- Actors: Diane Keaton, Jacki Weaver, Pam Grier, Celia Weston, Phyllis Somerville
- Director: Zara Hayes
- Writer: Shane Atkinson
- Producers: Kelly McCormick, Alex Saks, Andy Evans, Ade Shannon, Celyn Jones
- Disc Format: NTSC, PAL, Subtitled
- Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
- Subtitles: Spanish, English
- Region: Region A/1
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Number of discs: 2
- Rated: Parents Strongly CautionedPG-13
- Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
- Release Date: August 6, 2019
- Run Time: 92 minutes
Poms reminded me of a student film. Not
every student film; as a film professor, I have seen many, and there seem to be
two different types. There are the ones that are taking the opportunity to
experiment and test boundaries, which usually results in the prototypical art
student film, seeming to point to aspirations in avant-garde and independent
filmmaking. Poms falls under the
other category, with the students aspiring to imitate the Hollywood
formulas, despite budgetary limitations. While it is less noticeable than it
might be in a more action-oriented genre, there is much that appears amateur
within Poms, despite the best efforts
and good intentions by the cast and crew.
The premise of Poms feels very familiar, even if it is
somewhat unique in its combination of clichés and caricatures. I was as
impressed with what Poms was willing
to omit as what it included, choosing not to dwell on the inevitable
disappointments and heartache set into the story. At the same time, it was
difficult to wonder why they were put there in the first place. At its core, Poms is a combination of the dance
competition film with the senior empowerment storyline that sees a return any
time another beloved star has reached an age with few other leading role
opportunities. Diane Keaton leads up the cast for this one, along with many
familiar faces from pop culture’s somewhat recent past.
Keaton stars as
Martha, a woman who decides to move out of the city to a retirement community to
die of cancer, rather than opting to fight the disease. This decision is
somewhat contradictory (or at least complicated in a way that is never
discussed) to the remainder of the film, which is centered on Martha’s decision
to live life to the fullest by starting a cheerleading troupe made up entirely
of senior citizens (Jacki Weaver, Rhea Perlman, Phyllis Somerville, Pam Grier,
Patricia French, Ginny MacColl). After a villainous tyrant of the community
named Vicki (Celia Weston) takes it upon herself to stop the cheerleading group
by any means necessary, it is clear that her character is one of many
unnecessary one-dimensional contrivances inserted into the narrative. As
dedicated as Weston is to the performance, her scenes feel like they were
written in after watching too many ‘80s camp movies. It is never really clear
why she hates the loveable group of misfits so much, other than a way to give
the cheerleaders more adversity.
As if judgment
from people their own age acting like they are still in high school was not
enough, the group also sees adversity from actual high school cheerleaders when
their first performance fails and is posted online. The positive outcome from
this is one of the cheerleaders (Alisha Boe) feeling guilty enough about the
interaction that she agrees to help choreograph the routines for Martha and the
women. This is especially good news for the grandson (Charlie Tahan) of one of
the members, who was accustomed to spending all of his time with people more
than three times his age.
The film goes
pretty much where you expect it to, with a final performance that results in a
victory of sorts. It is just unfortunate that so little time was spent on
actually choreographing this final performance. The editing of the sequence
often feels done out of necessity to cut around flaws in the performance. There
are not enough edits to remove them all. This paired with an inconsistent
visual style (mostly due to poorly lit, framed, and focused shots) makes Poms feel more amateur than the group of
senior cheerleaders. My recommendation to anyone about to watch Poms would be to watch a film called Unfinished Song instead. It is the same
formula, but far more effective executed.
The Blu-ray
release may actually do this film a disservice, because I was far more aware of
each visual shift from scene to scene in high definition. The DVD is likely a
fine option for most, as this film doesn’t have visual effects or the like.
There is also a digital copy included, giving you three ways to watch the movie
in this one package. This must be to make up for the lack of special features
on the actual disc.
Entertainment Value:
5.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 4/10
Historical
Significance: 1/10
Special Features: 2/10
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