Best Sellers

Enjoyed watching this film and appreciated the dynamic between Aubrey Plaza and Michael Caine. Worth watching once.

Damned with faint praise: it wasn't a waste of time. Plot was just so so and probably the weakest part. Plaza was good, I thought, but Caine was really good. It could have slipped into cliche for an elderly actor to play a crotchety old man but he pulled it off. He would have been forgiven for mailing it in, but he didn't. Do my take: two actors making the best of what was handed to them.

The plot was predictable and the script lamentable, with repeated and boring use of one faux swearword, which for obvious reasons I will not use. A truly awful film.

Don't bother you know exactly how this silly film will end within the first minutes of watching it. Boring, silly, bad and obvious script. Not eve Michael Caine can save this.

Michael Caine alone made me give that third star. The plot was bland and disjointed.

Not everyone's cup of tea but Michael Caine and Aubrey Plaza give intelligence and depth to a dark sombre film that is worthy of being watched.

Though a bit melodramatic, the theme of the storyline is very close to what actually happens in the publishing world. The writers with a "history" are actually called upon, even hard pressed, to write another "great one", the same as actors are expected to continually turn their "projects" into box office hits.

Absolutely loved this movie. So refreshing. Think maybe too educated for rotten tomatoes. Michael Caine shows that the older you get the acting gets better and better. Clint Eastwood also comes in this category. You can't beat good actors

Michael Caine stars as cranky author Harris Shaw in Linda Roessler's heart-warming feature directorial debut. After it's premiere at the 2021 Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), the film unfortunately fell off the radar, drowned out by many of the other marvellous films that came out of last year, going on to become arguably one of 2021's most underrated films. Harris Shaw is a reclusive and retired author who resides in upstate New York, spending his days at an old typewriter accompanied by his cat. Lucy Stanbridge (Plaza) is a publisher attempting to keep her struggling family publishing business, Stanbridge Publishing, afloat. When Lucy tries to find her company's next big hit, she comes across a decades-old contract between Stanbridge Publishing and Harris Shaw and learns that the crabby author owes the company a book. Once said book has been received, the unlikely pair embark on a book tour forming an unexpected bond that will reduce audiences to tears by the time the credits roll. Michael Caine gives a knockout performance as the retired author. The Oscar-winning actor gives a charming turn as the snappy author, turning Harris Shaw into a character that will grow on audiences as the film progresses. Opposite Caine stars Aubrey Plaza ("Parks and Recreation", "Ingrid Goes West"), she brings the character of Lucy Stanbridge to the screen, creating an amiable yet determined character who refuses to let her family company go to waste. Plaza delivers a marvellous performance, brilliantly bouncing off Caine's unique character. It's hard to imagine that a Michael Caine-Aubrey Plaza buddy comedy was on anybody's 2021 bingo card, but the unlikely pair make for an incredibly hilarious and redeeming duo. Strong performances from its two leads can't compensate for "Best Sellers" having a somewhat patchy script from Anthony Grieco. But the film also suffers from bland visuals and a mediocre directorial effort from Linda Roessler. Roessler's directing does what it needs to but doesn't allow the Canadian actor and director to develop her own unique style, so it's not exactly something to rave over. The film favours it's simple yet emotional story over trying to wow audiences with technical aspects and fortunately it somewhat works, Plaza and Caine's continuous back and forth manages to make "Best Sellers" an enjoyable film that just about manages to hold your attention for the full 100 minutes. The film is also somewhat formulaic, the tiff between Plaza and Caine's characters can be seen coming from a mile away but Roessler allows it to serve as a way for the characters to become even closer. Something that "Best Sellers" does surprisingly well is it doesn't take itself too seriously, it's an easy-going and tender project that doesn't set out to make this big statement about how maybe the older generation are being left behind, or how hard it can be to run a family business. It's simply a menial, yet heart-warming story, that doesn't have some big, convoluted message hidden beneath the surface. Linda Roessler's touching directorial debut brings together the unlikely pairing of Aubrey Plaza and Michael Caine, creating a charming film devoid of any elaborate messages or complex themes. "Best Sellers" is a feel-good film in which you don't have to hang onto every word spoken like some other films to come out in recent years, like Denis Villenueve's "Dune", or Christopher Nolan's "Tenet", which also happened to star Michael Caine. Roessler's film is an endearing affair, with a moving story at its core, powered by brilliant performances from Caine and Plaza.

Overall, I enjoyed aspects of Best Sellers, such as the performances, especially from Michael Caine, who plays a fun cranky old bloke. Best Sellers begins with a fun concept and what seems to be a humorous journey before turning into a dramatic story that drops in quality and entertainment. At times, the new friendship between the leads is challenging to accept,  and the main plot gets distracted with random moments or sidetracked with subplots at multiple times.