Actress Katie Aselton returns to feature directing after nearly a decade away in Mack & Rita from Gravitas Premiere. When 30-year-old self-proclaimed homebody Mack Martin (Elizabeth Lail) reluctantly joins a Palm Springs bachelorette trip for her best friend Carla (Taylour Paige), her inner 70-year-old is released literally. The frustrated writer and influencer magically transform into her future self: “Aunt Rita” (Diane Keaton).
Freed from the constraints of other people’s expectations, Rita comes into her own, becoming an unlikely social media sensation, and sparks a tentative romance with Mack’s adorable dog-sitter, Jack (Dustin Milligan). Mack & Rita celebrates being true to yourself at any age in this sparkling comedy with a magical twist.
When I was a child, one of my favorite film plot lines was the age swap premise. We all remember the Jodie Foster classic Freaky Friday, and who can forget the late 1980s mini-cycle of age-swap / body-swap pictures? Those movies included Like Father Like Son (1987), Big (1988), 18 Again! (1988), Vice Versa (1988), and Dream a Little Dream (1989).
Upon first glance at the cast, one would think the writers Madeline Walter and Paul Welsh would possibly try and make a race relations comedy headlined by Lail and Paige, but thankfully they avoid this route and allow the always enjoyable Keaton to shine. The script for Mack & Rita avoids the typical cliches of age-swap comedies for the most part. There are plenty of moments where a joke about senior citizen discounts or “in my day” could’ve worked, but this never happens. For the most part, I took from the film to enjoy your youth, but when you get older, continue to be young at heart. The film only runs about ninety-five minutes, so no one else in the cast has an arc outside of our leading lady.
This decision was a shame, as I always enjoy seeing Taylor Paige on screen and wish she had more to do. It seems that the secondary story that focuses on a budding romance with a character portrayer portrayed by Dustin Mulligan is meant to fill this void. Additionally, there are some enjoyable scenes with the always pleasant Loretta Devine and Wendie Malick.
While I doubt that Mack & Rita will have the same staying power as Big, fans of Diane Keaton should enjoy the film.
Final Grade: C
Mack & Rita is in theaters now
Eggers masterfully crafts a narrative that explores the fine line between desire and destruction, drawing viewers into the emotional turmoil of his characters. The cinematography is breathtaking, with shadowy landscapes and hauntingly lit interiors that evoke a sense of dread and anticipation. Every frame of the film feels meticulously composed, a testament to Eggers’ commitment to his craft.
The film opens by introducing us to an American soldier named Jake (Green), who is seconds away from being executed while on her latest top-secret mission. While Jake is rescued, her team ends up losing their lives, adding to Jake’s PTSD. A few years later, during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, a group of schoolgirls was taken hostage in Afghanistan. Jake’s old boss, Travis (Christopher Backus), recruits her to join an all-women commando unit to liberate them.
Mangold sets the film in the influential New York music scene of the early 1960s and centers on a 19-year-old musician from Minnesota named Bob Dylan, portrayed by Timothée Chalamet. It follows Dylan’s meteoric rise as a folk singer to concert halls and the top of the charts, as his songs and charisma become a worldwide sensation. The narrative culminates in his groundbreaking electric rock and roll performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.