while being branded as homeless is no such thing. He’s inquisitive, scholarly and independent, although at the same time extremely cantankerous. While it does take him a while to warm up he eventually blossoms in a relationship with Emily and this leads to many magic moments between the couple. It’s hard to not think of anyone else in the role of Horner beside Gleeson and he shared great rapport with Keaton. The two performers are just wonderful together and the film ultimately succeeds because of their chemistry.

Dramatic, funny and ultimately lovable, Hampstead is a gorgeous little film that reminds its audience of the joys that can be discovered in life even if they’d thought forgotten. You’ll be guaranteed to walk out of it with a smile on your face and a flutter in your heart.

Image: EOne Films

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