The Magic of Belle Isle

19 March 2019

The Magic of Belle Isle 2012

• Director: Rob Reiner
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Morgan Freeman, Virginia Madsen, Emma Fuhrmann, Jessica Hecht
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Morgan Freeman – Lucy, Transcendence, The Dark Knight Rises, Invictus, The Dark Knight, Wanted, Batman Begins, Million Dollar Baby, Bruce the Almighty, Levity, Nurse Betty, Amistad, Kiss the Girls, Moll Flanders, Seven, The Shawshank Redemption, Robin Hood, Driving Miss Daisy
• Virginia Madsen – Joy, A Prairie Home Companion, Sideways
• Jessica Hecht – Breaking Bad, Dan in Real Life, Sideways, Friends, Homicide Life on the Streets
• Why? Morgan Freeman
• Seen: 11 March 2019      

       Monte (Freeman) is a non-writing author of western novels, an alcoholic in a wheelchair and a bitter old man who has lost his wife. To save money he reluctantly moves into a vacant rent-free house on Belle Isle. Next door is a newly divorced mother Charlotte (Madsen) of three girls.

       Probably they all find love and friendship and a new meaning in life. There’s a dog so I guarantee you that’s what happens.

       If it weren’t for Morgan Freeman, I’d stop watching it now. He does drink whiskey and eat cheese doodles, so we have that in common. That and young Fuhrmann as Finn make this bearable.

       The story is feeble and dreadfully predictable and the script embarrassingly badly written. Freeman and Fuhrmann deserve so much better. It’s for their sake it doesn’t get a zero.

2* of 5