Al Pacino delivers his best performance in years as an aging rocker whose life takes a sudden turn. Although he hasn't written anything decent in decades, disillusioned Danny still tours, captivating senior citizen audiences with hits from yesteryear in order to support his luxurious lifestyle and self-destructive debauchery. But when his best friend/manager (Christopher Plummer) presents Danny with a fan letter from John Lennon written in 1971—a handwritten artifact hidden for years by a collector—Danny is forced to take stock of his life, not only of where hedonism has brought him but also what he might have missed along the way. Seeking redemption, Danny moves into the Hilton Woodcliff Lake in suburban New Jersey, near the modest home that belongs to his estranged son, the result of a one-night stand 40 years ago. Now a construction worker, Tom (Bobby Cannavale) was raised by his single mother, and he wants nothing to do with Danny. But Tom's pregnant wife (Jennifer Garner) and precocious, ADHD-afflicted daughter (Giselle Eisenberg) are intrigued by this generous stranger on their doorstep. Meanwhile, the Hilton's proper, pragmatic manager (Annette Bening) prompts him to begin composing again, and he even books a small lounge gig to try out new songs. Of course, complications arise and Danny's comeback is not as simple as he'd hoped. Supposedly inspired by a true story, filmmaker Dan Fogelman's Danny Collins is a somewhat contrived feel-good film elevated by a characteristically charismatic turn by Pacino. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette (4 min.), an album cover gallery, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a small extras package for an engaging film with a fine performance by Pacino.] (S. Granger)
Danny Collins
Universal, 108 min., R, DVD: $29.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $34.98, June 30 Volume 30, Issue 4
Danny Collins
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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