'Bucket list' explores the old theme of the 'things you want to do before you die'. The theme is no way deeper than, say, 'what would you do if you had a couple of million dollars' or 'what would you do if you had only one more day to live'. In fact, The Bucket list finds a way to combine the two.
Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) owns the hospital he gets to be in after being diagnosed with cancer. His roommate Carter Chambers (Freeman) is a middle class Auto mechanic who, as it turns out, is faring no better. Both men are told they have approximately one year left to live, at best.
After this the men decide to draw up a list of things they have always wanted to do but never did. With entries like 'race a shelby Mustang and 'kiss the most beautiful girl in the world' the two men set out to fly around the world to achieve all the entries on the list.
The film is really nothing more and nothing less than what the tagline describes and often feels a bit schmaltzy in it's deliverance. Both Freeman and Nicholson give away ample performances but the real chemistry between them I hoped to see fails to emerge due to the often slightly ponderous script.
The story could have easily been more insightful if the writers had chosen not to let the men pursue such soapy theme's like Nicholson looking up his long lost daughter. Then again, real life usually is pretty soapy, isn't it...but I digress...
That said, there is absolutely nothing wrong in bringing this one home for a view. It just could have been a lot better.
6.5/10
Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) owns the hospital he gets to be in after being diagnosed with cancer. His roommate Carter Chambers (Freeman) is a middle class Auto mechanic who, as it turns out, is faring no better. Both men are told they have approximately one year left to live, at best.
After this the men decide to draw up a list of things they have always wanted to do but never did. With entries like 'race a shelby Mustang and 'kiss the most beautiful girl in the world' the two men set out to fly around the world to achieve all the entries on the list.
The film is really nothing more and nothing less than what the tagline describes and often feels a bit schmaltzy in it's deliverance. Both Freeman and Nicholson give away ample performances but the real chemistry between them I hoped to see fails to emerge due to the often slightly ponderous script.
The story could have easily been more insightful if the writers had chosen not to let the men pursue such soapy theme's like Nicholson looking up his long lost daughter. Then again, real life usually is pretty soapy, isn't it...but I digress...
That said, there is absolutely nothing wrong in bringing this one home for a view. It just could have been a lot better.
6.5/10