Movie Reviews

’80 for Brady’ review: Irresistibly fun film has an infectious energy

Simplicity does not dampen the entertainment.

February 4, 2023

I have been waiting for this new comedy for quite some time now! Now, I must be completely honest that I will go see these actresses in just about anything. This is a supremely talented and accomplished cast and getting to see them cut loose and have fun just seemed like it would be a great time at the cinema. For me, it absolutely was ! 80 for Brady is a simple, funny, sweet film that knows how to use its incredible cast. Through the majority of this, I just couldn’t stop smiling!

'80 for Brady' review: Irresistibly fun film has an infectious energy

Let’s begin with 80 for Brady‘s main selling points: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sally Field, and Rita Moreno. I knew these women were going to give worthy performances, but I was still so delighted and charmed by each of them. Fonda can really play anything, and she is consistently on point here. Lily Tomlin actually gets to have both comedic and dramatic moments that are both satisfying as hell. I’m already a huge Tomlin fan so I suppose I’m a little biased, but she really does sell this.

Sally Field does a lovely job playing the more mellow member of this group and actually gets to have several great scenes. Field does more dramatic films typically, but she gets to showcase her spot-on comedic timing in this. Her character also comes off as pretty relatable, which makes the audience love her even more.

And then we come to the divine Rita Moreno! Moreno is top of her game here and is definitely the best character. She’s hilarious with her deadpan delivery and gets to have several touching scenes as well. She shows no signs of slowing down even at 91. They’re all a delight individually and they have the added bonus of sharing wonderful chemistry.

The script tells a simple story and could be called formulaic, but that doesn’t dampen the entertainment value. Simple fun films are needed, and they can be done well. This script manages to satisfy because of a few solid building blocks.

The first is the establishment of the strong friendship between these four women. The comradery and dialogue they share makes us root for them, connect with them, and in some cases relate to them. The second is the consistent comedic material. There’s a healthy number of laughs and most are verbal, which I almost always think is more effective than slapstick.

The third and final block is the film’s pace. The pace for a film of this nature should be fairly brisk. You can’t let things drag and not have a clear direction. 80 for Brady is very much aware of what kind of film it is and what it needs to accomplish.

Now, it is true that this isn’t going to be in the year’s top ten best. No, every single joke doesn’t land perfectly, but the majority of them do. Ultimately, that is the determinative question: do the positives outweigh the negatives and has a good time been had? The answer to that question is absolutely!