Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren navigate dementia in Paolo Virzìs 'The Leisure Seeker'

“The Leisure Seeker” is Italian director Paolo Virzìs first English-language feature film. Starring Helen Mirren as Ella and Donald Sutherland as John, it follows a couple who leave town, traveling from Massachusetts to Florida, without informing anyone, including their two adult children.

The kids find out about their departure when their son, Will, pays them a visit and is informed by the couple’s neighbor that she heard them depart very early in the morning in their 1975 Winnebago, which bears the name of the film’s title. Will then launches a hunt to find his parents and return them safely home, but Ella has other plans. She intends to take John, an intellectual and aficionado of Ernest Hemingway, to the Hemingway Home & Museum in Key West.

John is grappling with dementia and Ella, who copes with her sorrow by drinking a steady stream of whiskey, is clearly knocking on death’s door. “The Leisure Seeker” is a testament to their right to spend their final days as they wish — traveling freely on the open road rather than languishing in a nursing home, waiting to die.

Made by an Italian, the film captures how many in that country viewed America during Donald Trump’s presidency. Set in the summer of 2016, it opens with the political paraphernalia of that time as we hear a speech by the former president. It becomes clear that John, a lifelong Democratic voter, is not amused by the rallying for Trump.

The grave health problems John and Ella are forced to deal with do not render them meek. They remain spry, steadfast individuals who do not back down when faced with the sometimes perilous incidents they encounter. At one point, John forgetfully drives off without Ella, forcing her to hop on a motorcycle to catch up. And when a tire goes flat, they’re harassed by a pair of young men who try to rob them. Before Ella scares them off with a shotgun she brought, John scolds one of them for ending a sentence with a preposition and suggests they consider taking evening classes to improve their lives.

The ease with which Sutherland (who died in June) and Mirren effortlessly portray this endearing and mischievous couple should come as no surprise. Both actors had worked with Italian directors prior to making this film. In 1979, Mirren starred in the role of Caesonia alongside Peter O’Toole and Malcolm McDowell in Tinto Brass’ period film “Caligula.” One of Sutherland’s most significant Italian roles came in Federico Fellini’s 1976 “Fellini’s Casanova” as the iconic Giacomo Casanova. That same year, he portrayed a disturbing but memorable Attila, a sadistic fascist, in Bernardo Bertolucci’s epic “1900.”

“The Leisure Seeker” has a strong comedic element, spending many of its on-screen minutes making light of the elderly couple as they road-trip down the East Coast. Despite the laughs and a few stereotypically elderly moments, like John cutting through lanes without looking to make a turn, Virzì succeeds in communicating the seriousness of the situation and the strong bond of love that unites John and Ella.

Despite his dementia, John recovers some of his former self during this transformative trip. There are moments when he remembers something important from his past, reminding Ella of the man she fell in love with and the life the two built together. Although the film focuses on the relationship between John and Ella and how they deal with aging and death, the poignant ending brings their relationship life full circle, reminding us of the importance of family.

The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2018. Most Italian critics were blown away, giving it rave reviews. The American press, however, was a bit more critical, recognizing some stereotypes in the portrayal of American culture and some contrived dialogue during which the filmmakers got a little lost in translation.

With that said, one cannot go wrong with these two cinema icons portraying such a fun-loving, adventurous couple fueled by a lifetime of love.

“The Leisure Seeker” is available to stream on several platforms. Click here to watch it on Amazon Prime.

- Written by Jeannine Guilyard for Fra Noi Magazine. Click here to subscribe.

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