Say, at around 35. I think it’s a good age to enjoy retirement. Not for visiting museums or sitting and enjoying the sun on a bench, but for doing many other things.

I enjoyed The Savages (2007) because it’s a humorous take on what to do with our parents as they get older. The story centres on two siblings who are debating whether to look after their father themselves or ‘abandon’ him in a nursing home. Director Tamara Jenkins almost obliges us to take the side of either the pragmatic brother, who thinks it’s best to put his father in an old people’s home, or of his idealist sister, who is drugged up on medicine and doesn’t want to be separated from her father.

Nevertheless, the movie itself somewhat leaves aside the character of the moribund father, who is completely lost and who we meet after he has written on his bathroom wall in his own faeces.

I actually identified with the character of the little father played by Philip Busco in the movie. I imagine that when I’m older I’d love to be in a nursing home where should I not be able to look after myself, a twenty-something, curvaceous nurse would be there to lovingly soap my little balls and behind. My dinner would be propped in front of me everyday, and it would definitely be much tastier than what I could whip up for myself at that age, I wouldn’t need to clean nor make my bed, and I could play cards, playstation or watch football with my friends. We’d swap all kinds of pills, and after eating I would never dare to miss my little cup of sherry, nor a good siesta. We’d be so happy…

Cati Kaoe
We could all be Mr. Savage

Whether we like it or not, we have no choice but to accept our fates and think that growing old without a family could also be pleasant. Current statistics show that in our ageing society we’d turn out to be a bunch of horny oldies itching to have fun.

For the moment it’s true that we turn to our children to look after us. It’s what Tamara Jenkins keeps coming back to in her film. She did well to count on the help of two of the best performances of 2007, with thrice Oscar-nominated actress Laura Linney, and with probably the best actor in the States nowadays, Philip Seymour Hoffman , in probably his best role since “Happiness “ (1998), Todd Solondz’s moving film in which he managed to depict the most pitiful pervert in the history of cinema. Below is a video where the actors describe shooting The Savages.




Talking about oldies – on 5 April Charles Heston, a mediocre actor and worse human being, went to heaven. A Republican and weapon-lover, director Michael Moore already tried to expose his more patriotic gun-wielding Yankee side in the excellent documentary Bowling for Columbine (2002), for those who still haven’t glimpsed Heston’s more ‘human’ side. Probably best I don’t mention him further; I prefer that his name be erased from everyone’s mind. He’s worthy of being remembered for the characters he played than for how he was in real life. Suffer in peace.


Translation: Nabeelah Shabbir

Pic trio: Ottonnassar/flickr

Pic Old man: Susana de la calle/flickr