Movie review: Poms

If her recent roles are any indication, Diane Keaton (Book Club, 5 Flights Up) is mining a comfy retirement plan by seemingly accepting any "senior-age-dependent" parts offered.

Poms is a Retirement Village comedy that pits an elderly group against the youthful sport of cheerleading. Think The Full Monty or the more recent Swimming with Men for the aged. However, before you dismiss this as dreary sentimental dross laced with cheap incontinence gags, you might want to put down your knitting and push up your bifocals—Poms is better than that.

Sure, Poms does lean into a fair amount of cheap humour and sentimental cringe; it doesn't hold back on body humour or avoid revelling in its many silly situations. But it's far from the cream pie face-splat that the trailer might lead you to believe. It is at times disarmingly delightful.

Essentially a buddy flick, the film centres on Martha (Keaton), who has terminal cancer and wants to see out her final years in the tranquillity of Sun Springs Retirement Village. However, her serenity is rocked by the effervescent Sheryl (Jacki Weaver), whose boundless energy sparks an awakening in Martha. And so, against all odds, the Sun Springs Retirement Community Cheerleading Squad is born.

Branching out from her documentarian roots, writer/director Zara Hayes has played it safe, employing a very formulaic approach to this fist-pumping triumph-over-adversity tale. Her effort at corralling an ensemble cast and navigating them through a minefield of banal comedy and saccharine vibes produces mixed results. But high-water marks are provided by Celia Weston as the overbearing village President and Charlie Tahan as the endearing teen who lives with his grandmother.

To reiterate: there are many corny moments that some will find irksome and it certainly won't make you dust off the ol' cheerleading kit. But on the whole, one can't deny Poms has a life-affirming quality and an emotionally charged finish that'll have you leaving the theatre on a high.

Cast:

Diane Keaton, Jacki Weaver, Rhea Pearlman

Director:

Zara Hayes

Running time:

90 mins

Rating:

PG Coarse language & sexual references

Verdict:

Unashamedly dances a safe routine but successfully nails the dismount.