124. Duty Free; movie review

 

DUTY FREE

Cert TBA

73 mins

BBFC advice: TBA

How ironic that we should be watching a film about ageism in the workplace just as we are about to retire early.

It would not be the bag of Mrs W nor I to carry on in paid employment until our 70s but we would certainly defend the rights of those who wish to.

Rebecca Danigelis needs to continue her career because she provides for a mentally ill son and she sees having a job as essential to her own self-worth.

Duty Free, a movie made by her other son, Sian-Pierre Regis, does not delve into the American pension system or the lack of it.

We could have done with this background to help us understand why hard-working Rebecca had only $600 on which to rely when she was made redundant at 75.

Rebecca - a hotel housekeeper for 40 years - is distraught by her situation and her inability to find another post.

Thus, Regis decides to help his selfless mother, who brought him and his brother up alone, to go in a completely different direction.

He asks her to create a bucket list of things she would like to do and sets about crowdfunding the quest to tick them off.

It becomes a voyage of discovery for both of them as she reconnects with her extended family and recharges her self-confidence.

Duty Free is certainly engaging - Rebecca is an interesting character and her son could not be more caring, putting his life on hold to repay the love she had given to him over decades.

But, while their relationship steals hearts, its serious point about age discrimination is rather lost and the issue about finding another job at 75 and fending off eviction become a tad submerged.

Regardless, we enjoyed the film.

Reasons to watch: The love of a mother and devoted son

Reasons to avoid: Could do with a tad more background

Laughs: A couple of chuckles

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? 1.3 million ex-pat Brits live in the USA and Canada – the same number as can be found in Australia. 24% of Brits in the USA are thought to be pensioners.

The final word. Sian-Pierre Regis: "In this country, we probably are the worst at recognising that older people have value. I hope that this film starts to make it not only clear that obviously that they have value and vibrant — all of the things that society likes to tell you they aren’t — but more importantly, that we are having an intergenerational conversation around ageing and equality." Cinema 76

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