'Elsa and Fred' is the story of two people who at the end of the road, discover that it';s never too late to love and make dreams come true. Elsa has lived for the past 60 years dreaming of a moment that Fellini had already envisaged: the scene in ';La Dolce Vita'; at the Fontana di Trevi. The same scene without Anita Ekberg in it, but with Elsa instead. Without Marcello Mastroianni but with that love that took so long to arrive. Fred has always been a good man who did everything he was supposed to do. After losing his wife, he feels disturbed and confused and his daughter decides that it would be best if he moves into a smaller apartment where he ends meeting Elsa. From that moment on, everything changes. Elsa bursts into his life like a whirlwind, determined to teach him that the time he has left to live -- be it more or less -- is precious and that he should enjoy it as he pleases. Fred surrenders to Elsa';s frenzy, to her youth, to her boldness, to her beautiful madness. And this is how Fred learns how to live. When he learns about Elsa';s terminal illness, he decides to make her dream come true and takes Elsa to Rome to reenact with her the famous scene at the Fontana di Trevi.
4 August 1961, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
13 November 1954, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
14 August 1959, La Jolla, California, USA
29 September 1931, Malmö, Skåne län, Sweden
8 December 1963, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
22 July 1973, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
25 June 1984, Los Angeles, California, USA
13 November 1958, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
28 September 1924, Fontana Liri, Lazio, Italy
24 April 1934, Richmond, Virginia, USA
5 December 1974, Macon, Georgia, USA
19 July 1972, Solano County, California, USA
28 December 1998, New Jersey, USA
25 October 1960, Carolina, Puerto Rico
25 March 1959, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
13 July 1955, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
May 16, 2016
This story of love in the autumn of life is not without its charms, though it takes a crisp and well-judged performance from Plummer to balance MacLaine's shrill extravagance.
November 07, 2014
A not-terrific, not-terrible romantic comedy that owes most of its charm to its two stars.
November 06, 2014
A bland and formulaic tale of two senior citizens who discover that it's never too late to fall in love - which may well be true, but doesn't keep this rickety recycling of a 2005 Spanish-Argentinean comedy from feeling long past its sell-by date.
December 18, 2014
Unlike so many American remakes of foreign films, this reboot improves on the original, mostly because it takes full advantage of the star power of its English-speaking cast.
November 06, 2014
The movie's too-cute concept yields more rewards than you might reasonably expect.
May 01, 2015
It is fatally lacking in wit and conviction, often playing more like a television sitcom than something that deserves a place on the big screen.
April 30, 2015
Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer rise above the patronising cuteness imposed by co-writer/director Michael Radford (Il Postino) in this tale of a late-blossoming love affair.
May 04, 2015
Considering the CVs of all involved (not least Radford, who was Oscar-nominated for Il Postino) this remains little more than a gooey footnote.
March 07, 2016
Elsa & Fred is a sweet story that reminds you that it is never too late to make your dreams come true.
April 30, 2015
The film is so lightweight, it almost doesn't exist.
November 07, 2014
This movie is so tone-deaf that it tries to wring charm from questionable stereotypes about senior citizens and minorities.
November 06, 2014
Though the issues are heavy, the execution is light, enjoyable, but it keeps "Elsa & Fred" closer to "Sleepless in Seattle" than Fellini's deliciously deep Roman affair.
