Danny Collins **** (2015, Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner, Bobby Cannavale, Christopher Plummer) – Movie Review

Al Pacino finds a great role for himself as aging 1970s rocker Danny Collins, who decides to change his life, quit singing his greatest hits in stadiums and clean up his rock ‘n roll lifestyle act. The magic life change all happens after his manager (Christopher Plummer) gives him the birthday present of a letter John Lennon wrote to him 40-years ago but never reached him.

Of course the way to redemption is not going to be easy but it is going to be fun. Dumping a lifetime of hard-living ways has as many setbacks as successes, and it’s very much two steps forward and one step back, as he embarks on a heartfelt journey to rediscover his family, find true love and begin a possibly happy second act. The trip takes him to s small Hilton hotel on the outskirts of New Jersey, where he meets the middle-aged manager (Annette Bening).

Danny Collins is certainly sentimental and manipulative but much more than that it is really funny and very touching by turns. It must be Al Pacino’s best performance for ages. . Honking and hooting magnificently. he’s a showstopper. But all the performances are first rate, with Christopher Plummer scene stealing shamelessly, Bobby Cannavale outstanding as the grown-up son he has never known and Jennifer Garner appealing as Cannavale’s pregnant wife who meets him for the first, and possibly only, time.

All the actors are so good together, creating a vibrant and credible little world of their own. First-time director Dan Fogelman’s screenplay is full of bantering fun and witty patter. It is inspired by a true story, well sort of.

It’s surprising that they didn’t call it Letter from Lennon, it’s such an obvious good title. Of course, Pacino can hardly sing a note, but we have to imagine that he ruined his voice in the hard-living Seventies.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Movie Review

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