THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES

UK, 2017, 102 minutes, Colour.
Joan Collins, Pauline Collins, Franco Nero, Ronald Pickup, Joely Richardson.
Directed by Roger Goldby.

The Time of their Lives sounds a particularly jaunty title. And, for much of the film, this is quite accurate. But not quite accurate enough – the screenplay often goes beneath the surface of the time of their lives to some very serious personal themes. Which makes this comedy-drama that much more interesting.

The naming of the stars is certainly most arresting. Joan Collins has been in films for almost 65 years and made this film at the age of 83 (though, probably, her character, Helen, is meant to be only 73 – and she does get away with it). Whether the public knows the real Joan Collins is a good question. What the public does see is Joan Collins, the celebrity, full of glamour, fond of posing, not the least bit shy with people let alone in front of the camera, drawing on her career as a starlet in the 1950s (and this film has a poster of a fictitious film, Morty and Me, made in that long ago time, the poster reminding us of how glamorous Joan Collins was in her past), and drawing on her particular “bitchiness� from her character, Alexis, in Dynasty. She plays this character here to the hilt – and beyond!

Which means that the name of Pauline Collins evokes quite a different image. At the time of making the film, Pauline Collins was only 76 – but not quite looking it either. She is most famous for her Oscar-nominated performance as Shirley Valentine in 1989. She won a lot of fans with this role and is probably remembered warmly for it.

The other older stars are Franco Nero, one of the heartthrob Italian stars of the 1960s, continuing into the present. The other is Ronald Pickup who audiences will remember from the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel films. Also in the cast is Joely Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave’s daughter (in fact, Vanessa Redgrave is married to Franco Nero though he has no scenes with his stepdaughter).

And the plot? The core of it is a variation on Joan Collins’s life and career, an ageing but faded star (that is the fiction part for the real Joan Collins), little-known now and wanting to revive her career, especially by going to the funeral in France of the director of her most famous film. But she has no money and she is somewhat disabled, hip difficulties, a walking stick. (And there is nothing like seeing Joan Collins with a walking stick but, when the plot is on her side, able to get rid of the stick and walk steadily!).

She is on a jaunt to the seaside with a busload of elderly characters, one of whom is desperate to drive the bus – and does get the opportunity in a hurdy-gurdy kind of way. They have a concentration camp kind of travel director. In the meantime, Priscilla, Pauline Collins, is having a very difficult time with her cranky husband, Frank (Pickup) and the memories of their son who drowned at the age of four men and who would be now 40. Helen notices them bickering at the store. But then Priscilla helps Helen onto the bus with her disability and the door shuts and she is whisked off to the seaside.

Helen tells her story, they have tea together, Helen steals her purse – with Priscilla wanting to go home but then in pursuit, deciding to go with the flow, going into performance to get onto the ferry for France (Helen pretending to faint, Priscilla scurrying on).

The rest of the film has their adventures in France, including Priscilla diving into the water to save a little boy and reprimanding the boy’s mother for not paying attention. Frank and their daughter see Priscilla on television and start out for France.

Stranded at night without petrol, they are rescued by a wealthy man, Alberto (Franco Nero,) driving in pyjamas. He is hospitality personified, Priscilla grateful, Helen flirting, to little avail.

The funeral does not go as predicted though there is a plot development which the audience might have suspected at some stage.

So, the two women do have something of the time of their lives – but not quite. What is Helen to do if she does not revitalise her career? What is Priscilla to do, go back home with Frank to a dead marriage, or…? (Audiences have probably been thinking of the plot of Shirley Valentine all the way through and how Priscilla’s adventures and predicament are a new version of Shirley’s!)

1. The cheery title? But the serious underlying themes?

2. Joan Collins, Pauline Collins, their careers? Joan Collins and the reality of her as a person, a celebrity public persona, drawing on her films, especially the fictitious Morty and Me as well as Dynasty’s Alexis? Pauline Collins, memories of Shirley Valentine? Franco Nero, his film career, as hero, romantically? Ronald pickup and his character actor performances? The range of films that the performers had appeared in?

3. The target audience, older audiences, women? Identifying with the characters and situations?

4. Film as celluloid dreams, fantasies, stars and celebrity, special, glamour? The contrast with ordinary home life? Tensions in married life, sadness, children, loss of children, deaths of children?

5. The story as an escapade, the effect on Helen, on Priscilla? A holiday, change, changing the future?

6. Pauline Collins as Priscilla, the story, the plot and theme elements from Shirley Valentine? Her age, the long years with Frank, his petulance and crankiness, her photo of her son George, remembering that it would be his 40th birthday, telling the sad story about her lack of attention, his drowning, issues of blame? Frank blaming her yet his being absent? The scene in the shop, wanting to buy the biscuits, Frank and his carry on? Helen observing? Helen, her stick, Priscilla helping, the bus going off, the fussy travel manager, the driver, the men wanting to drive? Frank and his reaction to Priscilla in the bus? Her being caught, going to the sea, her rarely having been to the sea though her swimming every day in the pool? Her lies about Frank being dead? The discussions with Helen, her phone calls to Frank? Experiencing the sea, the tea with Helen, Helen stealing the purse, Priscilla pursuing?

7. Helen, Joan Collins and her real age, age of her character? The posters of Morty and Me? Her later singing the song in the club? Her career, success, age, people not remembering her? Short of cash? Her wanting to go to the funeral, her relationship with the director, wanting to further her career? Watching Priscilla and Frank? Helped onto the bus, beginning conversations with Priscilla, tea and the stealing of the purse? The visit to the sea, the bus, the guide? The stopover, the guide pushed out, the old man driving the bus, going to the wharf? Helen giving back the purse pretending it was caught in the coat?

8. Priscilla, tense, at the wharf, Helen fainting and Priscilla going in without her passport? On the ferry, capitalising on their being elderly?

9. In France, the boy, his falling into the water, the upset mother, Priscilla diving in, saving the boy? In hospital, going out, the media and filming her, Helen doing all the posing, Priscilla reprimanding the mother for not paying attention to her child – and the memories of George?

10. Taking of the rental car, capitalising on being elderly again? The situation? Priscilla, driving, in the left-hand lane, Helen sleeping, running out of petrol, stranded in the night,
Helen and her being petulant, Priscilla walking, Helen locked out of the car?

11. Alberto, driving in the night, in his pyjamas, his giving them a lift, the lavish house, his companion being against the visit of the women, urging them to go to a hotel? His wanting them to stay, the rooms, the wardrobes and his wife’s clothes, Priscilla and the dress, apologetic, but Alberto affirming her? Helen and her persona, flirting, the dinner? Alberto and Priscilla, sharing the pot, the memories? The morning swim, Alberto naked, Priscilla dressed?

12. Going to the funeral, setting into the hotel, in the town? Helen going to see Lucy, the memories of the past, Lucy recognising her, seeing her when she was a girl? Lucy’s child, and talking about her father? Her not having searched for her mother?

13. The funeral, Helen with Priscilla, Lucy’s speech, Helen’s intervention, Lucy ousting her, Priscilla taking her away? Lucy later meeting Helen in the hotel, Helen’s explanations, Lucy being hurt and rejecting her?

14. Helen, talking to the producer at the funeral, making the appointment, his checking out, Helen being too late, Priscilla later seeing him and his disdain for Helen?

15. Priscilla, thinking to go back home, buying the ticket? Yet returning to Helen?

16. Frank, Priscilla’s daughter, seeing Priscilla on the television saving the child? Their journey to France? Arriving? Frank’s demands?

17. Priscilla, having dinner with Alberto, Helen not invited? His proposal? Her leaving, return, spending the night? Finding Alberto dead on the floor in the morning?

18. Alberto dead, the media, his reputation and wealth, the maid and locking her in, Priscilla telling the police the truth, Helen trying to take the blame? The media reaction?

19. Frank, the daughter, demanding Priscilla go, her making a decision not to go, Priscilla and her telling the truth about her relationship with Frank, the experience with the death
of George, Frank saying he was sorry and giving her the photo? Her leaving?

20. Helen, failure, breaking through her narcissism, the truth, taking off the wig, Priscilla finding it? Going to the beach, Helen at the water, Priscilla going to her, their walking
along the beach together – into what kind of future?