MartinHafer When I saw this film recently listed on Netflix, it sounded like a cute roadtrip movie. After all, in the summary, it says "They recapture their passion for life and their love for each other on a road trip that provides revelation and surprise right up to the very end." . What I did not realize was that the film is all about death, Alzheimers and assisted suicide. Because of this, you really should be aware that this is NOT a comedy but a very dark film....very dark indeed. It's also very painful to watch...so beware! When the story begins, an elderly couple unexpectedly leaves their home. Their son and daughter are at wits end...and you really wonder why they and the neighbor are so upset at their leaving. The scene then switches to the old folks, John and Ella Spencer (Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren) and they're on a road trip in a very old RV...and for much of the time the film seems quirky and charming. However, after a bit you realize that John has severe dementia and later you realize that Ella is dying. What's next? Well, it sure won't be pleasant!!This is a great example of a very well acted film which I doubt most folks would really want to see. After all, talking about our mortality isn't exactly a crowd pleaser! Plus, some elements of the story might offend many and a few pieces didn't make a lot of sense (such as both nursing home portions)....but that's something you'd need to see for yourself. So, the bottom line is that you might wanna think twice about seeing this one...even if it is very well made. And, if you do see it, try to see it with someone and please take care of yourself...watching the film can be very difficult emotionally. By the way, the title "Leisure Seeker" is a reference to the name they've given the old RV.

wnylady This movie was long and drawn out and just terrible. The fact that they were hell bent on going on this trip was pure foolishness, and someone with dimentia to that degree would not be able to even drive, let alone drive a vehicle of that size. And Helen's character was constantly upset and didnt enjoy one second of the trip. It was upsetting to watch, and even more upsetting was the way it ended, I was just sick and shocked over it. No thanks, we dont want this for our seniors in America! It was disgusting! I'm sorry I even saw this movie.

Jake Young These two titans of the performative arts bring to life a runaway couple setting out on a voyage in their trusty old RV called The Leisure Seeker. What starts as an expedition of fun turns quickly into a bittersweet exploration of love and memories.By far the greatest moments in The Leisure Seeker are when Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren are flaunting their talents and sinking their teeth deep into their characters. To which are grounded but somewhat fluffed up representations of the reality, none the less they are resonating depictions and still hold some honesty towards the harshly real effects that dementia has. It's through this exploration of dementia that the film achieves its most heartrending moments, delivering touchingly melancholic lines of dialogue, punched home by the effective subtleties of the winning performances from Mirren and Sutherland. Both convey the love and challenging nature of this sort of relationship and help bolster the poignancy of this story, even though it is certainly one that has been explored with more finesse.Sutherland's character is key to understand the messages behind the films normality, as he speaks of Hemingway and the falsely perceived banality of his simple writing technique. There is certainly a case to be made here for that perceived banality of these characters, challenged by the show of memories and John's (Sutherland) life before the illness. Mirren's cartoon accented Ella still holds all the complexity that drives the plot forward but stifling the growth and journey of the two leads is the uneven direction. As though the film is caught between arthouse deeply personal story of dementia and Adam Sandler's latest flick. It's never quite sure of what it wants to be, and the feel-good tone makes it all the more confusing, resulting in a unengagement with a good portion of the film.This unengagement leads to a natural sigh of boredom as you watch the film push its clumsy emotional manipulation, but none of it lands or swoons. Thankfully there are certainly a few select moments that truly are tear-jerking, saved by an enthralling ending that leaves the film on a high note at the least. While The Leisure Seeker is unsure if it's seeking leisure or something more insightful, it does deliver on the most part in being a touching exploration of love and more importantly dementia and the effects it has, with two outstanding performances that are wasted on stale direction.

2001ASOfan Films that try to earnestly, honestly explore and detail life experiences to hopefully illuminate and celebrate them--and maybe even help viewers deal with their own similar experiences--are films I always appreciate, even if I can't say I ended up enjoying watching them because the life experiences depicted are so difficult and inherently sad. I should also emphasize now, though, that "The Leisure Seeker" also tries to find the humor in this inherently sad situation, and succeeds at times: There are some very amusing moments. In an interview while promoting this film Helen Mirren said she took the role because the character she was playing was rushing into living and life rather than running away from it when it got difficult, and I agree. Interesting to find out in the closing credits that this is an Italian film production, with an Italian director (in fact, Mirren also said she always wanted to be in an Italian film because they were so inspiring to her when she was young, and it was also one of the reasons she took this role), so it is actually an Italian take on a very American story and road trip taking place in two distinctly different parts of America along the East Coast, from Massachusetts to Florida. I found it reflective and contemplative in a good way, and I was drawn in and glad I took the trip with them, even if I left the theater feeling melancholy and a bit afraid of what my later years may bring to me as well. Recommended, but be aware that your own life experiences may make this a darker or lighter film depending on what you've been through yourself.