Late Bloomers

Mary and Adam seem to live in paradise: their three children are grown up and thriving. Mary's mother supports the couple with great dedication and a dry sense of humor. Adam has enjoyed great recognition as an architect in London for years. Mary can afford not to work anymore. Occasionally, she translates texts into English, being the daughter of an Italian father. They have settled down, their life is harmonious. But suddenly, paradise crumbles: Mary and Adam have reached the so-called second half of their lives. Accepting this is not always easy. Mary tries to combat her brooding thoughts with pragmatism and self-irony. Adam surrounds himself with young colleagues and is more than flattered when a colleague who could be his daughter falls in love with him. But Mary is not immune to the advances of a younger man either. Slowly but surely, disaster looms. Both must pass a few tests of maturity before they can once again enjoy the adventure of life with a carefree attitude. "Despite its cheerful undertones, ‘Late Bloomers’ is a proper punch in the gut that will leave no one cold, no matter how old you are. The little episodes, the increasing wrinkles, the creeping signs of aging and irritations that Gavras weaves into her story with great sensitivity get under your skin. Especially in a world where aging is a flaw, Adam and Mary's journey into old age makes it clear that you can't stop it, no matter how hard you try. People grow old, people die. What remains is the question of how to live out one's days with dignity. (...) The film thus clearly follows in the tradition of European arthouse cinema as a forum for social criticism and opens up another side of the debate, which is also addressed in Andreas Dresen's ‘Wolke 9’ and (...) Michael Haneke's ‘Liebe’." (kino-zeit.de)