'Next Chapter' a light-hearted, hilarious movie
- Matt Palmer
- May 17, 2023
- 2 min read
Just about five years ago, a group of four friends (Diane Keaton; Jane Fonda; Candice Bergen; Mary Steenburgen) got together for their usual book club and read a book that changed their perspectives of life in the 2018 movie, ‘Book Club.’ The movie eventually became a surprise hit when it was initially released in May 2018.
Now, they are together again for another hilarious chapter of their lives in ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter.’
This sequel follows our four best friends as they take their book club to Italy for the fun girls trip they never had.
When things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing vacation turns into a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country experience.
‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ does a great job delivering the laughs and a few heart-felt moments along the way. The sequel also shows that, just like the previous movie, the female leads work extremely well together.
The Italy trip that the leading ladies go on is a lot of fun and, indeed, quite a bit does happen throughout their little trip. There are quite a few humorous scenes that will really have you laughing. The group of friends do get into some hilarious hijinks, which keeps the movie really entertaining. At one point in the movie, they even end up paying a little visit to an Italian jail.
Like I stated before, the female leads work really well together and their on-screen chemistry is simply amazing. Everyone has a couple stand out funny moments and their own little story. When watching this movie, you can easily tell that the chemistry these ladies had in the 2018 movie definitely hasn’t changed a bit. The male leads from the previous movie are also back for this chapter — Don Johnson, Andy Garcia and Craig T. Nelson.
The Italy scenes are also great to watch. Just seeing some of the scenery is both breath-taking and enjoyable to see. Throughout the movie, you also get to see some infamous Italian locations that the characters visit.
All in all, if you enjoyed the 2018 comedy and enjoy the leading actresses, then you will really enjoy ‘The Next Chapter.’ It still has the wit and heart that’s featured in the first movie. Sure, the sequel can be on the slightly predictable side. Yet, I think you’ll still enjoy this hilarious chapter of the characters’ lives!
The cast: Diane Keaton as Diane; Jane Fonda as Vivian; Candice Bergen as Sharon; Mary Steenburgen as Carol; Andy Garcia as Mitchell; Don Johnson as Arthur; Craig T. Nelson as Bruce; Hugh Quarshie as Ousmane; Vincent Riotta as Chef Gianni; Giovanni Esposito as Pasquale and Giancarlo Giannani as the Police Chief.
‘Book Club 2’ is written by Erin Simms and co-written/directed by Bill Holderman. Simms and Holderman also collaborated on the 2018 comedy as well.
‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ is rated PG-13 for some strong language and suggestive material and has a running time of 107 minutes.
And, FYI, if you enjoyed the first movie, it’s available to stream on the Paramount Plus streaming platform.
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